Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-04-09

place in which man should allowhim-
self to be enthusiastic. In short, though
he is true friend, he is IN uncomfort-
able acquaintance; and his volcanic ut
terances, after long periods of calm
contemplation, cause such shocks to
ones nerves as would be conveyed to
the Sunday citizen by the eruption Of
Primrose Hill. But, If it was odd that
the beautiful Winifred Hanway should
marry my friend, it was yet more odd
that he should marry any one. There
were no topics more certain to excite an
explosion in the philosopher than the
excessive population of tho country,
and the wholesome solitude Of the
thinker. "How," he would fiercely ask,
"can q man think effectually on funda-
mental subjects who is compelled by
the despicable circumstances Of his life
to exhaust his anal lytical faculty in con-
sidering how to paY his butcher, and
when to buy his ooals1 I tell you, cir,
it is better to starve with cold and hun
ger than to debase ones noblest part
to a game of skin with grasping gro
GER" Again and again I had heard him
declare in this preposterous fashion {;
and, after all, he was going to the altar
like any other victim, and would doubt
less take house upon his back with
the dociity of q snail.
could not solve the problem; I
would not give it up. So, full of the
determination to drag Diogenes out of
his tub, and the secret out Of Diogenes,
stepped around the corner to offer nv
congratulations. Ny friend was in his
study, apparently writing, really eating
quill pen. He rose at me with rush,
wrung my hand till it ached, and blush
ed rather unoomtortably. Congratula-
tions are the curse Of the Briton.
Whether heis Offering them orreceiving
them, he is obliged to take refuge in
intermittent hand-shalLing and groans.
But on this occasion il was evident that
the philosopher had something ready to
.ay, and was ne!vcu1ly anxious to say
it. My dear fellow: I don't know
when-lreally amso awfully glad, Its
in every way so, such satisfactory,
you know-l really do wish all possi-
BILE, and all that sort of thing you
4 know" he burst in with speech
80 duently delivered, that I knew I was
not his earliest visitor that morning.
"Of course its taken you by SURPRISE
he said, "as I knew it would; but the
truth is that I have been thinking of It
for long time, and I am sure I am
right" Hero / tried to put in an ex-
pression Of wonder 1t his new notion OF
his duty, but he was bent on being rid
of the matter, and hurried on to hie
reasons. I'm the first place" " said he,
l"I am sure that, instead of increasing
my domestic worries, my marriage viii
transfer them in a body to my wife
and, secondly, when I consider the vas
number of fools who are every day bor1
into the world, I am terrified by tn,
, picture of what the next generation vii
, be, If the thinkers of this age are to b,
without SUCCESSORS" Having discharo
ed his reasons in this wise, the orato
stood blinking at me as il he fearei
dissent, but I was too astounded at hi
magnificent audacity to reply. Slowl,
a look Of peace stole back into his facti
q pleasant light dawned in his eyes
= and the promise Of q smile at the co,
ners of his mouth. His remarkabl
: huency was gone, and indeed his voic
] sounded quite choky when he sale
'' "Johnny, you don't know what a
:. angel she is." A light broke in upo
!. me. "Philosopher," said, II beGe'
. you are going to be married becaui
. yeu fell in lover" ''Perhaps you a,
% % right, said the philosopher. .
.oo After the wedding the philosoph'
- and his wife went abroad for an inde1
70 mite period, and their friends heard b.
:, little of them. He wrote to nobod
and she did not write to me. Yet the
1I1 : were occasional rumors. Now til.
~ - were breathing the keen air Of the E
% q gadine, now sinking to the chestnu
= and vines of Chiavenna; now he "
a. lashing himself to frenzy over the tire
- sures of Rome; now she was gazi
~ with sweet Northern eyes across t
glowing splendor Of the bay of Maple
lit Then they were in Germany, and abo
to settle tor lite in university TOW