The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-06-02
How I Was OVerreached.

u6l uCu L udu ab JCulo VI uAS-
cretion, and said: "Jo, my dear boy, |
have placed you at the foot OF the lad
der; get up il you can, l shapt hinder
you; but it Is time you went to work."
s'AH right, old lady" said l. FNot a
| doubt oT what you say; only there Is pne
obstacle you have overlooked, and that
| is, nature-my nature. Nature has en-
dowed me with fine perceptiye faculties,
and q decided l0Ye tor the beautiful.
| The man that has a more thorough relish
| for good dinners, line horses, and all the
other comforts Of this Lille, may lake my
| hat; and that's lair Offer, for ips new
one. But Destiny, my dear, l Can con-
| scien tiously affirm that Nature hasn't
endowed me with the slightest inclina-
tion Tor work. Labor brutl lties,' as some
one wisely says. IL spoils the hands; 1t
gives me astoop; It's Liresome; ana lPs
at war with the artistic tendencies vi
my nature. l disapproVe OF thWartlng
| Nature, as believe she knows what il
best for US. Consequently, can't-and
| won't-Work."
| And so Destiny, finding that l was in
earnest, compromised the matter, and
| settled me in one of the learned proles-
sions-never mind whlcn, as my sign
and Office were the only realities about
| it: it being ''profession," !" literally, and
nothing more. 1 might, however, have
gone on with it peacefully, to the end of
my days, were it not for one unfortunate
fact. Natures, however artistic and re.
| fined, have one thing In common with
those Of grosser mold. They must eat
or become more ethereal than is at all
comfortable. And when your landIady
has the bad taste to insist Oh being paid
for the last six months board, you may
sigh over her vulgarity, and lament her
want Of sympathy and congeniality,
but-so far as my somewhat extended
experience goes-you must pay up or
cut. When, in addition to this, your
.allor insists on spending his evenings
with you-your bootmaker in waiting at
the door and accompanying you every
day down townTvWhlle you generally
Ifnd the keepeT@of the livery stable,
whom you honor with your patronage,
with his heels on the mantel Of your OF
lfce-when, in short, you are over head
and ears in debt, it IL time for fellow
to look about him. That is just wnat
Idld, and a remarkably barren prospect 1
found it. Nature, as l have before
limited, had closed against me the ave.
lnues of labor, and was in no hurry to
open them. An unsympathizing world
couldn't appreciate me, while my
stomach was as clamorous as my
creditors, and I was getting terribly
l"dowp in the mouth" when all idea Wis.
tited me. ,..
"Jo," said the idea, "where are your
wits, old boy? You are ruined anyway;
you mad better get married." =
| And now, L don't want anybody to
hold UP purltanical hands in horror, and
commence all the old cant about "Inter-
. ested marriages" "protanatlon Of tue
purest and lottiest sentiments OF our
nature" etc. 1t all depends on consti-
tuition. Some men could love woman
who did her own work, had red hands,
and wore calico, l frankly confessed
that couldn't. If had to bother my
brains about the price OF potatoes, and
where Ned, and Hal, ana Sukey, and
Jem were 10 get their shoes, am con.
| scious that these unworthy cares, SO re.
pulslVe to my refined nature, would
make me brute. l should probably
; take to drinking, and amuse myself by
kicking my wife. And having no for.
tune myself, l should be doing any
: woman in the same predicament au in.
justice to marry her. Besides, when
think OF the numberless dangers to
which an heiress is exposed in this
world, feel my heart 80 swelled with
compassion that really be.
leve that l would marry girl
| NIUu u GU bhOuSahN OuS VI ouC0l
, benevolence, to save her from the needy
|. and designing fortune-nunters, whom
in common with the rest of The world
, regard " 18th much indignation and con-
, tempt. Let none, therefore, impugn the
motives with which packed my valise
and started on visit to an old college
friend, George Armitage; for, if l re-
membered that Armltage Place was al
ways gay, and especially thronged witt
; company at the Christmas season, and
that there might be heiresses among
, them, thought also of wnat an uncom
monty fine cnance for a good hus band
was travelling toward them, and menta
ly congratulated the lucky girl who
should get me.
Armltage Place stands on the Hudson
and Is that fine Gothic building, will
graperies and conservatories, and a car
riage-house considerably handsomel
than itself, that every one admires, anC
lpronouDces to be the correct thing" L
was full of mammas and daughters-as
houses always are when there is mar
riageable son with hundred thousanC
or SO in his own righl; but there was
only one helress-Eyelyn Somers-ant
one beauty-Georgla Haight. had moi
! b zen an hour III the house when l deter
mined to tiirt with the latter and marry
| Ln6 tOTmeT, Will dn luWdTu pduS, own
. for Evelyn was not in the least to my
taste-smaH, barely good-looking, anC
dressing with a quaker-llke simplicity
, while Georgia-well, l really believe il
, had had an income OF thousand yea
= / should have been mad enough to mar.
,, ry that girl. She was one OF your glor
ious blondes, with a proud, calm lace
and deep, serious blue eyes. She Wa.
/ never in hurry, or fussy. She made nj
!; ungraceful movements, dressed in per
lect taste, did every thing well. and hat
, arrived at such rare degree of seli-con
seriousness. that she never seemed con
sclous of h. self at all. could have
knocked George Armitage down witt
pleasure When he told me that she wa
! lpennlless, and no visitor, but his sis
= ter's governess; for felt mat she Wal
worthy OF me.
As it was, ! suddenly found develop
ing quality OF which had never sus
lpected myself; a remarkable love To-
q children, that had the effect of keepin!
, me much OF my time in The sehool-roon
+ and manifested itself in presents 0
q books and flowers to their governess
: Pm not vain man, therefore l sham
t say that, by degrees, Georgia grew II
: expect and wish Tor my visits.
| in n I -,