Democratic messenger., 1881-10-15

to think of her aged grandmother (he
nearest living relative, alas y and of tn,
unfortunate nuptials of her aunt Sarah
She seemed touched, and promised t,
put away the flaming neck-handker
chiet.
May 22d Yesterday, for the frs
time since his arrival, Mr.. Lindsay
made one at our little six o'clock dinner
party. The arrangement agreed upor
on the night of his coming was that
whenever he did not dine away, ht
should be served by Jane in the little
library, which, when at home, he uses
as a sitting room. Breakfast he takes
after us, for he is generally late riser,
and he is seldom at home at our lunch
hour in the middle of the day. But
yesterday it chanced that he came in
unexpectedly while we were at dinner,
wanting his own dinner in hurry and
Mrs. Williams, hardly thinking, as she
afterward said, what she was doing,
made hasty and smiling apology to us,
that she had "known Mr.. Lindsay
since he was boy" and told Jane to
request him to step down and take din
ner with US. He came at once, and was
seated next to Lola, who said after din
ner that she "would have given three
weeks pocket money to have had on her
aesthetic dress-pale green, with blue
spots" Mr.. Lindsay was introduced
to us all, and there was momentary
confusion occasioned by our rising to
bow to him. Mr.. Lindsay said some
polite commonplaces in a pleasant,
genial manner, and turned to talk with
Lola, between whom and himself, he
said, there had already been an informal
introduction in another place. By-and
by the conversation became general,
and 1 endeavored to obtain an opinion
from Mr.. Lindsay on the relative
merits of the ancient and modern
methods of naval warfare. His acquaint-
ance with the battles of antiquity
seemed, l must say, little imperfect,
and he was less interested by my
account of the part played by the Per-
sian fleet in the battle of Thermopyla
than by Lola's relation of an engage
ment with washtubs, in which she, her
brother Tom, aud her cousin Edward
had once taken part on pond at the
bottom of her fathers garden. Mr..
Lindsay seemed almost entirely en-
crossed with Lola. Mary Meryon took
the very smallest part in the converse
ton, and did not once address herself to
Mr.. Lindsay. But l noticed that he
looked at her several times, and handed
her the bread twice.
May 25th.-During the geography
lecture at college to-day, Lola Brown,
being asked the height of the Chiborazo
Mountain, replied promptly, "Five feet
ten ~
May 29th.-Mr. Lindsay has dined
with us twice since his first appearance
at our dinner table. He makes himself
agreeable to each of us in turn and in
this, l think, shows both breeding and
sense. Lola persists in it that he gives
signs of being, as she vulgarly puts it,
"gone upon" her; but beyond his
seeming to be always very much amused
by her stories, 1 do not see that she has
reason for claiming partiality in his
conduct to her He and get on most
pleasantly, and he has borrowed my
Grecian History to gain a clearer in
sight into the proceedings of the Per-
sian and Grecian fleets at the battle OF
Thermopyl@. I am sure there is not
the least necessity for me to speak to
Miss Grindle.
Nay 30h.-I am amused by Mary.
She sticks as closely to her books as
ever she did, and seems as determined
as always to secure high place at mid
summer. But away from lessons she
is never tired of bantering Ethel and
Lola on the subject of Mr.. Lindsay.
Ethel doesn't like it, because she does
like Mr.. Lindsay-at least, think so
and she is, / feel sure. one of those
girls who would never suffer an affair
of the affections, however slight, to be-
come a subject of bandinage. Lola, on
the other hand, is delighted, and adds
suggestions of her own to Mary s, which
would give matters a serious color, if
one could be persuaded to see a shade
of the serious in anything in which
Lola was concerned. But / must talk
to Lola again for I do not think that
in such a matter as this even jesting
should be carried too far. OF the three
girls, Mary alone seems not the least
huttered by the entry of this male bird
into our little dove-cot. Lola says that
Mary is "deep;" but I believe she is
merely Indifferent. Mary and ], when
alone, never talk of Mr.. Lindsay. But,
then, we have always so many other
things to talk about.
June 6th.-Mr. Lindsay is now O
regular attendant at our family table in
the evening. At first he made excuses
AS that he wanted dinner in a hurry,
and the like, but he now obeys the bell
as punctually as any one of us, and nc
longer thinks it necessary to offer ex-
planation or excuse for bis appearance.
l am bound to say that neither explana.
ton nor excuse is looked for. take q
curious interest in noting his manner
in addressing us. He talks to me as he
talks to Mrs. Williams, quite without
hesitation or circumlocutiop, and gen.
orally commences with q question.
Mary and he, when they talk, are al
most invariably engaged in a brisk
wordy duel. They spar continually
and only stop short of downright hos.
tilities. But [ observe that he defers
to her, and generally manages to come
off worst in their rhetorical encounter
Also notice that Mary does not seen
to he more excited in talking with hin
than when she argues with any of us
To Lola, Mr.. Lindsay speaks with more
than confidence. His manner to her j:
buoyant, gay, and almost presumptuous
He addresses her as l could fancy hin
addressing q bosom companion of his
own sex. All his Jokes are directed a.
her, and he spares no pains in trying Il