Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-05-07
INSIDE AND OUT.
BY ELEANOR KIRK.

"Oh, john L nope you VIII keep
in your own class, and not degrade
yourself with low associations"
Mrs. CosgrOve reclined on a luXu-
rious lounge in an elegant boudoir,
and as she addressed the manly
looking young fellow by her side,
seemed, in her interest for his well
fare, to be eXerting herself far be-
yond her strength.
"NOw, in regard to Earle Davi-
son." the lady continued, 81 was
surprised and panied when / heard
you had been seen in his society,""
''Earle is all right!' the young
man replied.
81 have heard it said that young
men always stand up for each
other !" Mrs. COsgrove went on :;
"but it must be the spirit of nO6LesSe
O6lige that causes you to defend
Earle Dawson. If he belonged to
your set, of course it would be diff
ferent."
There was a queer look in John
COsgrove's eyes as he listened to his
mothers remarks, but he had evil
IDENTIFY not felt called upon to say
much until now.
"YOur nO6IeSSe O6Eige does not hit
this case, MOTHER" he replied.
"Earle DavisOn's father has not
as much money as mine, it is true"
he went on; "but Earle is manly,
honorable fellow, and / like him."
"But what of his drinking ?"
Mrs. Cosgrove inquired. "His dis
sipatiOn is in everybody's mouth,
john"
Mother, excuse me, please, if l
ask you a very important question
at this point" the young man said
respectfully, and in a way which
compelled his companions atten-
ton. 81 wish to know if you OBJ
ject to Earle Dawson Al a compan-
ion for me on account of his being
poor, and out of our set, as you call
it, or because of his dissipation ?"
Mrs. Cosgrove was intuitive
enough to understand this question
in its length and breadth, but she
did not appear to, but replied with
the tremulant she always affected
when discussing such matters.
"The DavisOns," she said, once
had Il place among us; but of late
years, and since the loss of their
money, they have been dropped by
the best society. That ought to be
a sufficient answer tOyOur question,
John"
at is" the young man answered.
''I might have KNOWN" he added,
"that you would always be consist
ent, for had you objected to dissipa-
ton, you would have forbidden
some of my companions the house
long before this. L suppose the fell
low who gets drunk with some
hundred of dollars in his pocket,
and belonging to the best society, is
to the young man who is
poor and does the same thing, but
| don't see the difference
81 do wish you would be a little
more refined in your use of words"
the lady responded, "and also a
little more refined in your ideas. 1t
is terrible to hear you talk in that
coarse way of getting drunk"
Nov, mother, John COsgrOve
hadn't heard a word of the lady's
last remark. He had been too busy
"NOw, mother," he re-
peated, F'it seems to me that a man
in the best society ought to set a
good example to others, and be-
cause of his position and its advan-
tages, is more to blame when he
does a wrong thing, than the man
who hasn't had his opportunities.
This may not be the spirit of gO6LeSSe
O6lige that you speak about, but,
at all events, it is a spirit that can
and appreciate"
"You always do go off on side is
sues when talking with me-" Mrs.
COsgrOve answered, with something
more in her voice this time than a
"and worse than ALL"
she went on, "yOu always persist
in misunderstanding :ne."
Mrs. Cosgrove drew a long breath
and John rose to leave the room.
This lady had no idea of logic, and
it was always a hard undertaking
to argue with her. John often
why he persisted in keep
ing up conversations of this kind,
when the result was always, as
now, unrest and annoyance. The
mans own mother had died
Whsn he was only a little boy, and
the second Mrs. COsgrOye had been
from the ranks of the ultra
and aristocratic. There
had never been any quarrel or hard
feeling between this lady and her
step-sOn. She had always treated
him with kindness and cOnsidera-
ton, and as far as so great a lady
could, attended properly to his
physical wants, but this was all. In
every crisis of his young life she
had proved herself utterly incapa-
BILE of helping him either by advice
or sympathy. Mr.. Cosgrove was
too much occupied with business to
give his son much attention, so
whatever the young man knew of
truth or right living, he had found
out for himself. At the time of the
above conversation, John Cosgrove
was in the great danger, and needed
more than ever in his life good
counsel and encouragement and
the strangest part of all was, that
he had never quite despaired of re-
what he needed from his
mother. Just now the young man
IL .,,.AA