Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-04-30
Stlette0 StOrp.
WAS 1T UNWOMANLY ?
BY CARL wARING.

After Doctor Reid died, Mrs. Reid very
seusioly sold the Zig house With It's lawns
around it. conservatory on the terrace.
snd stables behind the clump Of cedacs,
and moved into a smaller, though not less
pleasant house on Academy Avenue.
PeCple were not surprised Al this, bu.
when they heard that Kate Reid was 60
ing 10 teach mathematics ST the Female
Seminary, then the public wss amazed
Il began to pity Mrs. Reid liI,le. The
Doctor mus, have been terribly in
debt. or the place mor'gaged, for other
wise it would not have been necessary for
Kate to teach school Too bad tor her,
poor thing, jus, twenty, and so bright
and so good looking, 70 be obliged to toll
from nine 20 twelve with parcel OF stu
pid girls 81 the seminary. In reality,
however, Kste was not obliged to DO it at
sll, bn, being young woman of rather
indeI erden, ideas. she faucied that 10
have six hundred dollars year all her
own. would not be a dissgreeab,e senss-
tion 70 experience. She was no. needed
particularly ~ the domestic departm ant
at home; in fact. like a good many other
bright and agreesble unmarried women.
she was not needed anywhere to any ex
tent. S :, came about that she taught
the seminary girls arithmetic, algebrl,
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 as usual at twelve o'clock, and pro-
ceeded directly into the parlor. Sitting
by the window she saw Howard Winslow,
middle-sged gentleman oi pleasant aP-
pearance, who rose and shook hands with
Kate cordially, and stood and talked to
her as she Wal med her feet and hands
You never would have guessed from the
greeting that these two people were
laboring under the sentimental bonds oil
an engagement, but such was the fact
They had been engaged over a month.
To be sure it had been q very prosalc
affair, for they had known and liked ea IN
other always. Winslow finally came to
the conclusion that be might as well get
married. He had money enough, and
was old enough surely. being nearly
forty; and as be sod Kate had always
been very good friends, he sat- down in
his New YORK Office, one day, and wrote
her proposal.
When she received l.. SIC wS' . little
smused and great deal surprised, but
as she liked Howard, she sa. down
straight way. also. a0d wrote so accept
ance. Nothing romantic about this, you
see; but | have an heretical idea that
very happy marriages are often the result
of such engagements.
"No, | didn't come up fcom New York
merely to see YOU" said WinslOw, in an
swer to Kate's question; "bu, on business
about the new railroad. And. by the
way. one Of the civil engineers, Ed. Rss-
son, at work here, is an old fiieud OF
mine. He's very clever SIS TO his pro-
fession. and is gentleman Though aud
through. he isn't much of ladies'
man. but should like to give him note
Of introduction to you, il you wouldn't
mind
81 should be glad to meet him, OF
course, replied Kate; "and mother and
I will try 20 cure him if he is boorish or
bsshru'. Now / must 60 up to my ROOM
Howard. and renoYate myself little for
luncheon. There is the Tribune on the
table, If you haven't seen it already
With this she LEI: the parlor.
About q wesk after, Edward kasson
called one evening He impressed Kate
with a sense of squsreness. He was TALL
and had square shoulders. His forehead
was SQUARE; his eyebrows arched very
little; bis chin and jaws were squared on
rather heavily, snd his musiache stood
On, on;te straight at the ends, instead Of
d,oopipg over the straight. irmly-elosed
Ens Moreover, he had little, straight
oIef, in his chin. He was neither boorish
nor bsshful, however, though be was