The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-12-01

And love will outweigh all the resty'
And through the easement tho moonlight
Streams ON two heads-onc gray, one gold.
-Wdshingtm Post.
THE vICTIA Of A vIRTCE
am one of those persons. envied for
three months in the year and pitied for
lime. who "live little way out OF
London. In the summer our residence
is charming one; the garden especial
ly is delightful and attracts troops OF
London friends. They are not only al
ways willing to dine with us, but drop
in of their own motion and stay for the
last train to town. The vague obser-
walton "any fine day." OF the more
evasive phrase ''some fine day." used
in complimentary invitations, are then
very dangerous for us to employ, for
we are taken at our word, just rs
though We meant it. This would be
very gratifying, however expensive, il
it only happened all the year round.
But from October toJune nobody comes
near us.
In reply to our modest invitations we
then receive such expressions of tender
regret as would convince the most
scept' u: "a previous engagement"
"indi. position of our Youngest born"
"the horses ill., some catastrophe or
other, always prevents our friends from
enjoying another evening with us .'like
that charming one they spent last
july" They hope, however. to be
given the same happy chance again,
when the weather is little less in
clement" by which they mean next
summer. AS for coming to dine with
us in winter, they will see us further
firstly which they mean nearer first.
Sometimes at their own boards we
hear this stated. though of course with.
out any intentional application. Some
guests will observe to us, a propos of
dinners: ut is most extraordinary how
people who live half dozen miles out
of town will attempt to ignore the sea-
sons and expect You to go and dine with
them just as if it was August, through
four feet Of snow. It does really seem
--as Jones. our excellent. host, was say.
ing the other day-the very height Of
personal conceit.'
As we have occupied our present res
idence for some years, we have long
had the conceit taken out of us; but we
have still our feelings. Our social toes
are not absolutely frost.bitten, and
when thus trodden upon we are aware
of the circumstances. 1t grieves us to
know what Jones has thought land
said) Of us, and my wife drops quiet
tear or two during our drive home in
the brougham. l am bound to confess
it is rather long ride. l find myself
dropping asleep before we have left
brick and mortar behind us, and as we
cross the great common near our home
feel a considerable change in the tenn
perature. 1t is beautiful breezy spot,
with lovely view in summer time; the
playground of the butterfly and the
place of business of the bee; but in win
ter it is cold and lonely enough.
In the daytime there is nobody there
at all. In the evening, at uncertain in
tervals, there is the patrol. In old
times it used to be . favorite haunt of
the Knights of the Road; during whose
epoch, by the by, should fancy that those
who lived in the locality found it even
more difficult to collect their friends
around them than now. 1t has still q
bad name for tramps and vagabonds,
which makes my wife a little nervous
when the days begin to draw i'm and
our visitors to draw of. She insists
upon my going over the house before
retiring to rest every night and making
a report of '.Alrs WE'LL" Being myself
not much over five feet high in my
boots, and considerably less in my slip
pers lin which I am wont to make these
peregrinations), it has often suggested
itself to my mind that it would be more
judicious to leave the burglars to do
their worst, as regards the plate and
things, and not risk what is Ito mel
much more valuable. OF course could
''hOld the lives of half a dozen men in
my hand''--a quotation from my favor
lite authority merely arming myself
with a loaded revolver; but the simple
fact is, am so unskilled in the use of
any weapon (unless the umbrella can
be called such), that should be Just
as likely to begin with shooting number
one (that is myself), as number two.
the ''first ruffian.' '.Never, willingly,
my DEAR" say to Julia, ..wlll | shed
the life-blood of any human being, and
least of all my own On the other
hand. as believe in the force of imagi-
nation, ] always carry on these expedi-
tions, in the pocket of my dressing
gown, q child pistol--belonging to our
infant, Edward John-which looks like
real one, and would. 1 am persuad-
cd. have all the effects of q real one in
my hands without the element of per-
sonal peril. miserable ruffians," I
had made up my mind to say. when
coming upon the gang, '.y0ur lives are
in my power (here / exhibit the pis-
tors butt), ''but out of perhaps q mis-
taken clemency will only shoot one of
you, the one that is the last to leave my
house. shall count six'' Tor. sixteen,
according to the number Of the gang),
land then fire" Upon which they
would, | calculated, all skedaddle he'll
ter-pelter to the door they got in at,
which I should lock and double lock
after them. You may ask, Why double
lockP but you will get no satisfactory
reply. know no more what 70
"double-lock' means than you do. but
my favorite novelist "a sensational one
always uses it, and conclude hS
ought to know. 1t was the beginning
OF misty October, when the leaves had
fallen of early. and our,friends had fol.
lowed their example, and had been
sitting up alone into the small hours
resolute to read my favorite author to
the bitter end-his third volume, where
In all the chief characters Except the
comic ones) are slain, save one, who II
left sound in wind and limb, but with
IN hereditary dian0aiti0n tn cnm,nit ans
tctde. Somewhat depressed By its Pc
rusal and exceedingly sleepy, I went
about my usual task Of seeing al was
right In . somewhat careless and per-
functory manner. All was right appa-
rently in the drswing-room, I'll right