The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-11-10
OUR STORY TELLER.
HOW TOM BLACK FOOLED HIMSELF.
BY G.. HORN.


BY G. HORN r.
My friend Tom Black was and is still
a tall, handsome, good natured jovial
fellow, but Notwithstanding his good
nature, somewhat cynical in his opinions
of men and women, though too courteous
to often display it. With a vivid i'm
agination and quick perceptions he was
brilliant in conversation when inter
ested, but in general he was too lazy to
exercise his imagination, or to allow
himself to become interested in anything
His cynicism led him to treat lightly
anything concerning the affections, and
TO doubt the existence even of such a
quality, especially in young women.
But single little circumstance changed
his opinions in that regard very ma
terially.
He and started from Cincinnati last
summer on our annual vacation, and,
halted at Mackinaw. The old Mission
House was full of guests, the majority
of whom appeared to be young ladies.
They were probably accompanied by the
usual proportion of papas or mamas,
but old folks at such places are not
counted.
Toms natural gallantry soon rendered
him popular with all, while I, his sedate
companion, figured modestly as but little
more than a mere tender to the brilliant
fellow. Instinctively and naturally
enough he gravitated toward the pref
tiest and most attractive Young lady at
the hotel, Miss Lettie Chace, of Chi
cago. Whenever she played, Tom
turned over the leaves; at every hop
Tom led her in the waltz; they took
moonlight strolls on the lawn and beach
together, and his big hand led her up
and down the steep cliffs in their
rambles.
One evening, in the parlor, they be-
came SO intently engaged in a converse
ton on the consciousness of plants Gan
assumed hobby of Tom's), that all other
conversation became hushed, and the
entire party was interested for the time
in Toms eloquent plea for the existence
of a natural intelligent sympathy be-
tween man and vegetation, and nearly
all began to hesitate in their own minds
whether the scraggy old sycamores OF
their acquaintance, while reach
ing out over river banks for mois-
ture, do not experience and
seek to satisfy just the same feelings of
thirst or heat that we do ourselves
whether flowers are not subject to the
same emotions by atmospheric conditions
as we are, and do not seek to express
them, and whether the trees of their
boyhood did not know them and appreci-
ate as fully their companionship as they
did that OF the trees. The silence inter.
rupted him, for he was talking conf.
dentially, and he led Miss Chace to the
piano where she sang robin Adair y
IN rich, tender, sympathetic soprano
which elected compliments of a most
enthusiastic character. When we re.
tired that night Tom admitted that he
had become interested in woman al
last, but he spoiled Immediately after.
ward the admiration / had formed fo,
his sincerity by the mannish self-satis
faction with which he alluded to the
capital impression he had made upon
her. And taking my male acquaint
ances together, I believe that that is the
only mean trait common to all. Tom
sneered at woman's vanity, but almost
lived On the food furnished him by his
own.
On the next afternoon Tom and Miss
Chace took stroll together, hating ON
the beach at the foot of the caves, where
they sat on log and rested.
Said Tom, in a subdued, quiet tone
after the conversation had dwindled
-iown to a succession of long pauses
That interview we had last night in
which you showed SO much sympathy
for my theory, made quite an impression
upon me-"
Indeed, am surprised to know that
man of your originality of thought
would have room for SUCH"
Pray don't talk that way, Miss
Chace. There is SO little sympathy in
the world for peoples hobbies, that when
any is expressed by such a Young Iady
as yourself, it is so well worth appreciat-
ing that it can not fail to make a deer
impression. Do you know that | had .
very singular dream after retiring2 Now
l seldom take any note of dreams. Thew
crowd each other in such disconnected
shape that l seldom remember any OF
them for moment. But I awoke this
morning with most vivid recollection
OF this one and it haunts me all day."
:" should like to hear it"
You seemed to have been carried
back to your home in Chicago, and to
mine in Cincinnati, when a telegram
reached me to the effect that you had
been snatched away somewhere by death.
1t came SO very Unexpectedly that it
startled me, and Immediately went to
Chicago, where | found your family in
mourning and utterly disconsolate.
tried toconsole them with the assurance
that there must be mistake somewhere.