The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-01-19

folds of my dress back into the corner,
hoping the gentlemen would pass on
and not notice me. They paused, how
ever, among the shrubbery at the on
trance, and I, instead of making my
presence known, sat quite still and lis
tened.
81 suppose may congratulate you,
eft was DIR. Grayson's voice that
spoke.
"'No, not in that way. 1 shall never
marry woman who offends all my ideas
of neatness and nicety.'
The professors s voice uttered these
words, and my heart fairly stood st IL.
But if you love her as you say, ,
urged the ioctor.
"'It would not continue. When
love has reason to blush for its idol, the
homage cannot last. The woman I marry
must be as neat as her heart is true. So
should every one be, I take it, who calls
herself lady
But, Blanc, are you not carrying
this too far, and making it of more i'm
po- lance than it deserves9 There is
reason in all things. I don't see much
in this, and the doctors voice was n
trifle impatient.
"sNo,' returned the professor, calm
ly. 'The point is this: natures like hers
and mine are antagonistic-after fash
ion. L am, by habit and nature, orderly
and particular. She is decidedly the re-
verse. Should we marry, after the first
few weeks Of blinded love, my eyes
would be opened to the truth, and /
should hate slattern.'
"' You are harsh and cruel in the way
you argue. Don't you expect to sacri-
tice somethinga Don't you know men
always grow more particular the longer
they remain unmGrried2 All young
girls, take it, are careless; and if she
suits you in all other ways, and you love
her, you are foolish to give up your
thought of asking her to be your wife. ;
Z" am not harsh, andif there be any
cruelty in the matter, it is I who suffer
it. 1 love her. She may not care for
me. But, Grayson, l couldn't marry an
untidy woman. [ have too much reason
to know what sort of order Miss Seldom
keeps In her room, and even what her
habits OF personal neatness are. The
Hamilton girls rooms join hers. The
character of the inmates IS stamped
therein. When you marry, you will
have neat, orderly, well-kept honse-
hold. Miss Seldon's husband will not.
But as shall probably never see her
again after tomorrow, it matters moth
ing to me-
"And with these words, the two gen.
tlemen passed on.
"What did 1 do2
"Burning with modification and
chagrip, fastened into the house and
up to my hateful room. How forcibly
the truth of the words had just listened
to came to me when beheld the dire
confusion that reigned there. Then
wept the bitterest tears my eyes had
ever shed. L saw it all now-how my
untidy, careless habits had utterly lost
me the man I loved, and who confessed
he loved me.
" He was going to town the next day.
1 should never see him again; and he
would forget me, no doubt, ard marry
some pretty girl who would never offend
his fastidious taste.
"But in truth did not feel the least
Indignation towards him. I did not
see any harshness in his Judgment OF
me. If had had that feeling, l should
never, perhaps, have changed, as I did.
"But 1t was true, what he had said. /
saw it. Two natures SO thoroughly Mt
odds i'll their Maidstone fastidious to
fault, the other careless in the same
degree, could never live happily as man
and wife. There would be disturbances
every day, breeding discord and final
dislike. The wedding music would,
after few years perhaps months-be
only sweet bells tangled out of tune.'"
"What became of him 2" asked Bella,
in an anxious voice.
"He left the seashore the next day,
without bidding any one good. bye"
"And did you never see him 2"
ooh, yes" replied Aunt Sue, with a
bright smile. ct married him five
years afterwards"
" Uncle Ned Why, Aunt Sue Was
that man he 2'
eyes, that man was he. I will tell
you how came to please him, after all.
made up my mind that night that 1
would never allow myself to be called
'slattern again. / would strive dill
gently to correct my untidy habits, and
no ones love thereafter lavished on me
should have cause to 'blush for it's idol
again
=" I accomr ished my purpose. 1t was
hard at first-as it will be for every one
naturally careless-to learn to fold and
arrange, and dust, and smooth, and pack
away. But / was determined would
cure myself of my besetting fault, and /
did.
Four years afterward, when your
uncle and I met again, at the same sea-
side house, in the same old arbor, we
came to a perfect understanding, and
agreed we would try life together
81 suppose he took sly glances at
your boot lacings, examined the rims of
your collars and cuffs, and peeped into
your closets before he proposed, how
ever" interrupted Bella, in sarcastic
tones.