New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-04

20 race MS Judges, anu seII-condemned by his very
That afternoon, as soon as had gulped down
choking lunch boted down to the Parks and saw
to convince her that Ida Van Rensselaer's con-
duct as, from an American point of view, nothing
extraordinary. She persisted in declaring that such
golngs-on were not respectable. and that was
bound as an officer of the University, to remove the
young woman at once from the eght,mle radius
over which my jurisdiction extended. l pleaded in
vain that ladies in America always travelled alone
and that, nobody thought anything of 1t. Annie
totelian in Oxford. when your American friends
come to Rome she said cOldy-as though L were in
the habit of importing Yankee girls Wholesale
they must do as Rome does. But when at last
TO ouf b sna & as an w fn,D c0hG
out, and that we might find ourselves the centre o.
an International quarrel-possbly even casus belH
of respectabity, she said solcmnly, III and cal!
on this girl with you: but remember, Cyril, shall
never undertake to help you out of such disgrace
full scrape a second time / sneaked out into the
garden to wait for her. and felt that the burden of
Proctorshp was really more than l could endure.
We called duly upon Ida that very hour. and
Ida certainly behaved herself remarkably we'll
She was so charmingly frank and pretty, she apollo
gised so simply to Annie for her ignorance of Eng
hsh etiquette, and she was so obviously guieless
and Innocent in all her that even ANNE
was gradually modified TO my great surprise,
Annie even asked her to dinner en- familte the
rangoment with the Junior Proctor to take my
out serious misgivines; but felt that if Ida was
really going to stop week it would be well to put
the est face upon it. and to show her up in com
pany with Annie as often as possible. That might
Just concevably take the edge off the keen blade of
University scandal.
To cut a long story short. Ida did stop her week,
and ! got through it very creditabiy after all.
Annie behaved like brick as as the first chill
was over; for though she is married to professor
OF dry bones Comparative Osteoogy sounds very
WELL but means no more than that, when you come
to think of it, she is woman at heart in spite of it
all. Ida had the most winning, charming, coniidng
manner; and she was so pleased with Oxford with
the colleges the libraries, the gardens the river the
boats, the medieval air. the whole place, that she
even discovered incidentally that Ida had little
fortune OF her own, amounting to some 30OI year,
which, though it doesn't count for much in
America, would be neat little sum to man like
myself, in England and she shrewdly observed. IN
her sens BILE busness-like manner, that it would
quite make up for the possible loss of my Magadalen
fellowship. | am not exactly what YOU call mar
rying man-at least, | know had never got mar
ried before; but as the week wore on and con-
tnued boating. flirting. and acting Snowman to Ida,
Annie of course always assisting for propretys sake
l began to feel that the Proctor was being con
quered by the man. i fell most seIouisly and
doubedly in love. Ida admired my rooms was
charmed with the pretty view from my windows
and criticised nv Botticelh with real sympathy.
was interested in her; she was so fresh, real a'd
genuinely delighted with the new world which
opened before her. 1t WAS almost her first glimpse
OF the true interior Europe, and she was fascinated
are when they feel the charm of its contrast with
their own hurtyiug bustlng, mushroom world.
The week passed easily and pleasantly enough; and
when it was drawing 70 an end, | had hall made up
my mind to propose to Ida Van Rensselaer,.
The day before she was to leave, she told us she
to stroll down the river TO ley by self in tub
dngey'-a small boat with room in II for two. if
occasion demands When | reached the Ihley Lock
imagine my horror at seeing Ida in the middle of
the stream, quietly engaged in padding herself
down the river in canoe. ran my dingey close
beside her, drove her remOrSclcssly against tho
bank, and handed her out on to the meadow, before
she could imagine what was driving at.
Now, Miss Van Rensselaer, | said Sternly, this
will never do. BY hercucan efforts Annie and
have got over this week iihout serious scandal;
plans by canoeing down the open river by yourself
before the eyes of the whole University. Every
body will talk about the senior Proctors visitor
having been seen indecOrouslv padding about in
broad daylight i'll a boat of her own
didn't know there was any harm in it, said LA
pentently; Tor she beginning to understand
the real seriousness of University etiquette.
We'll, answered : it can't be heI9ed now. You
Salter's men down to fetch your canoc-and We
must straight back to oxford immediately
She obcyed me mechanically aud began 10 pull
away for very life. There's nothing for II now
said pensively. except TO propose Ia Won. | half
meant to do it before and nov I've quite made
up my mind. VIII you have me 2
Ida looked at me without surprsc but with
little pleasure in her face. What nonsense" she
said quietly. | knew you were going TO propose 10
me this afternoon, and so came out alone to keep
out of your way. You haven't had time to make up
your mind properly vet
AS | looked at her beautiful calm face and lovely
eyes forgot everything. In Il moment, | was over
mead and ears IN love again, and conscious Of moth
nd ida fi''' ioa crle' i''N'nS at her steadily
Now, please stop said Ida, before could get
any further know exactly what you're going 10
say. You're going to say, Ida, love YOU" Don't
desecrate the verb to love by dragging it more than
it has already been dragglcd through all the gram
mars OF every European language I've corrugated
TO love, myself, i'll English. French German, and
Italian; you've corrugated ii in Latin and Greek
and for aught | know in Angle Saxon and Coptic
and Assyrian "a well now let's have done with
1t for ever and conjugatc some other verb more
worthy the attention OF two rational and original
human beings. Can't you strike ont line Tor
yourselff
You're quite mistaken | answered curtly, for
wasn't going to be hrowbeaten III that way and
i meant to say nothing of the sort. What did
mean to say-and I'll trouble you TO listen to it
attenti vely-was Just this You 10 me about
as well suited to my abstract requirements rs any
other young woman / have ever met and if yOuIe
inclined to take me. we might possibly arrange IN
engagement
What funny man you are - she went on inno-
Gently. You don't propose at all an rcgie We had
twelve men propose To me separately in a boat IL
America, and you make mp the bakers dozen; but
all the other leaned forward ENTHUSIASTICALLY, dropped
the oars when they Were beginning TO get serious
and looked at me sentmentally while you 20 on
rowing all the time as ii there was nothing unusual
i'll it,
Probably | suggested, your twelve American
admirers attached more importance TO the ceremony
Han do But you haven't answered my question
yet
Let me ask you ono instead she said, moro
seriously. DO you think I'm at all the Kind of
person for a senior PrOctOTS wife You say | suit
your abstract requirements, but one can't get
rled III the abstract, you know. Viewed cOncrctely
don't YOU fancy I'm about the most unsuitable help
mate you could possibly light upon y
The profound consciousness of that induhit table
fact replied carclcssly, has made mo struggle in
a hopeless sort of way against the irresistible inn
pulse to propose to you ever since | yOu first
But suppose Senior PrOctors are much tho same as
other men. They fly like moths about the candle,
and can't overcome the temptation of singeng their
Wings
IF ! had any notion OF accepting YOU said Ida