The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-07-23
MRS. Professor xRAMp>.

fessor kramps, Of Hale College, nobody
could tell. Sally was the only daughter OF
a moderately wealthy lawyer her three bro
:hers were a. wild and noisy as three young
colts her mother very kindly, indolens,
unintellectual woman. fat, ROSY, and short :
her father an odditr. but an agreeable one,
full of dry humor, and keen. but not bitter
sarcasm: her home was as comfortable as
all the appliances of wealth and the most
unrestrained freedom from laws and usages
could make il. Nothing was in or out OF
place there; the cushions of the luxurious
| sofas strewed the carpet or the piazza floor
as it pleased the inhabitants the chairs
stood in strange disorder and mystilal
groups, only TO be explained by seeing them
occupied as they generally were, three at
once, for the personal convenience of one
tall boy.
Even Sally's speciality, the little music
room. lined with divans, and tinkling at all
hours of the day with light waltzes, arial
polkas, or the choruses of negro songs, was
always in confusion dire. If some stranger
| asked for music, every cushion was turned
over to find the stray leaf; the Prima Dona
Waltz had been twisted into a foolscap for
plaster head of Beethoven: II Segreto -
made a cooked hat for bronzed Napoleon
| sparkling German drinking song. whose
words were heather Greek to Sally (where-
fore che usually adapted it to moving bal
lad, called the Orphans Sigh y was ironi-
cally pinned up by one of Father Matthew's
medals, practical piece of fun perpetrated
by Joe Norton, the oldest and widest of the
| whole set. Profles in white chalk, and car
features in ink, adorned the KEYS of the pi-
ano; and half-relief" done in pencil
| and dried mosquitoes, a pathetic representa-
! tion of July nights endurance at the sea-
side, hung under rare engraving of Saint
Catherine. The whole house was a little
world of fun, frolc, nonsense, good temper,
and disorder and to this house, in an evil
hour for his peace, came Theodosious
kramps, Greek Professor at Hale, the quiet
est, shyest, and most learned of men.
1t was a warm July evening that introdu-
ced him to this abbey Of mlsrule a mutual
friend to Mr.. Norton, TEN ted him from the
cool cchwebs and musty volumes of the old
Portland library, where he had luxuriatel
all that burning day, to explore the green
avenues of Smith and Brown streets, for the
house to which he had been directed. Soon
er than he hoped, by dint of capturing small
boys and harangung them in classical Eng
lish with regard 10 streets and corners, he
found his place Of destination, and pleasant
enough it looked in the sunset of that cloud
less sky.
All abou: the low brick house was wide
vcranda, overgrown with vines that had run
at their own pleasure here and there, and
now made living scene Of leaves and
boughes from one pillar to another, save
where 9: the boys that synonym for mis-
chief, had forced extempore do0rways
through the mass. by the summary method
Of Il run and jump. Now there were a
few late clusters dEoopiny from the tropical
looking Wistnria, mixing their pale lilac
blooms with the last crimson roses; every
window opening on to the veraDda was
thrown wide chairs stood haf in and half
out q snowy shawl trailed over the sill Of
onc long easement. and little primrose
glove, that wis SO lttle the Professor -.4
n4t lAiak i: 81 -, . glove, rs he eyed 1t IN
curious MAJ. iny GU the door mat and the
door itself Va set open, IN manner most
pvrp.e1ing to th" orderly guest, who Ium-
bleQ, and Sdg"ted. and wondered and pcercd,
a long time before he could find the bell, and
having at last suCce' ded; aud drawn out the
handle timidIy, started rs if the innocent
brass knob had belonged to an electric ma
chine, at the peal, not of ringing but of
laughter, THAI instantaneousy Y answered him;
aud before lie could recover his pose, a
door at the end Of the hall swung open, and
Joe Norton appeared, hls handsome face
flushed with fun and exercise, holding Sally
perched on one shoulder. her little feet in
the funniest possible slippers. hanging help
esSly from the delicate folds Of hrv white
dress, her golden curls all tangled and scat
tered over the rosy cheeks, and parted lips,
parted with bursts Of musical laughter, and
excitement behind came Charley and Ned,
pelting their darling with all manner of how
ers. sturdy rose buds that singled against
her fair throat, splce-scentcd carnations,
scarlet lilies, and blue larkspur flowers that
cought in her shining hair, and finished this
charming pictuTs with the last grace OF col
OF.
At all this the Greek professor gazcd in
helpless delight, with his mouth VIDE open
but dumb much as we depict to ourselves
the angel smitten beast OF BIb.lcai history
but alas no prophet was there to beat hun
into speech. And when Sally from her ele,
vation saw the man, "iOng, and lan4, and
brown" transExed at the door, she was quite
too uatnral and quite too sensitive to the lu.
dicrous not to laugh more heartily and more
merrily than ever, even while she struggled
hard TO escape from her brothers grasp, that
she nigh, descend and do the honors. But
escape was impossible. Joe unmoyed by
the beating Of those small white hands about
his ears, or the coaxing enreaties of that
babv-like voice. "Let me down indeed.
not he,'' whispered Ned TO Charley, "is's
such fun - and fun it was to Joe, as he ad-
vanded, with demure face and his court!iest
manner, so enquire the strangers purpose,
his discounted burden even now roster with
shame, hiding her face in his dark curls, yet
still shaking with laughter. Happily, in the
very moment that Joe achieved his bow, Mr..
Norton appeared, and in a very dry tone or
dered him 20 put his sister down, and behave
himself. at which Joe executed a horrible
face nj the two boys, now in the range OF the
Professor, and choked that worthy man with
the frst genuine laughter that had visited
his dignity for ten years. Mr.. Norton caught
the look and was too spmpathetically attec-
ted to scold. so the whole matter ended IN
burst Of laughs all round, and a series Of
;nfrodnctions, all Of which Professor kramps
underwent surprisingly to himself, so much
freedom, both of mind and body is there
impaired hy hearty laugh q consideration
We feciinsly recommeyd to libeIators and
agitators in general.
There Was no resisting the take-it-foT-
granted manner iu which Mr.. Norton kept
his guest TO tea: and no end to the wIuking
and smIg Sins of the boys at Sally, as she sat
blushing and restless with suppressed msrth
under the sieadiass gaze OF Professor
kramps, who surveyed her as if she had been
some newly discovered infection OF an obso-
le,a verb. aud committed all sorts OF cccen-
,rieisies. such as bustsriug his slice of ham,
pouring cream inso his plato and rasp1errtes
into his tea. and gravely swallowing both
mixtures with slightly SURPRISED aspect that
gradually became look Of resignation. as
be glanced sgsrn a. sfs opposite netshhor:
Silly was ve-v pretty; an innocent mischief
forever luskei N her eyes, ercn a. shsis de-
murcs;; AMI Il her red lips did not laugh,
thew were jast Ea$dy 10. pecpetually.
Such lovely little Dat of womsnh God had
never crossed the orbit OF IheOdosias
krsrnns before but be did not surrender AZ
discretion, nor before sghriug long inter
IL.