Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-11-02
LILY AND DIAMOND.

"A n
lake near Western city. Originally farm
house, it had grown as the city grew, push
ing out wings and throwing out cottages,
season after season, very much as the city
nnsbed out its struggling streets and took in
suburb after suburb with irregular haste, as
though each time II was taken by surprise,
and had no idea 1t would again be called
upon to enlarge its boundaries. Thus the
city looked like an overgrown village, and
the hotel like an overgrown farmhouse !;
neither had any plan, and the inhabitants of
both places enjoyed themselves In a multi
form fashion. If freedom from rules was
desired, "Surey in country-town like
Southport, or In an old farmhouse like Shore
lands, we can do as We please, they said /;
and, if others craved close following of
fashion and etiquette, "Surely In city of
one hundred thousand inhabitants or in
summer hotel containing more than hun
dred people, we owe it to ourselves to pre-
serve all social requirements intact" they OBJ
served to each other, with dignified import
anCe
Families from Southport moved out to
ShOrelands early in the season, and remained
until the September rains drove them aw y /;
husbands and fathers came in and out on the
railroad trains morning and night; wives and
mothers remained there the season through ;
brothers and cousins visited the place occa-
the trees talking the idle talk of midsummer,
and furtively watching the road.
"A genial, good hearted mana man
whose nature is like the winter apple mel
lowed by the slow ripen'ng of long season,
and far richer In its mature perfection than
the half-develOped summer fruit or the crude
vintage of early fall" Observed Eleanor
Rarne one midsummer morning.
:" Yes, said Dakota Weston, Mr.. Coasts s
olt1g.o 10 at..ttt,
ent from the raw attempts of amateurs or the
Uniformed pencillings of beginners as he him
self is different from the ordinary race of
men and boys one meets at such place as
ShOrelands.
"I must not be left behind if comparisons
are the order of the day" said little Mrs.
starr looking up from dolls dress she was
making for the young STAIRS g Let me see,
Mr.. Coasts nature is like well-baked mince
pie What richness What mature crisp
ness Who cares for the raw green apple
turn-overs of July? Who bankers after The
underdone pumpkin pies of November? No!
give me the winter mince, baked through and
through. Give me Webster Coast, aged fifty
eight, and let any man under those figures
order his tombstone Immediately"
1" How absurd, Janet !" said Eleanor Rarne
-" am surprised at your laughing, Kota
Ridicule is petty weapon, and the greatest
men are ever assailed by il, since their very
Elevation above the crowd makes them al
,asy target for the buzzing arrows. For my
part, | have q sincere admiration for Mr.
Coast. Look at his generosity. Recall tho
sums he has given to the poor"
" lie had them to give, replied Mrs. Starr
he counts his dollars by hundreds of thou
sands,
$50 much the more honor for him tina
they do not smother his kindly feelings as il
so often the case with rich men, Janet anC
then, in addition to generosity, where can yol
find a more accomplished conversitionalist?'
ale has never had anything but the cream
of life" said Mrs Starr; ''no wonder hi
words flow smoothly
81 never liked skinned milk, answered
Eleanor, with disdainful expression in he
dark eyes; 'but, even with your prejudices
Janet, you cannot deny that Webster Coast
model of manly beauty "
"For that age, perhaps he is, Mrs Rarne
but the appearance is so evidently the resul
of painstakng rules and a system of elabOr
ate consideration for self that the effect
spoiled for me-" replied the little wife, smil
ing to herself, as she thought of her Adam
aged thirty-two, to whose good looks no aid
were necessary.
"Think of his goodness, then" pursue,
Eleanor "Where can you find more beau
tilul little church than the one he built q
Green Park?"
Building churches may be mere osentG
tiOn, suggested Mrs Starr.
Come Janet, that is too severe" intel
posed Dakota Weston.
"Well, Kota, do not mean to be severe,
replied Mrs Starr; 'but l cannot underslan
why you two invariably spend so much tim
every day in praisng Webster Coast. 1t
impossible, you know, for him TO marry bot
of you"
''How prosaic - said Eleanor Rarne wit
curling lip. ''Such a thought would neyt
have entered my mind, Janet
''l3ut he can marry both of us if Fortur
is favorable. One of us may die, and thel
after the usual despair, be can take the othe
you know, suggested Dakota Weston, wit
eyes dancing with merriment.
'Prosaic l may be, Eleanor" said lit
Mrs Starr, collecting her spools; ''but ha,
always noticed that there is no vista so lor
but that the feminine imagination can see
wedding at the end of it. And, as for yo
Kota your heartless speech is, hope due
your Ignorance of the subject A widoweI
grief is sacred grief 1t brings the tears
my eyes to think of my poor Adams lone
ness if | should be taken from him.
30 saying, Janet Starr called her brood +
gether, and went back to the house.
''Soft hearted little thing!" said Elean
Rame, with low, musical laugh
'Yes, but Adam Starr seems very fond
her, and what she says is true presume
answered Dakota, thoughtfully.
'Of course Adam Starr is fond of he
But who is Adam Starr? A nobody, as y,
know very well, Kota dear. Webster Cos
saman quite beyond the ken of such W
man as Jane Starr. He, too, is kind, but |
kindness has a very different flavor from t
more good-nature of Adam Starr. 1t is t
part of jealousy and hypocrisy to dec
wealth. am no hypocrite, however, ant
am frank enough to acknowledge its fascu
tions. o Kota what is there in this L
equal to itP Wealth, when united to a cul
waited taste, and mind with the capacity
enjoy life in its most refined aspect, gives
the perfection of existence. Think of W
ters spent floating down tropical rivers W
perfumes from gorgeous flowers rising in
air, and ruins, old as the gods of Olymp
shining white through the moonlight
shore Think Of summers in the far No
by the side of mountain brooks whose sour
are among the glaciers Think of the 7
tnres and the music, the velvet and the d
monds, the ease of superb city home, a
the delicious luxury of a life whose cou
rolls over gold!"
Eleanor Rarne was leaning back agai
mossy bank, and speaking as if in b
dream. but from undpr her drnnninU lac