, 1880-04-22
Pleasant Surprises.

Happening to say something before
my friend Smith one day about pleasant
surprises, he replied with a groan and
shake of the head. "Ab, don't tell me
about pleasant surprises. They are
snare and delusion Surprise may be
the essence of wit, as some authors tell
us, but it certainly is not the essence of
pleasure"
"You speak feelingly on the subject" /"
said l.
"You would not wonder at that"
said he, 'if you knew what causes
l had to do so. would tale unfold
on this point if you would care to hear
it"
On my assuring him that l would, be
proceeded to give me the following re-
cital:
"When / was a youth my mother
had maiden sister, with whom was
an acknowledged favorite, and as Aunt
Abigail possessed handsome fortune
in fee simple, there were other grounds
besides those Of sentiment for rendering
her favor a desirable thing. She lived
at handsome country place, which
she took great pride and pleasure in
keeping in the pink of order. Indeed,
it would have vexed and mortified her
for her owa brother or sister to have
found the least thing out of place or
repair on her premises, SO ambitious
was she of sustaining her reputation Of
having the best-ordered establishment
in the community. Nor did che take
less pain with her dress and personal
appearance, which like her home
were handsome and imposing. Being
somewhat ceremonious herself, she did
not encourage informality in others, so
they seldom approached her except by
express invitation, and no one had an
opportunity to see either herself or her
house behind the scenes. Hence she
kept up all the greater prestige amongst
her friends and acquaintances, whose
almost solitary impression of her was
of q queenly digniied woman, clad in
elegant black silk or satin, with soft
thread lace rufles at her throat and
wrists, o faint rose-tlnge (ike the pale
reflection Of the last rose Of Summer)
still lingering on her cheek, soft chest
nut locks bordering her brow, and q
row Of sound, white teeth cleaning in
her mouth when she would smile gra.
ciously,
Though in stately kind
"When | was in my eighteenth year,
Aunt Abigail attended the intermediate
celebration at my school on February
l4th, and seemed much pleased with our
professor, whose ornate and excessively
polished manners latter the Grandiso-
nian school) were exactly to her taste.
He entertained her. with many labored
gallantries and much "genteel CONVEX
sation, judiciously seasoned with deli
cate fattery and profound Difference
for her own views. In looking back to
all this, l now see what I was too un-
sophisticated to see at the time, viz
that the professor executed all these
stiff freaks with some view to matri-
mony; at least he had vague idea that
if the worst came to the worst, Cedar
wood (my aunt's home) would not be
an undesirable retreat for an elderly
widower. My aunt had no idea of con-
tracing any matrimonial alliance, but
still she had not reached the age what
woman ever doesD when the homage
and admiration of the other sex were
distasteful to her, so she permitted the
professor to offer her his antiquated
gallantries and was not ill-pleased by
them. In fact, he so far ingratiated
himself with her that she invited him
to come with me and spend Easter at
her house, together with large party
of friends she expected then from
town.
sowing to severe sickness on the part
of the assistant teacher, our Easter va
cation was granted three or four day,
earlier than usual, and it flashed ovel
my impulsive mind, TT will be a gooc
idea to give Aunt Abigail a pleasan