The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-23

it; Thomas Wyndham-was in love at
last, and that, too, with a woman / did
not know and who did not know me.
Nothing could have been more inopper-
tune, nothing more undesirable, nothing
more impossible-but nothing was more
certainl
loved. 1t had come on me no less
abruptly than overwhelmingly. A
chance encounter in the street-a look
an undrawn breath-and /, who up to
my fve-and-twentieth birthday had
laughed at scars, now felt wound which
not all the drowsy syrups of the East
could medicine. There was no redeem
ing, no palhating feature in the cast; it
was not only love, it was love at first
sight; it was not only love at first sight,
it was love unrequited. And once more,
the lover was Tom Wyndham!
But perceive that some explanation
will be necessary. Although, then, as
has been intended, had existed in this
great, beautiful and seductive world
during more than quarter of a century
l had remained all that time heart
whole; and though my immunity had
never happened to cost me an effort, it
was none the less in accordance with a
certain hard-and-fast rule which / had
long ago laid down for my guidance
throughout life. This rule was, to up
hold, at all times and against all comers,
the dogma that bachelor life was, for
Tom Wyndham, the only proper, expe-
dent and dignifed one. Marriage, so
far as l was concerned, was against both
my principles and my interest. l was
an artist, to begin with, and in my opin-
ion it was the duty of every true artist
to live for his art alone, jealousy eschew-
ing whatever might tend to divide or
ALLEVIATE his devotion. His transactions
with the sex, if any transactions there
must be, should be strictly in the way
of business; he might paint them. but
never woo them. But beyond this 1
was (or SO / had fondly imagined con-
stitutionally and impenetrably proof
against female destinations. Like the
famous Duke of Gloster, was not form
ed for sportive tricks, nor made to court
an amorous looking-glass. In other
words, | had always been noted for my
awkwardness and infelicity in women's
society; and I could not doubt that /
was as tiresome and oppressive to them
as they were always terrible and often
hateful to me.
Here, then, were good and sufficient
obstacles enough against matrimonial
entangements; and there were others be-
hind. ] was as poor as was unattrac-
tive; ] was destitute Of the faculty of
money-making, and I was as incapable
of winning u rich wife by my personal
merits as should have been Of living
upon her bounty afterwards In short,
and not to multiply objections, con-
firmed bachelorhood was my category by
every law, moral, mental and material !;
notwithstanding which, I had committed
the inconceivable imbecility Of losing
my heart and head at the same moment,
and--but it is enough that I lost my
temper at the time; to lose it over again
now would be undignifed.
Let me rather record few particulars
of my previous history:
My father had been a wealthy Eng
lishman; he married the daughter of a
rich American planter. My mother died
when / was only aschild, was but few
years old. My father returned to Eng.
land after her death, and | was brought
up there in the lap of luxury. was
sent to Rugby and thence to Cambridge;
and it was there l first met my cousin
Floyd Wyndham-the sui ofmy father
younger brother. We ewere as different
as white and black, but we were the
greatest friends in the world. There
never was such a lovable fellow as
Floyd, and he was the most popular
man in our college, and indeed wherever
he went. He had all the social graces
and instincts that I lacked; it was as in
evitable to him to charm people as it
was to me to repcl them; and the best Of
it was, his success never cost him the
least effort--on the contrary, he rather
turned up his nose at it. What he saw
to like in me Pm sure | can not imagine;
but all the same he did love me with his
whole heart, and would have done any
thing in the world to oblige me. Dear
old Floyd, with your lazy blue eyes,
your quiet, audacious manner, your
drawl and your fun; what contrast you
were to me, to be sure!
Inever knew anything of his family
there being some misunderstanding or
other between my father and his; but our
rooms at the college were contiguous,
and we were together every day.
There was picture on the wall over
his mantelpiece-a portrait of our ma
ternal grandmother, aud u lovelier face
no painter ever drew. g.
Whenever dropped in to have chat
with Floyd, l used to sit where I could
keep that face in view, it was the only
woman's face lever ventured or cared to
look twice at.
Floyd used to laugh and say it was
like me to be spoony on my own grand
mother, adding that he had little sister
growing up who was going to be exactly
like her, and that I had better begin pay
ing my addresses to her Immediately.
But testing aside, / honestly believe that
the memory Of that portrait had good
I 81 =. IL nth p,y hoobalrrLoos