Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-05-22

ally absurd, for of all men banker ouobt
to know better than to let his capital lie
lule | did know better, and determined
! daily either to get some interest for nv
affection, or transfer the stock; which de
examinations were never acted upon, as
| could not summon sufficient resolution to
tell my love. Nature and education had
combined to make me timid in the pres
ence OF women, and People Rayner was
such an imposing specimen Peepiei
! Was there ever such an absurd name for a
glfl hve feet nine in height, set up like q
grenadler, with the figure of Juno. an
| aqulllne nose, eyes that could flash. so
that the rashest Of men would hardly have
dared to trust her in powder magazine.
| recipe! Parents and nurses are so per
verse; 1t was atfectionate for Perpeiua,
which was the name she was christened
| by, and was quite suitable. | have often
wondered why, in these days when thrones
are going begging, no one thought of
making Queen Of her, she looked
the character all over; so did her mother,
whom they might have found another lit
tie monarchy for, too. | don't think the
Colonel would have minded; | fancy he
| grew tired at times Of being the only sub
Jcct. L have heard that Colonel Rayner
was rather martinez when he was in the
army, and that in his dealings with Asiatics
who did not appreciate the British rule he
was very severe. AS a dashing cavalry
officer and terrible swordsman he had
won great reputation, slicing his enc
mics like cucumbers, while retainin. the
GOODNESS Of those vegetables; vet Mrs
Rayner ruled him
1t was warning, for People was sec
Ond edition of her mother, and had never
had any brothers to teach her the rights of
man. But men in love don't take warn
ing. | WAS prepared for any amount of
seryitude and | thought sometimes that
she would not object to take command Of
me; only, if asked her, and she refused, |
should lose her society altogether and
could not bring myself to risk that
When lover is accepted and feels safe,
man to his intended; but when in doubt
he hates it. | hated it. Not that intro
duced Saurin to People; but l brought
him, and therefore had the air of doing so
And he made himself very agreeable, not
to me, indeed, but to the ladies His man
ner with women was quite different from
that which he had with men. He was in
turns deterential, suggestive, admiring,
enthusiastic; that is, he had tact. And he
had no accomplishments, which is an ex-
ccllent thing in man. y man with an
accomplishment poses himself before Il
girl rs a rival instead Of an admirer If
he is superior, he damps and snubs her;
if inferior, she dcspises him. Again, so
long as you discover no merit at all, YOU
get credit for a great deal, on the princi-
p, that you must have been created for
some purpose or another; but once show
your talent, and you are at as great dis
advantage as the card player who shows
his hand. If you have IA tistful of trumps,
or Sun passing genius, of course YOU can
carry all before you; but average hands
and mediocre attalnmCnts should be kept
dark Now, played little and sang
a little, and Saurin patronized me in
such a manner as to leave the impression
that he could do far better if he chose,
though | don't believe he had any more
ear than toad He talked to Mrs. Ray
ncr Of her son, to People OF her brother
until he found out their hobbies, and then
he talked Of them. Mrs Rayner went in
heavily for idiots. While travelling
abroad the year before she had been shown
over an asylum by an exceedingly polite
phllanthropist, and had tidgteted after Il
similar establishment in her own country
ever since. Saurin took an intense inter
est in the subject at once.
Learn to like to be washed, and TO make
mats, You don't say SOL" he exclaimed.
"Have you many in the neighborhood:"
well, yes; there are 50 many of our
Sunday School children on the extreme
verge of idocy that certain average must
pass the line, one would say One poor
creature have seen, in a neighboring vii
lage, dancing about and prosecuted by the
boys
Dear, dear, yes; have witnessed SINH
lar cases myself. Not converted to wash
ing, and incapable, should say, of max
ing mats. | am sure you deserve success.
Have you begun yet to raise subscrip-
tOns?r
I'VE have already got few names"
May | be allowed the privilege of add
inc minc?"
Presently Mrs. Rayner called to me in
great excitement, "Oh, Robert, your friend
has subscribed e100m
This was not the first time that | had
heard Of the proposed asylum; but | had
hitherto put off the question Of becoming
a patron, though fully expecting to have
to part with ten-pOund note some day.
And now this COMPOUNDED fellow had gone
and bulled the market in that reckless
fashion. | could not give less than he
did, situated as | was So | put a good
face on the matter Cat least | hope so;
tried) and inscribed my name for another
hundred at once. But this had not the
same effect. 1t was matter of course
that | should subscribe, while the stran-
gers generosity was spontaneous and I'M
expected.
Mrs. Rayner was quite overpoWered and
wanted Saurin to take up his abode in the
house that very night And when the diff
ticulty about luggage was voted fatal to
that plan, she insisted on his becoming
permanent guest on the very next day.
II am so glad that you brought your
friend over; a most worthy young man he
seems to be-" she said to me privately.
He is not my friend; l know nothing
Of him" | replied, in tone so unlike my
ordinary mild accents that Mrs. Rayner
started 1t was bad enough that the
mother took the fellow up so warmly; it
was worse that he succeeded so well with
the daughter. | had always found People
difficult girl to talk to. She would let
you take up subject after subject and drop
it again without helping you to keep it up
a bit; it was like playing rackets against
a fellow who never strikes the ball in his
turn. But with Saurin she laughed and
chartered in the most animated way.
"What pleasant man your friend is"
she remarked to me when he had left her
for awhile, to wind a little more web
round her mother.