The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-07-30
RICARDO.


MARY A. E. wager-Fisher, inAppletOn's Journall
l.
1t was a COSY room for bachelors parlor
despite the untidiness that outcropped be-
tween the weekly visits of the housemaid
and her s.ridding hands" The carpet was
bright with spots of color imprisoned in
precise geometrical limitations; there were
two low, deep-seated lounges, that must have
been made "to order" as furniture men then
(this was two-and-twenty years ago., as now,
avoided as much as possible adaptation of
their wares to tt comfort of the human body;
there were soma good engravings on the walls;
some fantastic knicknacks clinging about the
mantel-piece and book-shelves, such as are
made by lady friends, who prick their fingers
and weary their eyes in making, and which
the recipients never know what to do with,
and secretly dub nuisance; then there were
odd chairs, a large table bearing huddle of
printed literature and before glowing, open
fire, a pair of capacious fauteuils, occupied
by the two men with whose subsequent lives
this story has to do, and who may as well at
once be introduced with the explicitness of a
Frenchman's visiting card:
MYGATr JAMES, Chemist.
RICHARD LANE, Banker.
Both were. New Englanders, doing business
in New York james, man of thirty-two
or three, tall and slight, with dark mustache,
hair crimped and tumbled for effect, and,
either from carelessness or a lack of real
breeding was never able to put ON clean
collar and new necktie without the fact in
some way betraying itself, appeared fair
type of gay, kind, firtative, Hght-hearted,
but clever young fellow. Lane, several years
younger, was not so tall, but more strongly
built, and had a solid, manly look, combined
with firmness, and an air of respon-
Al in har
contrast to his companion. Upon
the evening in question the two men had
been sitting for some time in silence before
the fire, Lane apparently gazing at the toes
of his embroidered slippers fitting one foot
on top the other by turns, to catch the re-
hected heat, while on his face was an express
sion of disgust, mingled with grief. James
stroked his mustache with his slender hand
and gazed alternately at the glowing CRATE
and then at a richly-incased miniature of a
pretty young woman that stood on the man.
tel, while his face shone with radiancy as il
a naphtha lamp were mysteriously illumin-
ating it from within. g.f
s.Well," finally spoke Lane, with a groan
rising and leaning against the mantel, 81
suppose this is our last night together, after
three years of cumming
THAT will depend on you, Dick, replied
james. --
he retorted, ironically (he abbreviated hi
friends surname for convenience. You
logic is like a woman's. In spite of all my
sighs and tears-for in your present state o.
exaltation you can only appreciate senamen
tai phrases-in spite of our sworn loyalty
and agrarianism of affection, as you have
Enthusiastically termed it, you coolly put an enc
to all by tying yourself to woman's apron
string. You marry Then you say the con
III
No man can serve two masters. Although
woman may be silly and vain, as most o
them are and as characterless piece o
gauze, vet she hangs about a mans necl
like milestone, or hedges him about like
prison-wall, so far as his liberty is concerned
No, jim; you married, and you're the SAM
as dead to me. The fellow never lived wh'
passed through the matrimonial gate ant
came out alive in the old sense"
James broke out into uproarious laughter
'sWhy, Dick
aOh. YOU NAV well laugh,n Interrupts
the sorrowful knight. "Laugh now Will
you may I frankly confess that this affai
takes hold upon my heart-strings. On
doesn't pick up friend every day, and 70
a fellow to lose his one true and tried stand
by is no laughing matter. I'd be a stupi
hypocrite to pretend I didn't care. d
care, and I'd be more of a brute than l car
to say if didn't"
"But seriously, Dick, do listen to sens
and reason, You exaggerate things. Liz
zie is the kindest and dearest little crea
ure-
San angel, of corsue. They're all angel
in earrings and corsets. Go on
sAnd our home will be yours as much .
ours; and"
aNonsense Jiml I've heard that rigmi
role of sense and reason ever since you,
been in love, and it seems an age. If a w
man in love is crazier than a man, Heave
defend me from herl Women may be we
enough in their way, but / don't see what yc
want of one I'm sure, if I loved woma
I couldn't have the heart to ask her to mari
me; and if she loved me, and wanted to r
tain her love, I could do 1t better than to r
eeive her into the familiarity that bree
contempt n man is a hero to his valet
chambre, and what can he be to his wifi
For my part, / should like to see a man al
woman who in loving had the strength al
sense to live nationally worthy of intelles
ual beings, enjoy that comradeship, and gi
each to the other loyalty, devotion, ar
unselfshness of affection that lie above t
plane of touch and sense; but no, they mu
all marry, you along with the rest-Bride
and Patrick Nothing is more commonpls
and vulgar
"Why, Dick, the strongest feeling in
mans heart when he loves woman is t
desire to protect and take care of her. 1t
the supreme Office of love-"
"Ahl yes; to shield her from the storms
life. How fnel That no rude breeze m
visit her too roughly. How beautiful A
vet the demands a man makes of his wife
demands that bring suffering, anguish, a
even death in their train-are such as