Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-09
A VICTIM OF SCIENCE.

4 Wal ana matter-Of-fact uncle kept il Sacreily
| concealed, and. indeed, never gave sign of
! having any oppressive weight on his mind
since those days / have often sought To ac-
count Tor NJ according To philosophy and
| eclth'e' nave attributed 10 to perhaps some
| anie-T atal impression. calling to mind the
case OF King James, who would ShiVer a the
sight OF a drawn sword, and who on at least
\ one memorable occasion poke1 a kneeling
| SUBJECT IN the eye when delivering the
1 kniEhtIy acCOiade. / have even INDUCED in
4 wider flights of theory. and traced in imagi-
nation the lineage of my gentle kinswOman
4 To The prehistoric wolf OrSOphiStical AMI san
\ culinary character, cOnceiVing that perhaps
4 she. IN the deVelOment Of the race. found her
| sell carry ing the buriCn Of CNpiatiOn for that
4 SUI remedy illogical crime against the lamb
4 That did not trouble the water. Not that we
ever worried ourselves in that happy time
/ with such SpeculatinnS. Far from il II was
| enough that Mamie Stuart had a peculiar
| mnreas"ning aversion that was all her own.
heT' a other girls, in this age of the uni
NeT>stl diffusion of knowledge, cOnSi;lerC the
mouse VeHOmOUS and CarniVOrOuS animal.
rom whose attacks 10 behOOved all woman
hliG 10 Zee 10 the heights Of sofa and piano
Stool with >Eri"kS and di>heyclmCnt. my
cousin was moved 10 similar demonstrations
by lie proximity OF the no less harmless
sheep. Indeed, as feminine logic goes she
had certain amount of reason ON her side.
naSmuCh as the sheep Is the larger animal
and in that way truly more Formidable |
was simply blind physical or moral hOrrO
rather than fright or terror that seemed to
take possession OF the girl whenever she hap
penCd To come near one of these animals
There was 10 sense in il. of course. But a
rel ulStOn existed aS evident as that between
The two opposing poles Of the magnet. had
seen Mamie affected in that way only once:
and although ioked her numerically about
IL. soon saw IL was no subject for joking
We had forgotten all about il, in fact. and
nut lOr the concurrence of several accidents.
whose happening shall cndeaVOr to relate
IN their proper connection we might have
passed. through Ire without recalling this
strange ldtOSyncTaSy.
The first was an exhibition which Mamie
made When we were all on visit OF inSpec-
tiOn at John LamSOu'S farm. John was a
very good sort of fellow. suppose. | ought
10 say 50 now. at any rate. after what has
happened, for he behaved like a man through
ID all. And even i'm those DAYS the only sin
could Law To his charge, when brought
Squarcly to the point, was his great fOndncSS
for Mamie or, what was Yet worse i'm my
ewes. her equally great fOndncSS for John.
Ih'N were accepted and acknow ledged
lovers; and while should have considered il
a personal insult had John shown less devo-
ton 81 failed in any of those demonstrations
OfTeEard. voluntary or Involuntary. which ac-
company the tender passion. il was quite an
other matter To see my pet cousin give her
self up 10 love and worship any man-exccpt
IL had been mySclf-in such a very unreServCl
way. Moreover. uncle Stuart approved the
match III ne was rich. 80 was John. Nor was
the nOdtl farm "a hobby OH which John
wasted enough substance to support two IA
mIlleS) sufficiently absorbing 10 deter the
cOmplaccnt lover from agreeing TO settle
down, when married. i'm the city house around
The corner, on the next block, which was to
be the patCmal wedding gift. His farm. with
us cost " anu ItlOIOQ4l- bF1t 1--we stock.
Inc only object in life that seemed to interest
him enough 10 find any place in his thoughts
alon" with Mamie. II hc had any particular
strength of character. 10 appeared to sleep i'm
the easy existence he was leading, taking
every thing comfortably. not 10 say easily.
He was tOlCTably gOOd-l0Oking man. tall.
big. and blonde. and III any criticism were 10
De made 81 a face that seemed hardly worth
The trouble, IL would he 10 the effect that the
forehead was slightly Tetreating, and the fea-
lures Of The lower part of the face somewhat
bent or hUddled together. But with his long
muStache and his glowing curly hair, these
defects II they We're such, passed notice en-
tlrely, should probably have never noticed
them but for what happened.
II was when John drove IL all out one Sep
tember q fternOOn to see his farm that Mamie.
foT the hTSt time IN years. revived the me-
mOry of her constitutional antipgthy To
sheep i could see the little girl fighting
against il a well as She might. but her re-
SiStance ended i'm q prrCipitate light from the
spot where John was proudly exhibiting his
COtSwOlds and SOuth-pOwEs FOR our admira-
tiOn.
Guess the lady'S been butted. Sir" said
one I the stock hands, respectfully. touch
ing his hat Ia John. -knOwcd Of Just such
another myself Ny own sister. Sir. was but
ted when she was Il BABY. Never the same
e.. GrOwed up TO he a woman. and never
could abide the sight of sheep. She Tilted r
droEor Tor nothing else in the world. Mar
Tied q tailor. Sir
Why didn't you tell ne. Namie?" sail
John. o. we all stood around drinking STIR
Tup-cup OF Alderncy mil K in the dairy. where
tie trembling girl had taken refuge. Il
wouldn't have had il TO happen for the wOrl Z.
That sheep shall he mate into mutton TO-
morrow. drawn and CHARTERED fUT treason"
NO. don't for any thing cXel1Im-l
Mamie. now quite recovered. Il know / am
as silly a. silly can be. but cant help il any
more than can help and here She appa-
reEfly made ample amends by cudiDs her
sentence in a whisper reaching only her
lover ear. The effect OF which was TO cause a
iiuSli to rise over ms face and smile OF such
happiness 10 appear thereon as 10 turn mv
soul green with jealousy. In my heart |
knew how she had finished that sentence. cN-
planning her conduct by an analogy between
urretSOning love and unTeaSOuiug fear. whose
application John at least did not care 10
Question.
"a sheep has been known 10 bite" re-
marked nv uncle. graVcly.
John next visit 10 his farm resulted in real
disaster. He came around 10 the house with
q headache, and Nantes pretty persistence
in demanding 10 cO>set the big fellow OF the
library sofa with hand SerchiefS and cologne
and such things would have prevailed over
any thing bUt his hobby. There was some
| drainage 10 be examined before the winter
set in. and although the equinOctial storm
had begun with cherries driZZIe John had
his way and went.
| He came home in a shfvcr. He went 10 his
| bachelor bed with chill which 10 blankets.
even when his gTCat-cOat was added atop OJ
| his dressing gown could quell. I'm the morn
| ing rolls and coffee were an abOminatiOn. and
| Onelct q mOckeTv. Dressing was TO him
| labor OF Hercules. and the prospect of going
| down town a direlUl thought. He rested q.
/ flacCid. all day. hot and cold by turns. pro-
/ testing that he was not sick: but by evening
| he dispatched his man Tor Or. BTOughtOn. and
| that eminent practitioner needed little of his
\ skill in diagnosis to determine what was the
! matter when he found John tossing his long
! length on the lounge. Sprawling legs and
/ arms about in uneasy motion. and tUmb!ing
| his curly blonde hair in still greater cOnfu-
/ sion.
| "All right tomorrow? OfcOurse YOU Will
| be. or the day after perhaps. Only you
| necdH't he ia hurry about il, my boy" said
| The doctor. a. he took leave OF the unwilling
J patient. whom he had seen comfortably in
| bed. Don't fret yourself. I've got YOU be
| tween my thumb ana finger now. By-by."
| But for al this he had a nurse installed
| there before midni ght and by morning Johns
| feeble protest against being fed with meoi-
| cine nom strange hand, with which he
4 greeted the doctors assistant, had changed
| into The flighty gSrbble and restless muttCr-
| ipg- Of Semi-delirium. The very strength of
1 the man seemed 10 challenge the power OF the
| disease 10 do its work quickly and surely
| The fever seized him and tortured MIN rave
1 DOu~ly. The vigorous nature which had
/ fought on the symptoms almost to the very
4 end seemed all at once TO fly in disastrous
1 rout. and leave all 10 the enemy in full pos,
/ session.
| Mamie had to know il as soon as any one
! for John was to take her TO the opera at the
4 Grtpif8 NIGHT a yvaS Il