Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1865-01-05
THE Two OFFERS.
By ELLA ASHTON.

anu uiu nc really OHer nlmSel1!
These were the words addressed
by Susan Graham to her friend
Esther Irvine, after long confiden-
tial communication of the latter.
In the very words / tell you.
And you refused him?
To be sure The speaker said
this with a contemptuous toss of the
head, and all the importance OF
young lady still in her teens who
has rejected first offer.
Oh! how could you? He is so
handsome, so clever, so intelligent;
and then he loved you SO dearlyI
Esther Irvine curled her lip as she
replied,
He is nothing but mechanic, you
know, and though good enough to
flirt with one couldn't marry him.
Nothing but a professional man will
satisfy me. =
Susan Grahame looked at her
with reproving eyes.
Oh! Esther, she said, so young
and so heartiess. You encouraged
Henry Cochrane, you know you did;
indeed / felt certain You loved him,
and now, after all, you have cruelty
rejected him, because he don't hap
pened 10 be a doctor or lawyer.
Shame on you!
Susan spoke with spirit, for she
felt keenly for Henry. In truth she
had long been in love with him her
self; but fancying he was beloved by
her more more elegant friend, she
had never dared to hope. The
wrong done to him seemed therefore,
like a wrong done to herself; and
hence the warmth which she spoke
But it must be confessed, she felt,
while thus censuring her companion,
secret thrill of joy at Esther's con-
duct Henry thus rejected, might
yet be hers. She colored, with de-
light at the thought, and secretly
pardoned her friend for her cruelty
and Indifference. rrsr.
Meantime Esther, half angry at
being blamed so decidedly, replied:
I thank my stars, Sue, that l am a
matter of-fact young lady, and not a
sentimental miss like yourself. A
pair of DARK eyes or a plausible
tongue are not sufficient to entrap my
heart. When marry l wish to be
somebody Now mechanics wife
what is she2 Who courts her ae
quaintance? She is never asked in
to the first society; il tolerated in
second rate, she is only tolerated
and even the minister's wife calls on
her till she has called on everybody
else. With lawyers, or physicians
wife it is different. They are com
pany for anybody, as you know. A
mechanics wife, too, is never more
than a mechanics wife while the
wife of doctor or lawyer may be
the wife of member OF Congress, OIL
Judge, if her husband goes into
politics. At least ma says SO.
Susan looked at her companion
in amazement. Though scarcely a
old as Esther she was far more ma
tured in mind; besided she had not
worldly mother to pervert her natu
raj goodness Of heart; and she coult
not comprehend, therefore, how he
friend could reject any suitor SO wor
thy of love as Henry; especially 70
such selfish reasons.
Mechanics she replied; are al
most as likely, in this country, to be
r come members of Congress as law
yers But that is, after all. little t.
the purpose. We don't marry mel
because they are ambitious, or evel
D distinguished;but because of thei
good qualities. Mother has Away
said that solid worth in HUSBAND
makes the wife happier than show,
accomplishments.
Oh! well 1 won't argue with you
said Esther. pertly. If you wan
Henry you may have him yourself
e but 1 shall marry nobody, I assur
+ you, unless he is professional man
!; And there they parted.
! Meanwhile time passed. The re
n jected lover finding Esther inexora
e BILE, and knowing how intimate Su
!: san had been with her found a sa
|. pleasure in talking to the latter. @
h her friend, whenever they me-
d Gradually he thus fell into the habi
y of calling at Susan's home. 1t wa
: a relief to him, when he could nc
ere or talk to Esther, to be with he
c confident. In tine, and before b
} was aware of it, as often happen
! under similar circumstances, the a
+ fection which he had felt foT the To-
IS mer became transferred to the is
ter. Susan was such a dutiful daugl
I ter, was so accomplished in all th'
), a woman ought to know, and po'
vt sessed SO many pretty house. hol
'e ways, that Henry insensibly bega
y to wonder at himself for not hayin
3 before noticed her great superiorit
to her sex in general. He now wei
more frequently to Mr.. Grahame'
With every visit too, his admiratic
for Susan increased. At last the 81
ID eiety of this sweet girl became indi
o, pensable to him, and when he heal
q rumor that she was engaged
of false one, it proved-he was near
iv beside himself -fa61>sGluH1