The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1872-02-08
CHAPTER XVII.

WHAT THE AUTHOR SAYS.
"Tls Lord Of Gaun aud his lady fair
In early youth'united wero,
In early youth divided were."
"Do not you think that va are rath
er like the Lord and Lady of NauE, en-
gagged yesterday, to be separated th'
day after to. morrow"
1t is Leno1e who says all this: she il
strol'ing along beside her lover dowr
one Of the OH streets of Moriaix, tina
the malignant mania for smart new
quays, broad, right new thoroughfares
has not yet swept away. They have
been pry;ng into the dim interiors
climbing unforbidden the dusty, beau
tiful wrecks Of carven stairs, up and
down which the stately mobiles used tt
pace, in the gone centuries; and where
now only dirty gapstns ROLAND tumble
and the clump Of sabots comes. Life
seems easier here than in Eoglaud. In
the ancient, timber fronted houses peo.
ple are leaning on the heavy window.
sills miles up in air below, in the
street, they seem to have naught to dc
but TO jaser with their neighbors, sit.
ting iu old carved 2oor-ways; while
bright blankets and rugs hung out in
the trout make a Brilliant bit of color,
At almost every house, tirds hung in
wicker-cayes parrots, cararies. \
little child is trotting about in the gut.
ter with bunch ot cherries in its hand
The sun Is beating, binding hot, on
the Gne, bare, new streets, but here the
tail friendly houses lean over, story
above story, so close to gossip tcgethe,
that they Intercept his rags.
Lenore has furled her umbrella.
"[ do Lot think that my worst euom,
could accuse me Of being in early
YOUTH" Paul says, with smile.
"About how old are you ? asks Le
more, pecring up inqdisitive]y at him
"You are one of those battling sort Of
people who might be any age, from
twenty-five to forty-ivc inclusive"
81 am halfway between the two;
am thirty.Gve."
"You look mere, l think" says Lc
more, with charming candor; II sup
pose it is that hor,ied beard"
Le Mcsurier does not answer, but he
does not look particularly pleased.
"You know have never yet seen
your real face,"' continues size, SLIPPING
her hand through his arm. II lave the
vaguest idea Of what sort of features
am undertaking | shall be like the
lady who was so short sighted that she
said she never knew her husband by
sight until they married: this append
age must come of before We nee,
again."
She speaks playlully, but in the i'm
perative mood which has been habitua
to her through life.
Paul thinks the imperative mood
very good in a man, but utterly mad
missible in a woman.
"Must it?" he answers, very short
ly then, with rather awkward at.
tempt to recover bis good. humor "Dc
not you know what the early Christians
said that shaving was lie agaios,
ones own face, and an impious attemp,
to improve the works of the Creator r
Lenore thrusts out her fresh lips in 9
mutinous pout..
81 can quote, too; did you ever heal
this distich 2" she says, saucily:
"'John P. Robinson, hs
Said they did not know every thing down i,
Judee.'"
Paul looks grave. He has not rcat
the ''Bigelow Papers," and be particu
larry disIikes flippancy in a woman
Men may be allowed to be little wick
ed but all women should be religious
They have emerged from the old street
have left behind them the tall state.
fronted houses, nodding to each othe,
over the way have left also the gables
the dormer-windows, the strange SAINT
faces, deftly wrought in wood. They
are sauntering slowly back to their ho.
tel through the more modern part OF
the town. Morlalx lies so prettily-
viaduct, river, churches, peaked houses,
all hobnobbing in the hollow between
green hills.
"What will you te doing this time
three days hence Z" asks Lcnore pres
emily, with a halfpensive smile, aban.
doniDg the obnoxious subject of boards.
"Undergoing, probably, a ca.echism
at the hands Of my people, as to your
merits and demerits," answers Paul,
laughing.
"What will they ask you first about
me?" inquiries she, With anxious curios-
ity.
"How can I tell !"
"What points are they likely to lay
most stress upon?
"They will, probably" begins Paul,
with some reluctance, "wish to know
first whether you are of good family.
By-the-bY, do not be angry with me fol
not knowing; but, you see, I should
like to be ready with my answer. Are
you?" -: 4
"ot course" replies the girl, dryly,
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