Sharp County record., 1878-05-17
WAS 1T UNWOMANLY?

After Doctor Reid died, Mrs. Reid
very sensibIy sold the big house with
its lawns around it, conservatory on the
terrace, and stables behind the clump of
cedars, and moved into a smaller, though
not less pleasant house, on Academy
Avenue. People were not surprised at
this, but when they heard that Kate
Reid was going to teach mathematics at
the Female Seminary, then the public
was amazed. 1t began to pity Mrs.
Reid little. The Doctor must have
been terribly in debt, or the place mort
gagged, for otherwise it would not have
been necessary for Kate to teach school.
Too bad for her, poor thing, Just 20, and
so bright and so good looking, to be
obliged to toll from 9 to y with a par
eel Of stupid girls at the Seminary. In
reality, however, Kate was not obliged
TO do it at all, but, being young wom-
an of rather independent ideas, she fan
cied that to have six hundred dollars a
year, all her own, would not be disa-
greeable sensation to experience. She
was not needed particularly in the do
mestic department at home; in fact,
like a good many other bright and
agreeable unmarried women, she was
not needed anywhere to any extent. So
it came about that she taught the Sem
mary girls arithmetic, algebra, and
geometry, and, though it was rather
trying TO the patience once in a while,
on the whole, she very much liked
training the young idea.
One day in December, she walked
home rs usual at y O'Clock, and pro-
ceeded directly into the parlor. Sitting
by The window she saw Howard Wins
low, 2 middle-aged gentleman Of pleas
ant appearance, who rose and shook
hands with Kate cordially, and stood
and talked to her IS she warmed her
feet and hands. You never would have
guessed from the greeting that these
two people were laborin.under the sem
timental bonds Of an engagement, but
sucn was the fact. They had been en-
gagged over month. TO be sure it had
been very prosaic affair, for they had
known and liked each other always.
Winslow finally came to the conclusion
that he might as well get married. He
had money enough and was olf enough,
surely, being nearly 40; and A5 ne and
Kate had always been very good Niends,
he sat down in his New York offi1o, one
day, and wrote her proposal. tWhen
she received it, she was little an tlused
and q great deal surprised, but fSs she
liked Howard, she sat down straight
way, also, and wrote an acceJ lance.
Nothing romantic about this, you see
but | have an heretical idea. 5e'o very
happy marriages are often thej6L'As q
just such engagements. slpor/
"No, | didn't me Up ! N New
York merely to yogi' ieI1 Wins
low, in answer 2sSol"'f ION, cai A5ut
on business a5lval.,E saw s r.lilroad.
And, oy the waglvesG the civil en- 4,
glne;9TTs' Ld, has bon, ID work mere ,..Is, Is
an ola trend OF nI Ine. He's very clever
as to his profe5siJn. and is a gentleman
through and tar6ugh. He isn't much
OF q ladies' man, but l should ike to
give him note Of introsNcuon 70 you,
if you wouldn't mind"
- should be glad to meet him, of
course, 81 replied Kate; land mother
and will try to cure him if he is boOr-
ish or baShful. Now, l must 90 up to
my room, Howard, and renovate my
self little for luncheon. There is the
Ty7llas on the table, if you haven'tSeen
itahvady.n With this she left the par
lor.
About week after, Edward Kasson
called one evening. Heimpressed Kate
with o sense Of squareness. He was tall,
and had square shoulders. His fore
head wa. square; his eyebrows arched
very little; his chin and jaws were
squared off ather heavily, and his mus
tache stood out quite straight at the
ends, instead of dropping over the
straight, firmly closed lips. Moreover,
he had little, straight cleft in his chin.
He was neither boorish nor bashfui,