Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-12-28

"Don't you find him 40 2 Not ever :"
Snow and then his thought Is a little
hard 10 follow. But he rewards the labor
you expend upon him In many instances."
She hands him back the book, settling
herself into demurest primness.
"You shall read him to me, and shall
Judge. When every thing is darkness, you
shall say, ''Le' there he light'n
Hc takes the book and opens IL.
Il hope there will hr," he comments,
unimpressionably.
"You mustn't judge nv intellect by
Folke's-poor dear boy Does it follow,
because he Is a simpletOn. that | am a
simpleton'ss l'lIave you forgotten how
Cherlewagne was the father Of King
Pepin ;"
"llisiory hopes So" he answers, begin
ming to read. He has read line when
she stops him,
cit sounds sort Of hlckory-nuttlsh al
really. However that wasn't why | stop
ped you. l want TO know the name of the
poem you're honoring me with ~
"'Any Wife TO Any Husband is It's title.
May begin again now 2"
"Yes."
He recommenccs. He has roadIabout
seven stanzas when he hears her sigh a
mammoth sigh. And Herewith he pauses
again.
cit has been Opaque for quite little
while, with flashes of comprehension
How iermentlngl You couldu't give, could
you, a sort of-of-i"
"Plain-prose explanation, what Mr.
Browning means 2"
"Precisely." She has thrust out that
round, pink chin again and creased her
smooth forehead ever so family, and made
her eyes too VISIT Il stars. "How quick
you are nt catching meanings really
think you can read me quite as well as
you read those headachy poems. But am
not beadachy bit, am very easy to un-
derstand."
81 did not think Otherwise" he ac.
quiCsces, making the raj pid color assail her
face, though she is proof against getting
angry this morning. "As | take it," he
begins, ''the meaning Of what have read
is 80" aud, with voice quietly dspassi mate
at fret, he progresses IN his explanation.
Every sentence seems to hang Il lantern
for her along the dark, intellectual IA h
| through which she tried TO follow him.
! lie is firm lover of Browning-one Of
the few to whom this poets many sided
ness and complcxiiy oil,r any real charm;
one of the few that can discern his works
tine mingllrg Of rough and delicate, Of
sweet ana bitter, OF dramatic quartz and
! lyric silver. UnconsclOusy, while speak
ing, his voice rises and fails IN eager waves
of earncstncss; he forgeis nearly every
thing but his subject, and that be has long
been In love with. A new fire warns his
eyes, making them shine out right richly
beneath his high, broad fo;cho d. Gri-
sell Is astonished and fascinated-at least
to all appearances. Be this as it may, the
man has given her a glimpse into his ma
ture, though brief enough the duration OF
such scrutiny.
For his enthusiasm c0ols very quickly.
tic ceases spcaking with the most untx-
pucicd abruptness, and returns To the book.
IL have been thrown OF my guard" his
whole manner SEAMS to express, while
GIlsoll mutcly watches hun. Irto hl-
usually pale face an undcniablc color is
stealing.
"Shall wcgo on with the reading - h,
presently wants TO know.
Yes, OF course. And you have rendered
the poem go clear 10 me now '
something ia her voice makes him
alahce up from the book and momcntarill
search her lnce. IL has grown grave On d
sudden the brilliant smile is now here, bu
the eyes stll keep their wistiuncss.
Dnrino MANY stibsoopont dsvs H. so han
MONS ibni thcy hold nnny mora Tr e,,cl mcei ,,',
ms tomc.Lor. All his oIJ uuimrss.ionpd
nriu,,r.. .ionati,. n,ouror bns tr.rtn.J n
ljm' snrn ibst onc h, f,,val Of ioeIms
and r,.rvnr. he hag tnuoulicd hiirso!f II
I,ollrCss more ,lorourhiv thnr ever. n,
ron',i,o, IN make her utdrr, md. w,thon
n.tr.in, n .,,i,, lc thst coi.ll M AIN rl,nil,
im,lvi n bis rrrornition of ihese reldna
ARRANGEMENT, as n kind Of adjunct duty /,
Ills tnlorship Of roikc. Yd Grscu ner
, sis,. i'm holimr thcm. 81 win moi he dc
C.atr,l.H .hs mentally drrides. .iIr ha
- .lo,yn ria once ib,I he Is Ge.h and blood
/ moan ia emo. /, ,an. nj. silly wish 1,
ln,i,.,,r. an iciric.''
So. src cyrp.,. bor ,,crsi.tcnr, Atth,
, .nme lime telling hc,.'lr that Mr.. Corn,
l., amusing sort Of company. in spite Of al
his old@i1s and rr,ce,. 10y "
one afternoon She hares him a bool
j which her fnthsr In. isisly benrht. :"
, made papa pet me thi.," fhe tells him
! "becnug,' every paper that baye seen fo
= The paSt two months has said something
obo,,t n As we have finished sMru an,
. Women.' suppose we take up sAllal
Errol p II isn't a novel, though the nam
{ sounds sou
"a really long pocm-quite a respect
,tlo boolsr,l 3, he makes cnlutnent turn
, inc i,s nares Slowly. They nre In thoi
msnnI riaccs on he portico. ..Shall
% berin nowY' he asks. "It is easy read
; in,s-,ot nj all in Browniur's style. W
3 eho1 ~, he LONG in getting tbrongh viii
H." ''0'
sIIave Won read it. then ~
He laughs little light laugh. "Yo
will believe me when tell YOU that IN
, best friend wrote il. The author was m
: classmate at college"
, "You mean Arthur James p she nun
! murs. surprisedlv, remembering the nam,
ON the books title page. "Pray tell me
o. little about him before we bCgin.'
r "lu what way -
. "Weu, firstly, is he nice-loolSing la
he conventional hair and uueccenlric 60
y lars 20
I "As though he had never written
; rhvme."
70 "i'm so clad. shall enjoy tho poci
mo-r. linen hes a zen lcman. yo
know ?"
n "a rcutlcnanr'
r. eyes. Youmpy look at nc in thf
4 calm. dumb style as much ms YOU pleas,
s but I am eurc thnt Won pcrlectlv uud,l
sand what I mean.5
l. ~ do moi understands;
!. "Oh. pshaw y, with a deoplv-irritatc
!. shonlder shrurO ais he good sty,e !
he's heal an like vourselC outsid
,r nonners. for evnmple{5
n Onr manners arc similar"
l "Wcll, sham. waste any more tin
Y with my questions. suppose we beg
IS sAllcn Erroll at once -