Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-07-28
8.

of women who are fast fashionabl, attired, and who can make good ap pearance in society; but little else i required. And to satisfy this demand is the great reason why there are st many fast fashionable and foolisl young ladies. Let the reformation be gin with the men. Is not this so ?"
 "Through, Ed2 Quite long speecl you have made." "
 "No longer than circumstances re quircd."
 "Am betting now on plain girls, Ed but to think of plain, unfashionabl, woman for wife; homely face be fore me at the table three times day and three hundred and sixty-five day. in the year. Bah! It won't do. NJ plain-looking wife for me. Give ma beauty"
 Exactly so, Cy. You want the em bodiment of perfection in the woman of your choice--cne without fault oI blemish. Such person you canno, find, they do not exist. She who spends all her time in arranging hel dress, fixing her hair and in studying how best to appear in public, canno' be accomplished, intelligent and good it is impossible. But there is our call to breakfast. More of this at another time."
 Such was the conversation that oc. cured early one morning on the upper deck of Q steamer en route from St Louis to St. Paul, between Cyrus Math. ews and his brother-in- Jaw, Edward Grey. On account of Mrs. Grey's i'll. health, herself, husband and only broth. CT were going up the Mississippi to spend the summer travelling through the health-giving regions of Minnesota.
 Among the passengers on the boat were persons from almost every part of the country and from all classes oi society. Among the first to form Mrs. Grey's acquaintance was Alice and Agnes Armour. They were sisters, and the health of Agnes being delicate, they were going North on the same errand as was Mrs. Grey. Their ob- ject in travelling being the same and being mutually pleased with each other, it was soon arranged that they should travel together during the summer, and all return South at the same time on the approach of cold weather.
 This arrangement was very pleasant and equally as beneficial to all, unless it was to that incorrigiblc bachelor, Mir. Mathews. But he said nothing, and it was but little that Alice and Agnes saw of him. To the great satisfaction of the two, he generally called to see his sister when they were not present, but occasionally they met. On these occasions he was aflable, kind and pleasant, and treated the sisters with every mark of respect.
 Alice Armour was an accomplished musician. and was possessed of rare conversational powers. These her bachelor friend admired, but she was what the world calls ''plain girl" This was not to his liking. Absence of beauty he considered grave fault, while he seemed to think that physical perfection and beauty were necessarily associated with goodness ofheart. His admiration for female beauty was so great that Mrs. Grey felt certain that he would never be in love with plain, sweet and good Alice Armour.
 Our champion of bachelorship had seen much of what is called good socie- ty, and was honestly disgusted with it. Much of his time had been spent at places of fashionable resort. At such places he met with the usual number ofvapid, fashionable mothers who were anxious to part with their brainless daughters and to receive impudent and whisker-dyed RouEs for son-in-laws. There he saw neglected children and flirting nursery-maids. So far as he knew these ladies did nothing but go shopping, sailing, riding, coquetting, party-going and party-giving. All oi these were his aversion. No wonder he was a bachelor. But like thousands of others, he did not know himself; he did not know those whom he had judged and condemned.
 Early in life our bachelor friend loved-loved, too, with all the fond devotion of his youthful heart. But his love was not returned, or at least a more favored rival took his place in the lady's affections. Ever after this when he was charmed by q sweet face or winning voice, he would studiously seek for some personal defect or some mental imperfection. Discovering a fault or blemish he would morbidly dwell on them until every emotion that pertains to love was dispelled. More than once had this failed him but as "dcrnier resort" he would seek safety by deliberately fleeing from the fascinating creature.
 Thus had Cyrus Mathews succeeded in not loving, and he was firm now in the belief that the citadel of his affec- tions was safe against any love seige, however strong and of any duration, For hours together he could chat with the gayest of bellies, and leave without desire to stay longer. Often did he think that certain ladies were doing their best to captivatc him when, the truth was, the least favored of the would have rejected the offer oc lie hand