The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1867-07-02

tne oest oI the OH gentlemanS numors
and not run counter to him more than
can help. We needn't be meeting 8,
very often, you know. And it seems Il
me that the old fellow would be no fonde
of anybody else who might want TO MARI,
his daughter than he is OF me. And i
Georgina likes me (and she says she does
and if like Georgina (and | know dol
that seems to me TO be the chief part o
the business. don't think need troubl,
myself much about the old mans view,
on the subject. You see it's our aff,ir
-Georginas ard mine-and not las
though it's hard to make him see in thai
light But | dare say it will all come
right in the end. That's what tel
Gcorgina when she takes up with rather
gloomy views about her fathers temper
Shes very good nse, and | think she
looks at the matter very much as l do
only of course she can't help feeling
that he is her father whereas, thank
goodness. he is not mine. am much
obliged to you all for your go)l wishes,
/ say again"
1t will be seen that Ned Stone was
not II lover to "sigh like furnace" As
for "writing Il woeful ballad to his mis-
lress' eyebrow" | don't fancy he could
have accomplished such feat, even il
his lite had depended on his doing so.
Ills pulse beat ever steadily and pune
tually. The thermometer of his love
stood at temperate, with no tendency to.
wards a rise. Let Cupid do all he could
ii did not seem that he was able to work
very vital changes in these respects.
Stone, it was evident, persisted in con-
tcmpated love and marriage from the
proNidc and practical point of view.
Notions of poetry and sentiment on those
or any other subjects were not possible to
him His constitutional serenity refused
to be d sturbcd at all by ''Ihe quotidian
OF love" There WAS nothing about him
demonstrating "a careless dcsolatlon -
The "marks OF love-" as they are ordina-
rily understood, were not dlscernble on
him. Tie was, indeed, great disappoint-
msnt to conventional IDEAS in relation to the
lover. Many, perhaps, would be inclined
TO thin. that he was not to be REGARDED
AS lover at all, that he was simply a
man going to get mnrried-which char.
acter does not necessarily involve the
former more attractive AM shovy role.
Certainly he did not attudinizc, or speech.
lfy or behave in the encen,ric way which
effected no particular rapturcs as to the
change in his life, though he
looked forward to it with sort OF calm
lie never SAID word as to
the naitated.slate of his breast, or the
excitement Of his feelings. lie did not
regard Miss Warren as an angel or a
90 dessl probably he would have been
the first to contradict any allegation that
might have been made to the effect tha,
she was anything Of the kjnl Passion
did not perplex or discompose his vision
Miss Warren seemed simply to him what
she seemed to everybody else-a nice
looking, sensible English girl If he was
to be considered Il lover at all, why then
it was as lover with large infusion o
the man of IL in css. At the same time
it shond be noted that, us Il man OF bus
iness, Ned Stone was strictly honorable
and thorough going gentleman.
Stones love affair might not be very
interesting to Il looker-on if it could b,
called a romance at all, it was anques
tionably dull one. Yet there wa
something respectable about it, too Iii
eff ,clion was not at all for display,a bu
wholly for use a solid and durable look
ing article, and in that light commandin;
attention. 1t was not Il wine that spark
led and eiftrvesced, bubbling over tn,
glass brim in rose tinted foam; yet
might, for all that, be of n sound, sti
and potent vintage. Possibly, too,
would be found to keep better than it
more dashing and sumpluous rival
liked the man. Ills worthincss, in
deed, Commanded the regard of al!
Moreover, he was a staunch, generou
fellow, most trusiy and resolutc friend
To me the progress of his love affair wa
matter Of curious study. | was ofte
considering the question, would it chang
him much would his practicabilty ulti
malely succumbl was his philosoph
wholly proof against passion would h
not rather, like most other men, howevC
cooly he might enter upon the matte,
fird at last an unexpected fire kindling i
his breast /!
called upon him one evening. II
was alone. lie looked little grave, an
he held in his hand Il small sealed packe
We discussed various Indifferent topics
then inquired concerning Miss Georgir
Warren.
so, haven't you heard ?" he said quie
ly, "But of course you couldn't haN
heard. The affairs off; our engagemeI
has come to an end"
"You don't mean that :"
"Yes; the things broken off, as peop
say. Its bad job, and I'm sorry abo,
it-but it cant be helped"
Had the lady resented his serenity an
dismissed him ! | asked myself. A
though he had heard the question, |
went on:
''It's the old mans doing. l hope he
satisfied now. Hes the most unreasor
able and disagreeable old fellow / eve
had the misfortune TO meet with"
"But what did he do p
swell, we fell out about the settl,
ments that was where the hitch aros'
I'm sure I did all | could IN Dlease hin