New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-05-21
OUT OF HER SPHERE.

OUT OF HER SPHERE.
81 CANNOT believe that Marx Con-
greve fancies such 3 hoyden as Flora
Gibbs
You will have to believe IL, my
dear, for the engagement Is announced.
All, Clara, If you live to, be as old a. I
am, you will believe anything Of the
fancies Of men-anything, I mean, that
iswild, and capricious, and extravagant.
Men never marry the women one would
select as appropriate; their choice Is
almost invariably disappointment to
their friends. But / confess this affair
surprises even me, Mark Congreve is SO
exceptionally refined, and fastidious,
and esthetic, and Flora Gibbs is 20 COM
pletely 0stre and uncultured."
Yes, the match is absurd; you, Aunt
Emma, may call it wild, or capricious.
or extravaganza; I call it stupid
The speakers were Mrs. Orville and
her niece, Clara Hunt. They were busy
at their embroidery one rainy morning
in November, and feeling just in the
mood for gossip.
81 pity Mrs. Congreve," continued
the elder lady; sshe had other dreams
for her only son. There seems to have
been fatality in Marks return from
Europe six months before his mother.
She is expected now, 60 Della writes,
by the next steamer. What changes
she will find! Let me think; it is hardly
more than four months since Mrs.
Gibbs and Flora came to M and
positively they have changed the tone
Of the town. Mrs. Congreve used to
say that Of all provincial circles our
circle of M embodied most refine
ment, most culture. We had not one
inharmonious element until this Earring
encroachment of the Gibbses. To think
that Flora should be actually admitted
into our set! That Is DR.. Erwin fault;
he is slightly obtuse on some subjects,
and suppose it has never occurred to
him that his mistaken kindness has put
the girl entirely out of her sphere"
While this conversation continued,
the November rain that had promised
to last for day ceased suddenly, like
an April shower; the clouds were
breaking away, and with the clearing
OF the storm footsteps sounded along
the wooden walk that skirted the villa
terraces of NJ. The gate Of the
Orville villa was opened; q clear, ring
ing, decidedly loud but not harsh voice
was heard saying, !" Down, Ndo, down!
Jack, lie down at the gate! do you
hear, sirp Don't come . step further. :"
The door-bell rang; q visitor was an.
nounced: sMiss Gibbs"
"Show her into the library" said
Mrs. Orville. "And Clara, my dear,
remain; we will receive her quite in
formally
Flora Gibbs entered, and was greet
ed with amiable politeness by the la
dies, but with decided animosity by
the lap-dogs, which sprang from their
rugs at their mistress feet; Prince, the
tiny terrier, barking and leaping, and
Canute, the Dandie Dinmont, shaking
his flossy head and protruding his
sharp little tongue with unfeigned dis
dain and enmity. After the salutations
this uprising Of the beast was ex-
planned, for Flora produced from under
her tippet white kitten and presented
it to Mrs. Orville.
Mamma told me-" she Sale, ]" how
you fancied our white kittens the day
you so kindly called. when she was i'll
and I was away in New York" Mrs.
Orville glanced nervously at her niece.
who fortunately was engrossed with q
tangle in her embroidery silk. The
visit to Mrs. Gibbs--one solely of curl
osity-had been made without the
knowledge of Clara. "And this has
no spot Of color excepting one coffee
colored dot on the forehead and five
coffee-colored hairs in the tip of the
tail. But fear poor pussy is not con-
genial" And she laughed merrily at
the comical attitude of the unsophisti-
Gated little animal, which, having been
placed on the floor, put up her back as
we'll as q young thing could, and
opened her round eyes in full fire upon
aer sudden foes.
"You are fond of animals, Miss
Gibbs,'' said Clara, languidly.
"Oh, very-of domestic animals, at
least; they are 80 easily trained, and
they are such affectionate creatures -
"You do not agree with Victor
AukVS eAOAS 0ts4N M1Ss VIvA10S III OoE
tone of voice e4altee, "or his argument
why his hero loved the bear more than
the dog, because it's afectionate APP
pr zach to man was from the greater
aistancep'"
II have not read, or, at least, do
not remember, that passage of Victor
Hugo" said Miss Gibbs. !" But no,
have never tried to tame = wild ami
NAL, unless you call . man an animal.
I tried to tame man once.''
All, indeedv' boSh ladies gasped al
breath. Let Us know the process. y
The process was lost: for I did not
succeed. I tried to tame raving poet
to calm prose, but he eluded me; in.
deed, he conquered me, for deprecate
his rowing life, but I read his verses y
suppose you allude to Vincent
Merlp" said Clara, with the air. of one
who knows far more Of the subject
mentioned than the initiative speaker.
And Mrs. Orville-with q frigid stare
ct the impulsive girl, who had taken
Canute into her lap and held him, now
docile, on one knee, with the passive
kitten, evidently meditative Of an hon
orable peace, on the other changed
the subject markedly BY an abrupt,
You spent October in New York, Miss
Gibbs. I imagine the season was suf-
ficiently inaugurated to make the nsusi.
Gales. the autumnal races and the art
galleries attractive
Miss Gibbs hesitated an instant, and
blushed. Then, with perfectly con-
fiding look into the matronly face Of
Mrs. Orvi,le, who she felt would COM
prehend the circumstance, she an
swered, frankly: 81 had not very
long time to stay, and ! spent most Of
NV time in shOnninp. -