The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-07-28
MR.. BRADFORD'S DILEMMA.

IT is exactly a year since l. Edward
Bradford, bachelor and manufacturer,
was wandering up and down Central
Park enjoying myself extremely. had
left home a week before, tired of bust
ness, weary of the sound of machinery,
and everything else appertaining to an
active life, and departed in search of rest
and quiet, and having secured two rooms
in delightful house, where there was an
excellent cook and treasure of an arm
chair, l gave myself up to the enjoy
ments BETTING a gentleman, for l &C
corded with at least one definition of that
term-"A man with plenty of money
and nothing to do"
| believe l remember every thought
that passed through my mind that men,
orable morning; the great question with
me just then was whether | should have
been happier if | had had somebody to
talk with, and by the somebody" may
aswell confess l meant a lady. | had my
own idea on ladies and matrimony, as of
course every bachelor has, and as | looked
at the different girls as they passed and
repassed me l know | came to the rather
independent conclusion that ] did not
care for one of them, and preferred walk
ing alone, with only my thoughts for
company; but my thoughts were very
pleasant ones, and there is no harm in
recalling them.
| was a bachelor | had determined
early in life never to marry unless could
do so with the happy conviction that l
had chosen well and wisely. | had met
Of 10
not the one; and yet, when asked to de-
scribe what Twas waiting for | could not
do so. | felt confident, however, that
she would appear some day, and that |
should know her whenever | saw her |
had, half-unconsciously, set up an ideal
in my heart, and until found her l was
content to remain a bachelor.
All this may sound very like romance
l do not think it was | called it COM
mon sense; but be it what it may, it had
possessed the power of keeping me in
single blessedness until l was consider
ably on the shady side of thirty. My
friends laughed, and declared l should
take the crooked stick at last; and as
quite agree with Sir Walter Raleigh's
advice, that man should marry at thir-
"iii NV plSPdlCu w Say Indl ulu
not sometimes sigh and wish my ideal
might become real. know did sigh
rather impatiently that morning at the
end of my half-hou reverie, and left
the promenade with a quicker step than
usual, with the intention of taking a
long walk; when, as | turned around
corner of street, | came in rather VIC
lent contact with a young lady, thereby
causing a book she carried in her hand
to fall to the ground. | recovered
it instantly and handed it to her,
and in so doing our eyes met;
it was only for a moment; for,
smiling and blusbing, she thanked
me and passed on; but in that moment |
had found the eyes had been waiting
for. | am not going to describe them,
for I could not do them justice; but al
most before had time to see more of
them felt instinctively that the "real"
had replaced the Ideal" at last.
l turned and followed her round the
block, watching her narrowly as she
walked quickly on. The light, firm step,
tall, graceful figure, and dress of black
silk, all things l admired so much,
warned me that my time was come. She
turned into public library, but by the
time had reached the door was coming
out again. Our eyes met second time,
and my heart beat quickly as felt the
touch of her dress, when, smiling slight
ly, she swept past me. She walked
swiftly to the other end of the block
again, and up to travelling carriage
which stood waiting, and stepping light
w intp II driven from INV
My first movement was quite a me-
chanical one. | went to the library and
demanded the book the young lady had
ust returned, without any questions.
The person / addressed requested her as
sistant to hand her the book Miss Brooks
had just brought in. l took possession
of it, purchased a paper containing list
of visitors, and FASTENED off with nervous
steps to my lodgings, and throwing my
self into the easychair tried to collect
my ideas. That l appeared to be the
same Edward Bradford who had left
that chair an hour before, | knew, of
course. But how deceitful are appear.
ancesl II had been of a sentimental or
poetical nature, / think / should have
written fine poem just then; but, not
being either, did not; simply looked
into the case, and mentally set down the
plain facts. had gone out that morn.
ing, and INDUCED in reverie, my mind
filled with vague and underlined hopes
and ideas of the future, such as could
hardly have given a name to, and re-
turned with that lndistinct chaos blended
together into one lovely form; and if
had been asked to give it a name now,
should have given that of Miss Brooks;
and so thinking, took up the directory
eagerly to learn where she came from.
How blessed the good lady at the
library for telling me so innocently what
that name was. 1t was not new to me.
My father, before his death, had often
spoken to me of dear friend of that
name he had known in his youth, but
who had gone abroad with the intention
of returning to The Cedars" when he
had made his fortune; and, as remem-
bered this, ] felt a strong presentiment
that the said fortune had been made,