The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-29
ROSE BLAOKETT A6D HER LOVERS

mn so that don't take muCh CTeuh ~ ny 'e'i ."
the matter I dare say might have gone In and
won on my own hook II had liked but lett
an 10 the old lady. She likes managing. Sc she
and Mrs Blackett laid thelr Nobos toge1her' anu
Rose and said yes"
aWel Fred, you certainly arc the most extra
ordinary feIlowl" said his tTiend, laugmngi "l
don'tth thiuk many people would imagine you we're /
speaking ofyour marriage" ,,,,-,- |
-"Dessay not" returned Fred. "IecpIe 20 in /
for spch Jolly lot of bosh on those occasions, |
they cannot understand that one should have any /
common sense in the matter. Times gone by for /
blsscs and kisses, and Cupids aud arrows and |
all that rubbish; ana It's all very VOL, you know
TO like the girl you are going 10 marry-but hang
il all one needn't mGke fool of OnCs-sclf about
III l like Rose BlaCkett very we'll. She's uice |
girl enough no nonsense abOut her; can ride |
we'll which IS something, and plays crOquct FIRST
rate she Is goOd-tCmpercd, and, am thankful TO
say, without sentmentality; so We hit it of eX-
actly nut as for being over head and cars u love,
and all that stuff, I'm far too used up for auv-
thug Of the kind, and she is too sensible. We
marry because our mothers wish II, and because
--Rs they wish tive might as well marry each
other as any enc else. ] can't say particularly
want 70 marry any unc but suppose ] must do
my duty that way ana 20 you see do it,
"AL very well, Master Fred; but cannot say
think you are in proper frame Of mind" said
Harvey Wynn, "and only hope that when am
going 20 bO married I shall be over head and ears
in love with my wife. ] don't think would let
my mother make up marriage for me, however
sensible In its outlines"
"Ahl but then You are such deuced romantic
fellow" laughed Fred "NOw you zee | have
gone through all that and have come out on the
other side and 50 / save myself no end of trouble
and anxiety and let me tell you, that is no con-
temptibe thing 20 do in life, If you cau."
'just So" SAID Harry, land by that reason
ing the more nearly we get down 70 OysterdOm
the wiser our philosophy"
"Not a bad idea, Harvey. An oyster must have
Jolly time OF it till he's caught. And even
then, we are all caught some time or Otherj 50
what does it matter z"
"Not much perhaps; but cannot say l like
oyster theory. l like TO live up to the fullest of
my powers while do live and when have worn
my self out, then it is time TO die. Eut vegetation,
social or emotional, does not suit me-"
Gall the result Of temperament and organza
tion, my dear fellow, said Fred, languidly "you
see you have big heart and big lungs and big
muscles and big BRAIN and are a son of Anak
altogether. have a weak heart and weak lungs,
and more nerves than muscles, and an irritable
brain which has to be kept quiet by the neyer-to-
be-suniciently-praised nicotine; and 50 emotion
and excitement and all that sort Of thing bore me
10 death; and in fact, am not Up to themi and
that's just It,"
zone would think you were a poor little mlser-
able Btarveling 20 hear you talk, shouted Harvey.
"a six-foot life guardsman not up to any
thing and the best trickster and bodest rider
TO hounds in the county Who Is talking DOsh
now, Pred"
"PeIhaps am, and perhaps you are but it's
too much trouble TO decide" yGwned Fred lazily.
And Harvey knew that when his friend culmi-
TO him any more. Fred was on the ctH bono
school, good hearted and honorable, generous,
brave, atectiOnate in grain; but he had spOlt
himself by the ailectation of indifference, by pre-
tending to be so terribly superior TO all the weak
nesses Of enthusiasm or emotion, and by making
belieye-and twas only make-belieye-that there
was nothing in life worth living FOR. In aid of
which philosophy he had put on lazy, loung
ing, careless manner, inexprcssibly annoying to
earnest and energetic people, maintaining that
the cultus OF nicotine, as he called tt, was the
only thing worth sensible mans devotion;
though he added kind of bye alter to Bass.
His friend Harvey Wynn was very different
kind Of person. Tall, muscular, broadly proper
toned, his face not handsome SO much as honest
and strong-(Fred Whitfield was allowed TO be
the handsomest man in the county and the most
elegant in appearance and manners-when he
chOse)-full Of life and spirits and animal energy
and vigorous thought, impasgiOned in strong
manly way, and romantic too, always in earnest,
and never frivOlouS-surely 1t was only by the
law Of contrasts tnat he WAS the friend OF anguid
used up, affected Fred-ouly by the theory Of
compensation that the conventional club-man
about town found anything harmonious in the
country doctor who took life in heroic dOses and
even then complained Of inanitioni But one
does sometimes see these odd frendghips-and
Fred Whitfield loved Harvey Wynn better than
he loved any human being, save, perhaps, his
mother; and Harvey loved him, but with that
sad kind Of love which one feels for people who
might be so much better than they are If they
would but be their truest selves. SOFT came To
pass that Harvey, who was to be grOOmsman,
was invited to Fred's house for the few days now
intervening before the marriage took place. He
had only Just arrived when they had the cOnyer'
satiOn given above; and as yet had seen neither
the old lady, as Fred irrevercntly called his
mother, nor, of course Miss Blackett, who lived
rather more than two miles from the Hawse-thC
Whitfeds' place.
His introduction to the mother came first. shC
was handsome, stately woman, with the mier
and manner OF a duchess-a cold, courteous, iron
hearted kind OF person, who wore rich black silkt
and point-ace caps, and despised poverty as on
par with vice and crime Conventional, proud
cold wordy-Havey understood now whence
had come the flaw that run through, and so piua
bly, marred, the beatty of his friends nature.
Mrs. Whitfield was very civil, though, TO Har
Tey. She was in too good q humOr about the
marriage of her planning not 60 be civil to every
one; for Rose BlaCkett was an heress, ownini
now some thousand year in her own right, will
inheritance 20 come; and she was glad that sh
had secured so rich e prize for her son, whel
Others and men of higher social standing (nota
bly, my Lord Marcy Masters and Sir James Ven
tour, were pretendantg in the same field; s.
that Harvey only felt in general way the ice aut
iron Of her nature; 10 himself individually sh
was all gracousness, Of stately sort, not 70 sa.
grim.
But one thing he did see, and that was, tha
she was feversh and OyerstTgned, and looked i'll
and as If on the point Of breaking down. hi
profession taught him that; besides having b.
nature the full use of his eyes.
81 am glad that my mother likes you old fel
lOwl" said Fred, when she left the table; "
know her manner so well, l can weigh to al
ounce the measure of esteem she gives to an
one and l can tell yOu-if you care for it-tha
you are in class number one with her; whicl
makes II more comfortable for me, you know.
hope that Rose will like yoH, too, and then VI
shall be all right"
Il hope so too" said Harvey, laughing. AM
then they talked Of other things.
The next day they went over to Lisson, Wher