Litchfield enquirer., 1873-08-21
ONCE A COWARD.

cn66EAAy kMe ADfafF @WlM1DW ab ba46 S41 hall gleamed out to welcome us, making ruddy stain on the wet gravel. Didn' it look cozy, too, after long, tiring day spent in tramping through heavy turniT fields and stiff wet stubble! And ye there was a cozier thing than that before us soon.
 My cousin Helen's facel It beamed out on us, lovely picture framed in tho dark, heavily-carved doorway, bright glowing face set against bright, glowing background like the portrait of some me di9val saint: a glorious face always, but when, as now, bringing the full light ot it's moist blue eyes and flushed sweet smiles to bear on its fellow-creatures ut terly irresistible.
 One of our party, Dueie of Enderbeau. did not attempt to resist 1t. So complete ly, indeed, had that gentleman fallen un- der my cousins yoke that I daily expect ed to hear that, out of sheer gratitude fo1 his worship, the young lady adpromised to return him that '1ove, honor and obe- dience" which we find mentioned in the common prayer book; nor would the tid- ings have displeased me. I don't know how it would have been if had wished to marry Helen myself; but when fellow has got dear little girl of his own wait ing for him he can afford to be magnani- nous about his cousins. De plus, Ducie was one of my dearest friends; one o1 those men who manage to carry away eve ry heart, male and female; sort of Saxon Apollo. E
 He turned into the library at once, say ing something to Helen, as he passed her, which made the flush deepen pinkly in her fair cheeks; and Tom Jackson and l followed. Cis Devereux slipped up stairs to dress. He was too great a dandy to present himself to the fair sex under the disadvantages of rumpled locks and mud dy leggins, Looking at Ducie, fancied that the said disadvantages made him rather more handsome than usual. I wonder if he knew it. The girls did, for they accepted most amiably his apologies for our intrusion in such guise. (Tom Jack son said "as such guysr), and declared that we might have a full half hour to toast in front of the fire before going up to dress for dinner.
 fancy 1t was Devereux's absence which turned the conversation on him. Jack son never could bear him, and said so, adding, like the broad, outspoken York shireman he was, that the fellow had no more courage than a rabbit; ''actually winced every time gnn went off near him." One of the girls rather objected to this; but Marc Jackson took her broth er's part, and gave us an amusing instance of DeYeFeux's want of courage in some mountain adventure they had enjoyed to- gether. She made us all laugh by the way she told it and it was then Helen exclaimed, with a scornful curl of her pretty lip:
 ':I am sorry you told us. never ik- ed Captain Devereux, but detest a cow ard.
 Girls, when of impetuous dispositions, sometimes use stronger expressions than they have any idea of. The bitter word coaO0Td, flung like Q shot into the middle of our little group by girl, produced & silence; and I began to feel with our fair cousin for forget ting that Devereux was our guest, and to mediate giving her private lecture
 To my unutteEahle surprise, Duese say ed me the trouble by taking the reins inc to his own hands, and bringing up the spirited offender with a jerk. He had been leaning against the mantlepeice, gazing down at her with sort of dreamy admiration in his dark eyes; but now h..a straightened himseil: as suddenly as if the shot had struck him, and spoke in a dry, hard tone, which must have been quite new to his beautiful young hostess,
 ':po you think that is fair term to ap- ply to the gentleman in question, Miss Curtis ?'
 Helen stared. She was not used to re- bukes from her lovers, and instantly re- sented this one by as dry and hard an an swer.
 ''After what Miss Jackson has just told us? yes, Mr. Ducie, do.''
 'sThen think you are very wrong, if you will allow me to say so." en began haughti1y : then flushed up and softened, like a regular woman. into a personal appeal. "But I could hardly make allowance even for you, Mir. Ducie, whom We know to be 6 brave man, if you did not hate cowardice at least as much as do."
 'I do-hate cowardice," he answered with an unwonted emphasis which struck us all. ''So much so, that I Ao pet like even to hear the word applied to man who probably does not deserve it.
 "But if he does g
 "You have no proof that Captain Dev- ereux does."
 ''Not Mary's story? Oh, MT. Ducie, (getting angry again and her blue eyes flashing impatiently) 'syou cannot bring me to look at bad things with simple in- difference. The word may be ugly, the thing is much uglier, and not even your eloquenee" Every scornfully) ''could make me regard coward with any feelings but pity and contempt"
 Did you ever see picture (it was in the academy some years ago) of Mary of Scotland turning on the rebel lords who have come to extort her signature to the deed of abdication? Do you remember the look of unutterable scorn with which she barred her white arm, bruised black with the grip of Ruthven's mailed fingers? Helen Curtiss looked like the outraged queen just then, as she sat erect in her low chair, her eyebrows raised, her ripe lips curved in 9 beautiful scnrne. Ducie, white as death, looked at her steadily, his hands clinched behind his back, but made no reply. thought of the Tanning of the Shrew, and wondered whether Du- cie was deciding with Hortensio, 'skind- ness Tn woman, not their beauteous looks, shall win my love-" Mary Jackson, whose giddy tongue had provoked the quarrel, rose uncomfortably, saying it must be time to dress, and futtered away, Tom Jackson and his pretty wife following: Then, to my great joy, Helen, seeing her self left alone, rose to depart likewise, and was turning to the door when Ducie stop ped her.
 ''One word, ;" he said, speaking with g sort of forced calmness. Putting this nonsensical story of Miss Jacksan's or one side, would you call 2 man coward because his courage had failed him sig nally in one solitary instance?''
 bit my lip. I saw Helen was on hel
 mettle, and indeed. her answer proved m' right. Decidedly should. judge man..
 heart by what he does, not by what h,
 says; and the more sudden the call, th' more surely he acts according to his nat
 ural instinct. One greater than you or
 said of his disciples, By their fruits y
 shall know them,' and I-when. see
 man do cowardly act-I know he mus
 be coward at heart. Ton are makine
 yourself special pleader in very bas