The Cecil Whig., 1879-06-14
CHOICE FICTION.
DO AS YOU'RE BID.
" Mind Il man."


vet he was Il man.
81 But, Don, You will have 10 mind you
husband" responded i gentle, drawing
rNasperating voice.
"'Shall T." returned the clear and spirit
ed note Of the first speaker. ''He has no
appeared ON the stage yet, Grace. Whel
he does it seems to me, will be time enoug
to contemplate submission"
The gentleman on the piazza smiled again
but he rose quietly and walked away; II
did not like to he Il listener, however invol
UNFAIRLY, for he WAS Il gentleman. He di,
not altogether escape that presence, how
ever, by his own absence. He carried will
with him a vivid picture of the tall, sligh
figure, graceful as deer: the dark, tender
eyes, that could he full of lightning: th'
proud delicate, sensitive face: the abundan
brown hair, shot with red rays, like a rip,
chestnut skin He had studied this por
trait many days, for he had known Doro
thea Schenck as Il child: and though fol
wears they had not met, this Summer they
We're together ut Il quiet little tavern in the
| Hills III tIluoll VII. lol lcSi lEbll
Il year of hard work in a city parish, Dora
to be with her invalid mother, who could
not bear her usual round Of Newport and
Saratoga.
Dorothea Schenck was a spoiled child
The idea of obedience was as distaSteful to
her as bit and bride to Il wild horse. Her
outbreak this morning was excited by some
careless gossip of Grace Hamilton S-a girl
of her own age who had come with them to
Adds, partly because Dora had coaxed her,
partly because it was cheap; and Grace was
not too rich.
The subject of their discourse had been
the sutferingS, publicly paraded, of a Ger
tain little lady known to this party, who
hid been very-and, indeed, alsurlly-ex-
travagant, and brought her husband to the
brink of failure: so near that she had been
compelled to accept a sudden and severe
rctrenchment. Grace's aunt, who was also
staying ut the Saltash House, had blamed
Mrs. Blake severely, and Dora had not OBJ
.iected till Grace affirmed that she did not ut
all SympathiZe with Mrs. Blake, as her
husband had been very open with her in
regard to his business affairs and had long
since told her she must give up certain
habits of lavish expense, or expect him to
fail-l fact which the natural levity and
folly of the woman'S nature led her to treat
rs Il threat: and SO the end came.
And I'm not sorry for her: she ought to
have minded him. Grace said. g \ wo-
mans natural duty is obedience: she ought
to have known that it is our destiny to yield
to our superiors, whined Miss Hamilton:
and this, which seemed to Dora superative
cant, had brought ont her sharp eNclama
ton. She herselfwas utterly unlisciplinetl:
Il blind indulgence had set her adrift in life
without an idea of duty, and She had yet TO
learn any law but her own will, or any re-
straint but her own caprices. Poor child.
life is the sternest of teachers, even with all
the preparation that can be made for its ell
counter and Il mercilesS pedagogue to the
willful and ignorant Mr.. Horton was be-
witched with Dora against his judgment:
her fresh, piIuant grace, her beauty, her
very mSurgent way of action and speech,
captivated him: he knew with painful clear
ness that she was as unfit for minister's
wife as a woman could be, but he knew
also that without her his life would lose its
SAVIOR, and become routine of the tullest
ORDER perhaps misery, though conscience
warned him not to be SO weak as this, while
his work remained yet to be done
of country boartierS in lack of all other
amusement, Il picnic to Glen Falls, Il wild
ravinc in the heart of the hills through
which Il rapid brook tore its way, plunging
from one precipice to another, at no one
spot to b. seen in full beauty, but reserving
its coy surprises for those who had skill and
strength to climb upward to its Source-a
clear mountain pond that slept amid dark
woods, fed by hidden springs. The day
was warm, yet fresh with the wonderful
freshness of mountain air: and when the
long wagon of SaltaSh House arrived at the
foot of the rayine, all the younger members
Of the party were unanimous in their re-
solve to climb to clear pond, while the older
ladies' and one white-haired bachelor who
cared little for scenery and much for his
ease remained quietly ON Il broad rock by
the lower pool. where thick pine boughS
sheltered them from the sun, and the cool
whatever heat the July weather threatened.
Two couples had already gone upward,
when Dora and Grace, attended by Mr..
Horton and Ned Schenck, a cousin of Dora :,
began the climb. Both gentlemen had been
sufficiently accustomed to forest paths to
make the matter easy as far as they were
concerned, but TO feet used only to the pare
of the city or the smooth turf of the GRO
quet ground, this rough though slippery
ascent looked fearful enough nor We're deli
cate kid boots the best preparation for sharp
rocks and moss Strewn with pine needles.
1t seemed all but impossible for Dora to at
tempt such Il task, but her pride forbade
retreat, while Grace in despair suffered her
self to be half carried up the Stecpest pitches
by Ned Schcnck, and lifted bodily over
stones and logs that she declared herself
altogether unable to surmount Fortunate
~ for her protector, she was slight and not
tall: he could easily spare all the strength
necessary. But Dora would not allow her
self to he more than guided, though the
guidance was peremptory.
''Put your foot here, Miss Schenck: now
the other on that stone. Give me your left
hand, and take firm hold of that bough to
the right
Dora obeycd with the most child-like con-
tidencc, for the abyss below her and the
height above We're alike terrible: but She
had that best of courage which will not
turn back, though trembling with terror.
Grace, from below, a helpless burden, saw
with 4 sort Of pique how well Dora endured
the march, and caught Mr.. Horizons admir-
ing glanceS at the 1.-THE figure that was at
once SO brave and So docile To tell the
truth, Grace had intended the handsome
young clergyman should be her own escort,
and was not at all satisfied at being ree-
gated to Ned Schenck's care, who waS
strong and good tempered, no doubt, but
neither good looking nor rich. 1t was not
from pure desire to tease that Grace called
out, in her soft drawing tones: Doll, You
are really miracle. never expected TO
Str you mind Il man 81 implicitly.
Dora was indignant. She knew very we'll
that Grace could be >pitetul hut the spite
did not hurt her rs much as the answering
consciousness that, in spite of her fine the
orirS, she had been almost implicitly sub
mssive to Mr.. Horton escort, The Sirlsh
n, in,