The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-05-14

said he, I" I am sure that, instead of
increasing my domestic worries, my
marriage will transfer them in a body
ITO my wife; and, secondly, when 1
consider the vast number of fools
who are every day born into the world,
! am terrified by the picture of what
the next generation will be, if the
thinkers of this are to be without sue
cessors.' Having discharged his
reasons in this wise, the orator stood
blinking at me as if he feared dissent,
but l was too astounded by his magnifi-
cent audacity to reply. Slowly a look
of peace stole back into his face, a
pleasant light dawned in his eyes,
and the promise of smile played
at the corner of his mouth.
His remarkable fluency was gone,
and, indeed, his voice sounded
quite choky when he said: '.Johnny you
don't know what an angel she is" A
light broke in upon me. philosopher, "
l said, 81 believe you are going to be
married because you fell in love?'
Perhaps you are right" said the
Philosopher.
After the wedding, the Philosopher
and his wife went abroad for an indefi-
mite period, and their friends heard but
little of them. He wrote to nobody,
and she did not write to me. Yet there
were occasional rumors. Now they
were breathing the keen air of the En-
gadine, now sinking to the chestnuts
and vines of Chiavenna; now he was
flashing himself to frenzy over the treas
ures of Rome; now she was gazing with
sweet Northern eyes across the glowing
splendor of the Bay of Naples. Then
they were in Germany, and about to
settle for life in a university town; but
anon had fled from it in haste after a
long nights dispute, in the course of
which my learned friend had well-nigh
come to blows with the university S
most celebrated professor.
At last l heard that they were again
in London, and, full of enthusiasm,
darted round the corner to welcome
them home. Nobody was with them
but Mrs. Hanway, Wini reds mother.
l would enter unannounced and sur
prise the Philosopher. I entered unan-
nounced. and was surprised myself.
Was this the effect of matrimony, or of
foreign travel? Each occupant of the
room was engaged in an exercise
wholly unconnected, as it seemed, with
those of the rest. My friend wife, the
lady whom I had almost loved, queen
of all grace and comeliness, was APP
pearing and disappearing like flash
behind the days Times, showing at the
moments of disclosure face flushed
with excitement, and lustrous coils of
hair. tumbled into the widest disorder,
while she accompanied the whole per-
Torrance with strange and inarticulate
sounds. Her mother, the same Mrs.
Hanway who was so perfect model of
dress and carriage that many of Her
lady friends were wont to lament
among themselves that she gave
herself such airs, was seated on
the floor dressed for walking, but
without her bonnet. Yes. she was
certainly drumming on an inverted tea
tray with the wrong end of the poker.
And the Philosopher? 1t was perplex-
ing, after three years separation, to
meet him thus. The Philosopher was
cantering round the room on all tours,
wearing on his head his own waste
paper basket. Briskly he cantered
round, ever and anon frisking like a
lamb in spring time, until he reached
my feet, which were rooted to the spot
with astonishment. He glanced up
sideways, rose with a cry to the normal
attitude of man, and grasped me by the
hand. At the sound of his voice, his
wife dropped the paper from her hands,
raised them quickly to her hair: and
his mother-in-law, with as much dignity
as tie effort would allow. scrambled on
to her feet. Then in an instant the
cause of their eccentric conduct was
made clear. Throned upon the hearth
rug, and showing by gracious smile a
few of the newest teeth, sat a fine baby
of some fifteen months. In one dim
pied fist was tightly clenche d the
brush, which had so neatly arranged
the mothers braids; while the other
was engaged in pounding the grand
mothers best bonnet into a shapeless
mass.
We were all somewhat embarrassed
except the baby. The ladies knew that
they were untidy, and 1 that was an
intruder. As for the learned father, he
stood now on one leg and now on the
other, while he shifted the waste-paper
basket from hand to hand, and con-
tinued to smile almost as perseveringly
as his amiabie offspring. Yet it was
he who at last put an end to our awk-
ward position by expressing wild de-
sire to have my opinion on the new
curtains in his study. Rather sheep
ishly said good-by to the lady of the
house, trying to express by my eyes
that I would never call again unan-
knew that Mrs. Hanway
had not forgiven ME, as 1 humbly took
the two fingers which she offered; and
folt ike a hrutp &c the most imnOr-