Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-11-06
MISCELLANEOUS.
RALPH BENEDiCT'S EYES,

WIN MN Till my head achea played with him
sang at him, romped or been dignifed, till my
wits are fairly bothered how to create a new
sensation; and yet the wretch sits staring at me
as If his eyes were made for nothing but to see
| with"
| "Well what are his eyes made for "
Such eyes as his were made for thousand
| things great black ones, with such long silky
lsshes Why he could make no end of COM
motion in the feminine fancy with his ewes alone
What are they male for? They are made to
say unutterable things to look u million VARYING
emotions, to raise with feryency, to cast down
with modesty, to melt with feeling or flash with
PRIDE. And, upon my word, don't believe the
man mas .ne shglest idea that they were made
Tor anything but the convenience Of seeing.
And to think that am engaged to him ~
u thought you could break the engagement. =
ies and lose every penny of my property
and bring the whole family about my ears No
Uncle George portloned oif GlernyiIle to II. If
We took it together, il not, it was to go to some
distant relatives who live in Philadelphia So
down comes my Hharer of this worlds goods
ana IA the most matter OF fact way, says II
think we had better be married in tho fall Flora. !"
AMI , like an IDIOT said very well'"
" He is certainly very handsome Flora :"
" Yes; 80 is uncles bust OF Napoleon. Looks
ike him by-the-way. and one has about as much
animation as the other. The most provoking
thing about him iB, he will never do ANYTHING
but what il proper and dignied. never saw
him take glass of water without dosre on INV
part to tip the whole of it down his neck and
see him jump. Though for that matter, he
wouldn't jump il I did. l haven't done harem
scarem thing since he came that he hasn't
fence that he is not on the other side with
profound bow for my especial benefit, and az
sure as dare to climb tree or undertake the
least bit OF frolic. his most magnificent high
ness'is the first object to meet my eyes. Kate,
wonder il couldn't make him Jealous | mean
to try. Harry Yane came home yesterday and ID
all ready to fall at my feet"
I" Harry Vane ia brainless fop Flora"
He knows how to use his eyes even If he is,
and he is the best fun in the world
- And would you offend Ralph ?"-
II tell yon hate him ~ and Flora dashed
out OF the room, leaving her invalid cousin and
confident aghast at her sudden outburst.
In the parlor the merry beauty found her be-
trothed, his large eyeds closed over the nse-
less eyes, aud apparently fast asleep.
wish could play some Joke and rec if it
would astonish him when he awoke," she said
NOT IN tho least, il / knew it beforehand"
said Ralph, lazily opening his eyes.
~, How dare you pretend to seep?' cried
Flora, Indignantly; 81 might have talked
secrets"
"rhen should not have listened"
On OF course not nothing half 80 naugI-
ty could occur to you," she said, sneeringy
' trust nothing dishonorable could, WAS the
quiet reply, though for a moment his cheek
criinsoned with vexation.
- ash your pardon, did not mean to be SO
rude. said the frank little penitent, holding out
her hand.
He only bowed gracefully, and snatching away
the rejected hand, she threw herself down on
tile piano stool and dashed off her pique to a
stormy polka. The polka went into dream like
waltz; and one of Beethovens sonatas followed
tlil as the room grew almost dark the subduing
influence became stronger, and as the last note
died away, she began to sing, not as he had
heard her sing before, in dashing opera airs, her
voice rose clear, but subdued, in sad melodies |
old ballads, and those longing airs OF "Aud |
Lang Syne," heard nowadays.
The tea-bell broke in upon the pleasure, and
the light dining-room found Ralph as digni1ed |
and Flora as saucy as il no music had stirred |
their hearts into II now and strange communion |
Kate heard day after day, with pain, OF the |
marked coldness between Ralph and Flora and |
Of her increasing Irritation with Harry Yano
At last the crash came.
" / am free :"
Flora throw back the door and rushed in, with |
burning cheeks and flashing eyes.
~ am free, Kate. My charming cousin came |
to me one honr ago, and asked an interyiew-a
private one-which l granted of course. He in |
formed me that when he graduated as physi- |
clan, with bis heart full OF the glory and respon-
5ibility OF his profession, he had csme here |
Trusting to find wife who would be his compan- \
on.and true helpmate in the arduous life before /
him. He had hoped thatmy liveliness was more |
y youthful spirits, but finding me lleartless and
frivolous he preferred poverty to marriage with /
\ flirt and withdrew his claim to my hand"
"Oh, Flora such heart you have thrown |
away. In the hours lie has spent here trying to /
entertain me, have learned mu III OF the noble |
ness OF his nature and of his love for you. He |
has 30 hoped that you would tyour own gener-
ols nature show yon tho folly OF your frivolous
ways"
II have had one lecture, Kate. pray spare me |
\ second Ralph Benedict may seek aome-
where else wifc as cold and censorious as him
self"
s'And you?"
"0h with nervous laugh" be has kindly |
indicated my future for me-"
''Flora, you will not marry Harry yane ~
:" Such brainless tlirt. No Though to think |
we are well mated. Ali Ralph thinks to mortify |
me- by his rejection; he shall see how gladly ac
,ept my freedom" And Flora left the room as |
abruptly as she had entered 1T, to fly to her own
lock the door, and indulge in a long
and bitter tit Of weeping.
That afternoon Ralph Benedict was riding and
musing. With his own hand he had torn from |
his heart it's one bright spot. In the few |
sImpses Flora had let him see of her generous |
heart, her many secret acts of charity, her ten
der care Of her cousin, he had learned to love |
the bright little beauty, all the more that her vi
vacity 30 strongly contrasted with his own rather
stern nature. His life was one OF earnest and |
steady seeking for the highest ends of life. He |
had seen in his short time Of practice such hard |
relations of life, such scenes of suffering, such
calls upon his deepest feelings, that life had be-
come to him one broad field for the exercise of |
usefulness and lf-sacrifce.
His one dream Of happiness he had broken |
that day, because he dared not trust the hopes /
Of his life in the hands of trifer. Yes, he /
loved her, loved her as such a nature as his |
loves the bright loneliness OF gay little beauty /
like Flora and his heart ached sorely az he took |
his long lonely ride. He had promised his I'M
Gle to finish his projected visit and remain some |
weeks longer, and he WAS nerving himself to |
think OF his cousin as the wife of another, last
to his own act AS he drew his horse up at the |
stable door one OF the servants came running to |
meet him.
"Oh, DIR. Benedict, I am 30 glad you have |
come. Miss Kate, sir, ID very i'll. viii you |
come to her quick2"
"What ID it, Nora :"
"Oh Sir, one of those dreadful spells she used |
to have when she first hurt her spine."
Tho quick, firm step Of Ralph was the first |
grateful sound Flora had heard since being |
called to her Cousins side. All embarrassment |
was forgotten RS she sprang to meet him.
"Oh Ralph, help me !"
"You have seen her in these attacks BEFORE"
he said gravely 'tell me what you did then,
and how she has been taken now"
Calmly and concisely while sitting at the bed |
side Of the sufferer, Flora described former at |
tscks and their treatment, and the probable
cause OF the present one.
Quick to decide and prompt to act, Ralph made