Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-01-17

reach his ears, and which by no means
tend to exalt the characters of his SIS
ters' companions in his eyes. He does
not listen of malice prepense; but he
can not help catching stray comments
on the behavior and character Of young
ladies upon whom, perhaps, he has al
ready cast the eyes of admiration, if
not the glances Of fathomless love.
"Vain little creature, that Lizzie Fan
cies the gentlemen admire her, and she
hasn't a tress of real hair on her head |"
"Julia is downright mercenary, and
would marry her grandfather if it were
lawful and he had plenty Of money;
she told me So" and so on. Very diff
cult for the young gentleman to make
up his mind regarding the question of
matrlmony, is it not? And yet, if he
were to ask his sisters, who are in the
main good natured, whether Lizzie or
Julia were as bad as she had been
sketched, they would unhestatingly say
no, and declare that both young ladies
were models of whatsoever is modest
and virtuOus, and of good report among
men; whereat their brother would mar
vel greatly. Every man knows that
among the young of his sex a habit OBJ
tains of criticising with more originate
ty than politeness the personal appear
ance and mental qualities of the ladies'
who are honored with the acquaint-
ance of the youthful speak
ers. Generally, the younger the
man, the more outspoken he is. He
will have no half measures-if he has
been snubbed by Miss Smith, he has it
out of Miss Smith over his pipe, among
his and her acquaintance. She is
plain, she is affected, she has had bad
temper, she is conceited.
If, on the other hand, he is smitten
with the charms of Miss Smith, there
is no word in the English vocabulary
sufficient to express his admiration for
the adorable creature. Samson in the
tolls Of Delilah was not more infatuated
with his enslaver than be is. His good
natured friends in their endeavor to
moderate the love fever of their COM
panion, cry down the object Of his
affection and insinuate that she does
not care one penny for him-that she
is keeping wealthy lover in the back
ground-and that, after all, Miss Smith
is not worth an honest mans heartache.
If Miss Smith could hear all that is
said for and against her in the bache-
lor's smoking-room, [ imagine she
would be a wiser, if not q happier
woman. Miss Smiths brother hears,
Of course, nothing disparaging to his
sister, but he has before now heard
Jones' sister and Browns sister subject
ed to the fiery ordeal, and can pretty
rxyo1l hour h1c 10 II b. lxy n forn
when subjected to the inevitable pro-
cess. The knowledge does not inspire
him with unbounded confidence in
women.
He gives one or two of his friends
credit for little shrewdness in these
matters, and when he hears young
lady styled stupid, or conceited, or
slovenly, or hammered, or addicted
to the use of fiction in the cour sc of
ordinary conversation, he pauses, he
considers. All this may be only their
fun-they mean nothing against the
young lady, who, peradventure, is as
innocent Of the vices, attributed to her
as Baron Grant says he is of bribing the
city editors; but mud will stick if you
only throw enough of it,. He becomes
Hle!dnC1oly, CyAlCa1, ue eocHoWe cHo
society Of young ladies and ad-
diets himself to the cultivation
of q beard and the study of theology.
He sees his sisters married with
placid pity for theseveral bridegrooms;
he makes neat speeches at the we'd
ding breakfasts, he presents each ofthe
brides on the appropriate occasions
with g. handsome token Of his love and
ection-and there his connection
with the holy state of matrimony may
be said very often to end. If he is
wealthy he makes very good and
useful bachelor uncle; but it is ques-
tionable whether, under any circum-
stances, he would be converted into an
exemplary husband. He knows too
much.