Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-02-14
THE STORY OF A VALEN TINE.

(trom scribners monthly Tor february.)
When my friend Capt. Terrible
U. S. ~, dimes at my plain table, |
am always q little abashed. | know
that he has been accustomed always
to q variety Of wines and sauces, to
cigarette after each course, and to
cookery that would kill an unde-
veloped American. 50, when the
captain turns the castor round three
times before selecting his condiment,
and when his eyes seem to be seek
ing after Worcestershire sauce and
Burgundy wine, | feel the poverty OF
best feast | can furnish him. | am
afraid veteran magazine readers will
feel thus about the odd little story |
have to tell. For | have observed
Of late that even the short stories are
highly seasoned and | cannot bear
TO disappoint readers. So, let me
just honestly write over the gateway
TO this story q warning. have no
Cayenne pepper. No Worcestershire
sauce. No cognac No cigarettes.
No murders. No suicides. No bro
ken hearts. No lovers qurrrels.
No angry father. No pistols and
coffee. No arsenic. No laudanum.
No shrewd detectives. No trial for
murder. No "hesrtless coquette.
No "deep-dyed villain with curling
mustache." Now if, after this warn
ing, you have the courage to go on,
| am not responsible.
Hubert said might print it if /
would disguise the names. 1t came
out quite incidentally. We were
discussing the woman question. L
am a "woman's Fighter" Hubert
the Rev. Hubert Lee, | should say.
pastor Of the "First Church" and, in
deed, the only church in Allenville-
is not, though | fattcr myself have
made some impression on him. But
he discussion took place in Huberl's
own house aud wishing to give a
pleasant turn at the end, | sap
pose, no told me how, year and
q half before, be had fused up" one
Voman's rights man, who was no
other than old DR.. Hood, the ply
stefan that has bad charge of the
physical health of Hubert and myself
from the beginning, Unlike most OF
his profession, the doctor has always
been radical, and even the wealth
that has come in upon him Of late
years has left him quite as much OF
a radical, at least in theory, as ever
before. Indeed the old doctor is not
very inconsistent in practice, for he
has educated his only daughter, Cor
nelia, TO his own profession, and |
believe she took her NJ. ID. with hon
ors, though she has lately destroyed
her prospects by marrying. But So
cially he has become q little aristo-
cratic, seeking an exclusive associa-
ton with his wealthy neighbors,
And this does not look very we'll in
one who, when he was poor, was
particularly bitter on "a purse-proud
aristocracy." / suppose Hubert felt
this. Certainly ! did, and therefore
| enjoyed the conversation that he
repeated to me all the more.
1t seems that my friend Hubert
had been away at the seminary for
three years, and having at last con-
quered in his great battle against
poverty, and having gained an educa.
cation in spite of difficulties, and hay.
ing supplied city church Gcceptably
some months during the absence o.
the pastor in Europe, he came back tC
our native village to rest on his lau
rels few weeks, and decide which o
three rather impeounious calls hC
would accept When just about &c
leave he took it into his head fol
some reason, to "drop in" on ole
Doctor Hood. 1t was nine o'clock
in the morning, and the doctor:
partner was making morning call:
while the old gentleman sat in hi,
office TO attend to any that might
seek his services. This particular
morning seemed to be an unfortu
nate one, for there was no ague sha
ken patients to be seen, and Their,
| was not even y case of minor surg
cry 10 relieve the tediousness of tn
morning ofiice-hour. Perhaps it wa
for this reason, perhaps it was fol
the sake Of old acquaintance, that b,
gave Hubert a most cordial recep
ton, aud launched at once into a Sc,
of vivaeious talk. Corneiia who wa
in the office, excused herself on tn
ground that she was examining 70
her examination, and seated hersel
at a window with her book.
IL am afraid take your time, doc
tor" said Hubert.
20 no, am giving up practice Z
my partner, DR. Beck, and shall Civ
it all 10 him in year or two"
"To him and Miss Cornelia ?" que
ried Hubert, laughing. For it wa
currently reported that the younl
doctor and Cornelia were to form
partnership in other than profession
al affairs.
Either because he wished to al
tract her attention, or for some 9th
er reason, Hubert soon managed I
turn the conversation TO the subiec