American citizen., 1879-03-29
THE PROFESSORS STORY.

Well, now, who do you regard as
the gentleman par excellence of the par
ty" asked our Cousin Rob, the morn
ing after his sisters grand welding.
"Oh, your friend the Professor!"
'sThe Professor, by all odds!" cried
several voices
Then the boys descanted on the Pro
fessor's broad shoulders, his fine bear
ing. and his deep voice; and the girls
cried, "Oh, what lovely light hair!''
"Oh, what blue eyes!" ssSuch courteous
manners!" s'He must be an exiled count
or a.
Z" Draw your chairs around me, and
III tell you his story" said Rob, who
had been through college, and had spent
two years abroad in study, and of course
was now Sir Oracle to widespread
family of cousins.
"But can you believe his story, Rob
There are SO many bogus counts abroad,
and papa has such terror for for
tune huntersi" cried handsome Cousin
Blanche.
"Papa's quite safe in this case, for
the Professor has lovely wife and a
little boy, who talks as fast as any of
you.'
"Oh-h, phooi" cried Blanche, with
an air of disappointment. Her sisters
dearest school-friend, May Curtis, had
been abroad. and married a man whose
only claims to consideration were i'm
mense whiskers and title. Her father
had to support them both; but May had
q coronet on her card; and perhaps
that atoned for all the rest.
Our pretty cousin wanted q coronet
on her card, and had set her eye on the
Professor the night before. She saw a
coronet in his fine physique and man.
ners- But she was only II then, and
not as wise as she became afterward.
"Come, come! the story, Rob!'
shouted one of the boys.
"Well, the Professor is one of those
rare, grand fellows who never boast of
ancestry. The meanest scamps know
are boosters of that matchmaking CAP
ital OF the greatness or the meanness of
their ancestors. If our fathers were
good and noble, their honor was their
own; if low, and mean, and ignorant.
We should keep still, and shield their
memory from contempt, and not try to
show how high we have risen against
all the obstacles of birth and education. :"
"Come, Rob, you are preaching a
sermon instead of telling a story!"
cried one of the boys.
Well, when I entered college, 1 was
q real mothers boy and the world
seemed 80 big that 1 felt lost in it. 1
confess l was homesick. This elegant
man read my heart at glance, and
took it up, and hid it and sheltered it in
his great big heart.
al felt then as you did last night-as
it had caught "a live nobleman,' and
L was safe and happy fellow ever after
that. Such was my admiration of him
that did not see how plainly he dress
ed, but tried to initiate him in everv
way. parted my hair like his-do you
seeP-I used my knife and fork as he
did; and I am happy to say kept my
room neat and my boots well blacked
because he did," said Rob.
"He was religious man and gen.
tlenan. Religion always improves a
mans manners. Even old Somers,
careless and rough as he is now, was ten
times more so before he-''
"Preaohing again, Rob-" shouted
Cousin Joe.
Then we all laughed, and one rogue
cried, "Stick TO your text, brotherln
"You're right" lauhged Rob- "I'n
try not to get off my subject again.
"The Professor was, as be tells me,
the son of a small farmer, man of in
telligence, near the banks of the Rhine.
The family was large, and great indus
try and economy were required to keep