The Russellville Democrat., 1881-04-14

could not show off so much to his satis- faction. He had to submit to the ironic- al congratulations of male friends, and to the perfdiously turned compliments of ladies. At his club the walters eyed him demurely, and sometimes when he went into shop he heard girls giggling behind his back. Nay, once in Lady Curlew's own house, pretty housemaid, whom he met on the stairs, laughed in his face.
 All this was very grievous to Cashey, and induced him to try and hurry on the wedding day.
 My dear Androgyna," said he, one Sunday, sitting beside the old lady on the sofa and taking one of her hands in his, cannot we be married soon? l see no reason for waiting longer"
 My dear boy there are so many busi ness arrangements to make-settlements and all that" she answered, gently stroking his lustrous hair, as she loved to do. "You see I want to have all your interests attended to-"
 Never mind my interests, dearest; what desire is to become your hus- band"
 Are you really in earnest, my dear? Will you never repeat whnt you are do- ing? Think am old enough to be your mother"
 What is age?" replied Cashey in his sweetest voice. "We all of us are no older than we look and feel x There are times when myself feel woe fully old. * But you, do you think you can be less dear to me be- cause your kind face was already ad mirable in it's goodness and soft attrac- tiveness before I was born? As well say that we should not acknowledge the suns loyeliness because it has shone up- on others before usp'
 q am afraid that you are a great flat terer, dear boy; but all you say is very pleasant to hear, nevertheless"
 'I am not dattering, dearest; l love you with all my heart; cannot you be- lieve it2"
 "Yes, do; and feel I shall be hap py woman. But. Dickie (her pet name for him was Dickie or Bird) what shall you think when you sometimes reflect on the difference between our ages?"
 q shall only wish that I had known you ten years sooner, that l might have been happy ten more."
 All this you see, was quite nice: and it is with such little crumbs of sugar that women have been caught in all times. So Androgyna gave in. A few days afterward the marriage was sol emnized in quiet country church, and the well-matched pair started out for the Continent to spend their honey moon.
 Twelve months elapsed, and at the end of that time any one who had seen An droyna and her young husband would have declared that they were better assorted couple than ever. For matri- mony had had a rejuvinating effect upon Androgyna, who now looked better and dressed more smartely than before; whereas it had operated in just the con trary direction on Chashey, alias Birdie who was becoming premarturely aged, through idleness, excess of good living and general boredom. The poor fellow took too much succulent food, and was growing fat; he had no healthy work to occupy his energies, so that he spent his afternoons yawning; there was plenty of spare cash in his purse, but he did not know what to do with it, and so was worse off than in the days of his pow erty, when at least he enjoyed the excite ment of longing for things out of his reach and striving to get them.
 But why did not Cashey set up four in-hand, a racing stable or theater, as he had purposed doing? An! why didn't he? The truth is he was not his own master. He was like fly in a treacle-pot-glue in on all sides by his wife's gold. There never had been tiff between him and Androgyna, but in a quiet, natural way, she had maintained over him the authority of her riper age and superior social position. He could not form whim but she satisfied it at once, like the fondest mother humoring spoiled darling. He once took to col lecting china by way of employing his pocket-money, but one morning he found the walls of his study adorned with a rare assortment of plates, which threw his own humber purchases quite Tn the shade, so that he tired of that. Next he took fancy for dogs, when, lol Androgyna, without saying word, caused a magnificent set of model ken nels to be erected in corner of her park, and he.astonished Cashey found there l four-and-twenty couples of yelping dogs of various breeds all the choicest. It would have been the same if Cashey had | expressed a wish for a four-in-hand. He would have got, in less than week, | the finest trap to be had for money, with a team purchased regardless of expense, and grooms of livery to match. If he had hinted at theater, his Androgyna would have commended him highly for | his ambition to moralize the stage, and would have bought him a playhouse straight off she would also have volunteer ed-for her devotion stuck at nothing to help him in selecting his actresses and experimenting the rehearsals. Whew. | Birdie had got into gilt cage; but under | the circumstances it was of no use to form any wishes, for they were gratitied too soon and too amply to give him any ! pleasure. In his heart of hearts what Birdie would have liked, possibly would | have been to get his freedom again. To start off on a comprehensive tour alone, with plenty of money, and no uXorial eye | to watch his movements. Yes, that would have been grand; but how could the young husband suggest such thing without being guilty of the most indecent | heartlessness? He had married, and must cleave to his wife like other men; that was self-evident proposition. If he had forsaken Androgyna he would have broken her heart, and there would have been pretty mess.
 50 Cashey-Barter submitted to his fate, and soon all spirit of independence oozed out of him. We draw most of our opinions from the company we keep, and Lady Curlew had long been the center of philanthropic circle of pious l ,no., t,olu Uopnan of talent