Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-02-20
How 4 said "Yes."
BY MRS. A. Z. BARR.

My godfathers and my godmothers in
my baptism called me "Olive," and they
lived TO be heartily ashamed of them
selves for it, for never was there child
with a more mistaken name. A bellig-
erent state was my normal condition. /
do not remember my nurses, but l have
grace enough to pity them. The mild
est of my teachers considered me ''un-
ruly, and you can ask Geoffry what he
thought of me a year ago. Now it is
different. have found my master, and
believe l rather like it. This is how it
came about
GeOffry had asked me three times to
marry him, and three times | said no, !"
in the most decided manner But that
never made the least difference to him.
He only laughed, and said | would know
my own mind better next time.
Il suppose, / said, ''you mean to ask
me once quarter.
''Is that enough 2"
Too often, a great deal, sir"
''Well, then, we will say once in six
months, Miss Olive"
And then he walked smilingly away,
and began some nonsensical talk with
father about Dr. Darwin and his bewild-
ering theories.
This last asking was just at the begin
ming of warm weather. and father, who
thought Geoffrys opinion infallible, ask
ed him where he would advise US TO 90
for the summer.
had made up my mind to 90 TO Long
Branch, and | said so, very distinctly
but Geoffry proposed some out of the
way place in the Virginia mountains.
Then he painted it in such glowing
colors that nothing would satisfy father
but a personal investigation 1t was all
Geoffry's doing, and | told him al the
railway station.
1T is your doing, sir, | said, land
shall remember you for it. .
Thanks, Olive, he replied ''there is
nothing | fear but forgetfulness.
WANTED TO speak saucily to him, but
the train moved, and | felt that it would
be only waste of material.
At the end of the second day we got
to our destination. 1t was pretty
place, must acknowledge that. Nature
had done all she could for it, but art and
civilization had passed it by. The men
were simply "frights," and the women
were-well, none too good for the men.
The houses were lOg-cabins, through
which daylight peeped and the wind
blew as it listed. But there was, of
course, a big white hotel-there always
is. | have no doubt if we had gone to
Tahlequah or BannOck City we should
have found hotel and a proprietor-the
institution is ubiquitary. We procured
rooms, and my trunks were, with some
difficulty, got up the hill and the flight
of wooden stems into the hall
Il suppose, | said, with a resigned
look at father, "there is no use in taking
them up stairs. ] can have no use for
my dresses here ?"
''As you like, Olive" he replied, in
one of his meek and mild ways; ''as you
like, dear; that gray thing you have on
looks pretty well, and it does not SHOW
the dirt. o."
After this remark of course | had
every trunk, bonnet-box and satchel
up stairs, and the noise and confusion,
and even the occasional bad word their
size and weight called forth was quite
grateful to me.
1T is not my fault, explained. "If
people will build stairs like corkscrews,
| am not responsible.
In this amiable mood we took posses
sion, and think, if Geoffry had known
what ! was thinking about it, as ] did
up my hair and put on my white even
ing dress, he would have lost trifie Of
his self-complaeency-that is, if men
ever do make loss of that kind. The
first thing that pleased me was the sup
per. 1t really was good, particularly
the berries and cream, which are a speci-
atty with me.
But, sir, inquired, 'Eare there any
Christians here besides ourselves 2"
''It is to be hoped so, Olive. / saw a
little church in the valley"
''Pshaw, father. / did not mean
church Christians mean society chris
tians"
"Ah, they are different, are they !?
We'll, what do you think of Augusta
Pennington for a Christian 2"
Augusta Pennington Is she here 2"
/ asked amazed.
mo, she is not but her brother lives
within two miles, and he has daughter
about the same age as yourself. Mrs
Pennington wrote them we should be
here to-day; they will doubtless cali in
the morning"
Well, / did not care if they did The
dresses in my trunks were sufficient to
inspire any woman with comfortable as
surance. The next morning / made a
beautiful toilet, but neither Mr.. nor Miss
Lacelles called. Just at lamp lighting
heard little stir and hustle on the
stairs, ripping laugh, the rustic of
silken robes, and, leaning on her fathers
arm, Miss Lacelles entered. She was
beautiful saw that at a glance; tall
and pale and lady-like, reminding you of
fair white lily. We soon struck up a
friendship girls friendship, l mean.
Some one has said that there is no
friendship between the sexes, and some
one is mistaken, / think, for the world
holds no safer friend for a woman than
an honorable man. A womans friend
ship is very likely to be the result of
convenience, contiguity, or of being, as
my father rather sneeringly remarked,
"the only Christians within hail OF each
other" Mary showed me all her Sc
crets. and | returned the compliment,
mindful of Burns advice to still Keep
something to nayser wadna tell to ony.'
Life settled down into an unexcitiDg
but endurable routine. Mary and l Wis
tied each other, and arranged our next
~winters campaign, for / had invited her
to pass the cold weather with me in
New York. One day, in the middle of
one of these pleasant chats, a servant
came In and handed me card. The
name on it reused all the antagenism in
my nature. 1t was ''Geoffry Gardiner" !"
Now it so happened that the existence
of this gentleman was the one thing
had kept back in my condolences with
Mary. 30 / had now to explain who
and what he was. WANTED her to come
into the parlor with me; but no, she
would 90 home first and dress but she