The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-05-25

APRIL L, IS-.-In utter eIfnUi and
desperation have at last begun a
diary. Did / ever believe that could
descend to such a miserable expedient7
But no one knows what he is capable
of until be tries, and "the times that
try mems souls" develop strange and
unsupported resources.
Is this one OF the aforesaid times ?
Well, all things considered, should
rather say it is. Here am /, Philip
Leigh, an utter stranger in the city,
just about launching on a commercial
career under the most favorable aus
piees, "eageT-hearted as a boy when
first he leaves his fathers field,u and
all the rest OF it. That is what / was
two weeks ago, and the first clause
still hOldspgOOd. What am ! now :?
a bundle OF aches, a thing OF nerves
and sensibilities. Bah what is man
hood worth if slip on a bit of or
ange-peel, a twist of the knee, can re-
duce one to such pitiful level ?
No use grumbling No, my philO-
sophie soul. Would that you always
ruled this mortal frame UnIuekily A.,
you don't. Human nature is weak,
given to repinings, and nuch hsunt-
ed by black spectres of gloom and
e1lnui.' What defenses have / against
their too frequent incursiODs
Plenty of pens and psper certain
ly, but TO wnst use / have no friends
to whom / care to pour out my wOes
which is lucky for the friends.
Books ? my library is certainly limit
ed. / did not come here to lead q
boOkish life, and beyond a Bible,
Shakespeare, ami one or tgO other
volumes my shelves are bare.
Women never seem at loss to dis
pose OF their time. What do they do,
L wonder ? Sew, / suppose but, alas
that panacea is denied me. Oh, my
mother, why did you let me go out
into the world thus unprovided
Well, if am to write diary, some
thing must be written that is clear.
Shall / feel my mental pulse, and
record its variations with tender
sOlicitude? ? Hardly, / think, for l
have a strong conviction that "that
way madness lies" and what / am
especially beginning this diary for is
to avoid morbid inspections and inn
aginasions.
What then > to journey round my
room after the fashion OF Lemaistre ?
Genius might extract something from
the aspect of a bachelors room, in the
"three pair hack" of a New York
boarding-hOuse, but / confess that is
quite beyond my abilities. 1t is all
new and prim. / have no time to fit
myself to my nook, nor my nook to
me.
Well, then, outside. Outside there
are yards-city yards-and a row OF
houses with the wrOng-side-ont, look
peculiar to the backs of city houses.
The fronts are brown stone, / know.
Are the characters of the inhabitants
as different in the front and rear, /
wonder ? Have they all back dOols,
where the mean little higgling vices
ecme and go, while the lOrdly virtues
stalk grsndly up and down the front
steps ? How much could one learn of
ones neighbOrs' characters from these
same literal back doors, / wonder ?
The house opposite looks rather
more attractive, or less repulsi We,
than the rest. The scrap of a grass
plot is fresh and green, and the
borders are brown with the rich tiDge
of newly-raked mold. Two children
are skirmishing about the yard with
the futile bowls to WHICH boys of
tender age are so marYeIOusly attract
ed.
"Etta - calls one of them, in a
shTill squeal.
A girls head appears at the window
above.
tAT- f,b hos oon,a nnh,,.iad ~
plaintiveIy walls the infant, who has
been closely examining a spot of
ground out OF my range of sight.
"Etta" laughs.
'Bury it over again, them" she
calls, in one OF those sweet, low
pitched vOices which, be they raised
ever so high, do not jar upon the
nerves.
She fingers n moment, looking
down at the child. Where is my
opera-glass /? Yes, as l thought, 8
pretty face, q very pretty face, fair
and soft, with a fiIckering rose bloom
on the rounded cheeks, and cloudy
golden hair, waving rather low above
dark, straight brows. The eyes are
dark, too, think, and the mouth j:
firm and yet tender-a little naughty
perhaps, but the smile brings out {
tiny dimple at each corner, and show:
such white, even teeth that you don't
mind that. Not perfect face at all
not even a beautiful one, bat sweet
and fresh and refined, with look O
purity and health, moral and physi
cally about it. The figure, as much a.
/ can see OF it, is light and firm-onI
OF those figures which cannot be othe
than graceful, let them do what they
will.
A bell claDgs in the house lunch
con, oi cOuss. "Etta" vsnishes. an,
only blank wall and empty, starinl
windows are left for my inspection
Not interesting, decidedly not ia
! teresting and up at home
among the New England hills, tn
/ willows are veiIed in their soft greer
mist, and wave after wave of verdur
| is sweeping up the hihsides day b,
/ day among the great granite bOulders
/ grim and gray. Does the sun shin
there and does the foliage giimmer,
wonder &? And are the brown noun
! tain streams dancing downward, will
their whirling flakes of white foam
between the mOssy rocks
''God made the country" they said
but He must have had some littl
hand in the city too, | faney-at less
Ia the making Of such creatures a
| that "Etta" over there.
April 20.-This "EttAn is becoming
/ quite a fascinating study-fascinatinL
because beWildering and peTplexing
What is she Has the girl two ma
lures, or is the mystery only in me
L hope my brain is not giving wa.
under pressure but why does she dt
s1eh provoking, unaccOuntablt
things ? Not that anything she doe
is remarkable in Itself, now that