The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-01-03
LITTLE DORMER.
From All the Year Round.

{ From All the Year Round.
Il would rather die, " said Lefty, pas
sionately.
Just SO, my dear; all young girls
would rather die than give up an I'M
subtantial fancy for profitable reality.
In general, however, they do give it up,
and they do not die" answered her
mother, quietly.
Z" Mamma, how cruel you are I' cried
the girl, with a kind of angry despair in
her voice
q" Because 1 am rational! How cruel
you are, you ought rather to say, Lefty,
to give me so much trouble when I am
acting only fory your own good; and when
you know you will haveto yield at last. "
81 will not yield-I will die first, " re-
peated Lefty.
You are very fond of that assertion,
my dear; but it does not move me- I
say that you will marry as wish you
to do, and live into quite a respectable
old age. You are healthy, though you
do not come of a. long-lived family on
one side" She sighed-it was a con-
ventional sigh-and then she family
murmured, "poor papa -
''Oh, mamma! you are too dreadful
with your old sarcasms," cried Lefty,
hinging up her hands.
''And you are too silly with your
mock heroics, my dear. If you had
not me to guide you into common sense,
what a mess you would make of your
Iifer'
"What a wreck you wish to make of
itt' cried Lefty.
"Silly little girl, " said Mrs. Dormer,
with compassionate contempt. "You
are like naughty child who will thrust
it's hand into the fire, and thinks its nurse
abominably cruel because she tries to
prevent it. The day will come my dear,
when you will thank me, instead of
scoIding me as you are doing now, that
put an end to this absurd affair with
Mr.. Ratcliff, and gave you such an ad-
mirable settlement in Mr.. Mounsey."
Admirable settlement! A man old
enough to be my farther man 1 hate,
and that no girl could like-only with
money"
"And, having money, with all that
a portionless girl can desire and more
than she has right to expect" said
Mrs. Domer, taking up a few dropped
stitches leisurely.
"Oh, know you don't think it neces-
sary for a wife to love her husband.
said Lefty, sarcastically.
"To begin with ply no means, my
dear, answered her mother, with per-
feet good breeding and good temper.
Love comes by habit, by the fact of
a pleasant home where there is no stint
One man is very much the same as an
other man, when you know them; and,
with a moderate amount of amiability,
a well principled girl is sure to be happy
if she is properly provided for.
Your opinions are absolutely mon
strous, and 1 Will have nothing to do
with them, said Lefty, angrily.
"Only to fulfill them, little goose,
when you have worked off the froth. "
Mrs. Dormer returned her answer with
a slight laugh; and the servant at that
moment flung open the door with an air,
and ushered in-'' Mr.. Mounsey."
A short, thick-set, irascibIe-looking
man with grizzled hair cropped close,
broad bushy eyebrows, and that kind of
moustasche and whiskers run together
about a clean shaven chin which gives
such a wild beast expression to a face,
confident, aggressive, unsympathetic
looking man; man to push his own
wav in the world without regard to those
he shouldered aside, and to hold his own
let who would want; man to be wary
of in business, and with whom 1t would
be necessary to be caustious how one
made him friend or foe; man strong
in his own right, and standing four
square in his own esteem; but, as Lefty
said, man whom no girl could love.
This was the Mr.. Mounsey, who had
been pleased TO cast eyes of admiration
ON portionless Lefty Dormer, and to de-
mRnd her of her mother as his wife and
the Mistress of Mounsey Park. And
HRS. Dormer had promised in spite of
that {" little folly" with George Rateliffe,
which she had encouraged eagerly
enough when no better chances were on
hand.
As he came in his somewhat cruel face
lighted up with kind of masterful
smileof pleasure. Mrs. Dormer rose and
welcomed him; but Lefty sat pale and
rebelhous, net fearful nor trembling,