Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-04-16
FLEA >ant SURPRISES.
WHAT UNPLEASANT RESULTS IhEY SOME
TIMEs HAVE.


WHAT UNPLEASANT RESULTS IdEY SOME
TINE. HAVE.
II rrening to say something before
N. fti,Ld smith one day abuut pleasant
surrrls' :, he replied with gran and
shah, of the heal, "Ah, don't tell me
about pie.nant surprises They are u
snare and u delusIon Surprise may
be the essence OF Wit, as some authors
tell Us, hut 1t certainly Is not the es
seEce oi pleasure
"Yoa speak ieelingy ON the subject"
said [.
lyon would not wonder at that"
said he, If yoa knew what causes |
had to do so. | could "a tale unfold on
this point If you would care to have it. "
Ga my assuring him that | would he
proceeded to give me tn. following re-
cital
"When l was youth my mother
had "a maiden sister. with whom | was
an acknowledged favorite, aud rs Aunt
Abigail possessed handsome fortune
in fec simple, there were other grounds
beside those of sentiment for rendering
her ia, OF ~ desirable thing. She liveI
at a handsome country place, which
she took great pride and pleasure in
keeping III the pink OF order. Indeed,
it would have veXed and mortified her
for her own brother or sister to have
found the least thing out of place or
repair on her premises, so ambitious
was sue of sustaining her reputation OF
having the best-ordered establishment
in the community. Nor did she take
less pains with her dress and personal
appearance, which, like her home,
were handsome and imposing. Being
some~ Lat ceremonious herself, she did
not encourage informally ia 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 acquaintaL ces, whose
almost solitary impression Of her was
of u queenly, digniticd woman, clad in
elegant black silk or satin, with soft
thread lace ruffiss at her throat and
wrists, a faint rose-tinge like the pale
reflection of the last rose of sum r1sr)
still lingering on her cheek, soft chest
nut locks bordering her brow, and a
row of sound, white teeth cleaning in
her mouth when she would smile gra-
ciously,
Though in stately kind
"When l was in my eighteenth year,
Aunt Abigail attended the Intermediate
celebration at nay school on February
IA, and seemed much pleased with our
professor, whose ornate and excessively
polished manners latter the Grandiso-
MAN schooD were exactly to her taste.
he entertained her with many labored
galiantries and much 'gepteel CONVEX
sation,' judiciously seasoned with deli
cate tattery and profound Difference
for her own views. In looking back to
all this, now see what was too un-
sophisticated to see at the time, viz,
that the professor executed all these
stiff frisks with some view to matri-
meny at least he had vague idea that
if the worse came to the worst. Cedar
wood my aunt's home) would not be
an undesirable retreat for an elderly
wiaower. My aunt had no idea of con-
tracing any matrimonial alliance, but
still she had not reached the age what
woman ever does?) when the homage
and admiration of the other sex we're
dlstasteful to aer, SO she permitted the
professor to offer her his antiquated
gallantries and was not ill-pleased by
them. In fact, he so far ingrstiated
himself with her that she invited him
to come with mo and spend Easter at
her hoEse, together with large party
OF friends she expected then from
town.
"Owing to severe sickness on the
part OF the assistant teacher, our Easter
vacation was granted three or foar day 6
earlier thar usual, and it flashed over
my impulsive mind, Il will be a good
Idea to give Aunt Abigail "a pleasant
surprise. l will run right down to her
house tomorrow
On the spur of the moment | hur-
ried Oh TO the professor and insisted on
hls ace mpasylng me. At first he de
INJURED on the score Of its being three
Gays earlier than the time appointed
BY Aust Abigail, but on nv assuring
MN tbs would max. no difference. he
Seemed TO think / ought to know nv
Aana aid her ways better than ke ana
50 Ne started Of the next mornln.
1t as balny ApnI day vixen ~e ~
oui, but' With tbs hckleRess character
4-ue 81 HAT meath, the weather baI
ek.i SD ty tL@ tine 49, rraeAeA s1r
de-lll-il-L, ard ~ got & a; tne 50.
t|oL o. = cod. afIzzIy rall. u Lish b,,L
Ai'EA-lr AL tE1rAtlyely tLrewadaup
e. over e. Aali Aslg.il -, IN tie
A4cli q ssrd.Lx Lar co-.f .rt.i.l- e.r.
f-sgs ioF v-slt.rs -1g.-cts,i Il. ;s- traI.
bGt, saiurz-ly. slr dli u; I've n
.raliIng for a. ~ ttls o-g.aIou Ind
70 rscou so.tre fra ve.lcl- u r.r-v NJ.
T. C-dAFsOod, bat let zlts OIL, ir.8,r.
ief-LI success. finding uotaiur bs, N
ope- iarE saigon. II xLl-t - ,.tt..t
Along s.oSly aid r0agtly I'll.
Tie FAln steadily IuereA-Iug al. tie tIr,s
- that ~ the uue ne r..-4a-t -