Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-04-29
SIMPLICITY ITSELF,
BY MARGRET EYTINGE.

Miss Verona Allison sat by the open
window in her own little snuggery, her
ewes bent upon the letter she held in her
hand. From the expression on her re-
markahlv expressive tace-an expression
that curled the short upper lip of
large butt well-fOrmed mouth, and
caused naturally turned-up nose toturn
ND still mOre-One watching her might
have been led To think that the con-
tents Ofthe letter awakenednopleasura-
bic feelings thought that would
have been confirmed when on reading
the last line our scOrnful young woman
threw herself back i'll her much-OerlO-
bOned willow rocker, and exclaimed
simplicity, indeed. The mans an
idiot
"What man." asked Miss Phebe,
coming quietly into the room.
"EOur friends son, Mother Phebe,
Mr.. Peter Candy. Why, his very name
makes you think at once OF goose
mean a male goose" -,
"NIy dear" said Miss Phebe, mildly,
as she seated herself in another hlghiy
decorated chair, and folded her hands IN
her lap-a sign that she was ready .iof
a long and confidential chat-"l see no
reason why you should call the young
man an idiot. Idiots, to give Weosters
mildest definition of them, are 'un-
learned, ignorant, or foolish persons.
Peter Candy is none OF these. Nelther
does he, my opinion, at all resemble
male goose. met him at his iathers
last winter, Just after his return from
Europe, where he had been for three
wears, most of the time in London; ana
speaking of male geese reminds me that
he brought with him the loVellest
noodle that / over beheld-worth for
tune, nv dear. But that Is not what
started out to say. Let me see-where
was |? Oh yes. He had just returned
from England, and | found him good
looking lin poetical way, well educa,,
ted and, as YOU must have discovered
from the letter | gave you to read
never dreaming it would lead to Idiots
and panders-intensely devoted to
sBeauty unadorned,' which, as you
know, the poet Thomson says is adorned
the most His mother was my most
intimate friend at school. Our bralds-
"pigtails' rude boys called them-were
ALWAYS tied with the same colored rib
hon. and our sunbOnnets trimmed with
the same colored silk. People laugh at
school friendships, my dear, but they
often outlast thOse-But that's neither
here nor there. Where was L: On
YES, Wewere inseparable friends, ana
we promised each other faithfully
having read great many rOmances
where such promises had produced the
happiest results-that if we married
and we both certainly expected to do
so), and one had son and the other
a daughter, we would endeavoT
10 bring about q marriage be-
tween them when they had attained
suitable age. She married, soon after
she graduated, man considerably older
than herself. with the decidedly I'M
pOetical name Of Peter-a name he ln-
sisted upon transmitting to his only son,
though hear, my dear, that among
his dearest friends young Peter Is known
as Aurelius; but he the elder Peter
was wealthy, and Matilda was iona
of-But no matter about that. Where
oh yes, | remembers: she married.
A son was the result. did not marry,
and consequently have no results. But
/ found you, my dear
"a mo, herleSs child forsaken by an un-
| loving father" interrupted Verona; and
springing from her chair, she flung both
arms around Miss Phebe, and Kissed
each of her plump rosy cheeks. =,
"And no real daughter, am sure, "
the elder lady went on, when Verona
had again seated herself by the window
"eould have brought me more happl-
ness and comfort. And now, my. dear,
| if YOU will only make up your mind 10
receive this young gentleman IN a nice
and friendly manner, perhaps you may
| find him a very agreeable person, and
! he may find in you the realization OF his
/ dreams. And if you should fall IN love
with each other"
''But, oh, Mother Phebe," interrupted
Verona again, Sin spite of all you say,
/ can't help thinking he must be such
such a-idiot! Just listen" AnC
she proceeded to read from the letter
in a drawing, affected manner: ~
like my glorious teacher Oscar Wilde
love Nature, and in loving Nature, love
Beauty-Beauty ,unadorned, Beaut.
pure and simple. L would have tn.
maiden of my choice owe naughtt TO Ar
If she wear flowers, let them be tn
blossoms Of the fields and the meadow
rather thanthe costliest artificial blooms
and if some slight blemish mar ne