Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1880-01-15
THE TW0 MR. SMITHS.


position that dashes me; Carol; it is
my own name. Think of asking Eleanor
Bethune to become Mrs. William Smith!
If it had been Alexander Smith"
Cor Hyacinth Smith"
"Yes, Hyacinth Smith would have
done; but plain William Smith!'
"Well, as far as l can see, you are
not to blame. Apologize to the lady
for the blunder of your godfathers and
godmothers. Stupid old parties! They
ought to have thought OF Hyacinth;"
and Carol threw his cigar into the fire
and began to buckle on his spurs.
"Come with me, CAIRO" "
"No, thank you. 1t is against my
principles to like any one better than
myself, and Alice Fontaine is tempta-
ton to do sO."
Il don't like Alice's style at ALL"
"Of course not. Alice's beauty. as
compared with Mrs. Bethune's settled
income, is skin-deep."
If sarcasm was intended, Smith did
not perceive it. He took the criticism
at its face value, and answered. " Yes,
Eleanor's income is satisfactory; and
besides that, she has all kinds of good
qualities, and several accomplishments.
If only could offer her, with myself, a
suitable name for them"
Gould you not, in taking Mrs, Be-
thune and her money, take her name
alsoP'
"N-n-no. A man does not like to
lose all his individuality in his wife's,
Carroll"
"Well, then, have no other sug-
gestion, and l am going to ride"
So Carol went to the Park, and
Smith went to his mirror. The occu-
patton gave him the courage he wanted.
He was undoubtedly very handsome
man, and he had, also, very fine man.
ners; indeed, he would have been very
great man if the world had only been a
drawing-room, for, polished and fastid-
ious, he dreaded nothing SO much as an
indecorum, and had the air of being
uncomfortable unless his hands were in
kid gloves.
Smith had standing invitation to
Mrs. Bethune's fve-O' clock teas, andhe
was always considered an acquisition.
He was also very fond Of going to them;
for under no circumstances was Mrs,
Bethune so charming. To see her in
this hour of perfect relaxation was to
understand how great and beautiful is
the art of idleness, Her ease and grace,
her charming aimlessness, her inde-
scribable air of inaction, were all so
many proofs of her having been born in
the purple of wealth and fashion; no
parvenu could ever hope to initiate
them,
Alice Fontaine had never tried. She
had been taken from life of polite
shifts and struggles by her cousin, Mrs.
Bethune, two years before; and the cir
.cumstances that were to the one the
mere accidents of her position were to
the other a real holiday-making.
Alice met Mr.. Smith with empreSSe-
qpent, futtered about the tea-tray like
a butterfly, wasted her bonmots and the
sugar recklessly, and was as full of pret-
ty animation, as her cousin Bethune
was Of elegant repose.
81 am glad you are come, Mr..
Smith," said Mrs. Bethune. "Alice
has been trying to spur me into fight.
I don't want to throw lance in. Now
you can be my substitute"
"Mr. Smith, said Alice, impetuous-
ly, "don't you think that women ought
to have the same rights as menP"
Really, Miss Alice, I-Idon't know.
When women have got what they call
their rights, do they expect to keep
what they call their privileges alsoP"
Certainly they do. When they have
driven the men to emigrate, to scrub
floors, and to Jump into the East River,
they will still expect the corner seat,
the clean side Of the road, the front
place, and the pick of everything"
"Ah, indeed! And when all the pub
lie and private business of the country
is in their hands, will they still expect
to find time for fve-o'clock teasP'
"Yes, sir. They will conduct the
affairs Of this regenerated country, and
not neglect either their music or their
pets, their dress or their drawing-room.
They will be perfectly able to do the
one. and not leave the other undone."
"Glorious creatures! Then they will
accomplish what men have been trying
TO do ever since the world began. They
will get two days work out of one day."
"Of course they will"
"But howP"
so, machines and management. 1t
will be done"
"But your answer is illogical, Miss
Alice.'''
"Of course. Men always take refuge
in their logic; and yet, with all their
boosted skill, they have never mastered
the useful and elementary proposition,
1T will be, because it will be. +"
Mr.. Smith was very much annoyed at
the tone Alice was giving to the con-
versation. She was treating him as
Joke, and he felt how impossible it was
going to be to get Mrs. BethUne to treat
him seriously. Indeed, before he could
restore the usual placid, tender tone Of
their tete-a-tete tea, two or three ladies
Joined the party, and the hour was up,
and the opportunity lost.
However, he was not without conso-