Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-08-25
ONE LITTLE INDIAN"

On n beach, not II reservations; an af
fair of love, not war; II story, not "a
song.
The affair began with an aversion on
both sides; they do sometimes.
The first time he saw her, he thought
to himself:
'tAnd it was for this quiet, little,
brown, nondescript girl that gave up
my trip to the Adirondacks and hurried
down here at Rob. Sherwood's entreaty
to come and be fascinated Those
were the words of his letter-and he
knows l affect blondes. Pshawl I'd as
lieve make myself agreeable to a
squawW
And Phil. Farnham pulled out his
chagrin and cigar smoke together, as he
paced the piazza to and fro.
She looked all over him at glance,
when introduced, and thought to herself:
And this is the man have idealized
in my imagination as Il Lancclot among
men! Rob said he was elegant Why,
he's old, and ugly, and unmannerly!
Ughl"
And little shudder of disgust ran
through the slender figure as she turned
away after the few words following the
introduction. 1t looked promising be-
ginning, certainly, to the parties who
felt an interest in the affair.
"Old, and ugly, and unmanncrly,"
was the verdict given decidedly by
Rhoda to her aunt and cousin Maud,
who little curiously awaited her opn-
ion. She was taking down her hair for
the night and stood in Maud's room be-
fore the glass as she spoke, and to see
her fling the great, heavy braids back,
one would think they had in some way
conspired toward destroying her illusion
of the Knight Lancelot.
"Why, Rhodal He isn't thirty yet;
and although he is not handsome, to be
sure, he is not as hideous as you make
out; and as for unmannerly,' Phil
Farnham is gentleman" And Maud
who thought Phil, next to her lover and
brother, the most elegant of men, was a
trifle indignant at Rhoda's criticism.
I" He must be sort of wizard, | fancy;
he appears to have charmed you all.
For my part, | can see neither youth
beauty, nCr grace in the red-whiskered
gentleman But peace to his ashes!
He may continue to smoke all his cigars
unmolested by me during his stay here.
Don't ask me to talk to him, for sha'n't
be civil, know. I've taken an intense dis
like to the man"
And with these words Rhoda fitted
through the door leading to her room
with an affected shudder that would have
done justice to first class actress.
What on earth does she mean, man.
ma, and what shall we do about it? She
must not be rude to Robs fricndw cried
Maud.
=" Let her go; it is only another of her
Freaks" replied Mrs. Sherwood, shrug
ging her shoulders.
Rhoda Brent had some very peculiar
traits. Her aunt said she was "all oddi-
ties, and very like the Brents, by which,
of course, she meant she was not a bit
like her mothers people, or her Rhoda
was Mr.. Sherwood's ward and Mrs. Sher
woods niece, and as her aunt was desi
rous of seeing her well married and of
her hands, now that she was well edu
Gated and out of school, she had ma
neuvered skillfully to get Phil. Farnhan
down to the beach that summer In ordel
to throw the two together. The firs
move in her little game, however, prom
ised anything but victorious close.
Rhoda had been a trial to her aunt
ever since she had had her in her charge
Maud, now, was SO totally different. She
did just what was expected of her, anG
had, therefore, very properly fallen il
love at once with the man her mother
had selected, and now, duly engaged
was only awaiting the coming autumn il
which to marry and take her tour abroad
according to the usual manner of girls il
her set. Rhoda, on the contrary, die
nothing anyone expected of her. She
had refused, point blank, two splendid
offers, both of which her aunt approved
and urged-and, as matters looked now
she was in fair way to avert, at least, q
third Mrs. Sherwood consulted her son
on the matter not long after, and the two
concluded they would try new tactics.
'She is just like all the Brents ts-con
trary and willful, said Mrs. Sherwood
with sigh.
VERY well, mother-we can be the
same. Now ! propose new method. II
you are determined to marry Rhoda of
to somebody, Phil FaEnham is just the
fellow-only he doesn't admire bru
nettes, you see; but you have talked toe
much about Phil. to her-in his favor,
mean. Try the rule of contraries. In,
stead of praising him, talk him down
Make her fall in love out of sheer contra.
riety. Arouse her pique, enlist her sym
pathy, and she will be dead in love with
the object before the summer is over
He isn't far behind her in obstinacy-but
you manage her, and leave him 10 me. ,
There was very little said about Mr.
Farnham to Rhoda after that, and as he
was very rarely in the house, being out
in his yacht or of fishing most of the
time, she was not annoyed by his pres
ence or his intentions. 1t puzzled hel
after awhile, and she wondered how
Phil. Farnham came 10 be called 'fasci
mating, and winner of wOmen's hearts,
when she had not seen any attempt on
his part 10 make himself agreeable tC
one. She asked Rob. about IL one day AZ
they Were coming up from the bath.
II thought you told me Mr.. Farnhan
was ladies man" said she. "Why, LC
hasn't spoken to one since he's been here.
Oh, that's because he's so dreadful
fastidious, "carelessly replied Rob. "HC
says there isn't pretty girl at the house
You know he affects the blonde style OF
beauty. He declares he feels as though
he was in wigwam when he looks down
the table and sees all those dark faces
Why, he calls all bIunettes 'squaws.
Ha, hal" and Rob. laughed heartily.
Rhoda did not enjoy the joke. She
walked on little quicker, vivid flush
flaming up into her dark cheeks, and an.
swered her cousin sharply:
"The cool insOlence of these red.
whiskered pale faces is Tefreshing--a