Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-09-06
BAB'S FIRE CRACKERS.

Here comes u counlry'woman ol
mine, said FairweOlher OF New York
TO Count Oscar Won Held, as tho two
Young men were Slroling along the
Unter don Linden,
Il have never yet known one Of your
fair Americans, answered Won Held,
Il fancy they are charming mixture
of personal grace aud republican sim
pliciIy.'
Simplicity You Europeans won't
and much of that In our girls. Why,
they ought to be A /, We spend
plenty Of money on them. Now this
Miss Warren we're just meeting, she's
had thousands spent on her education.
Won Held responded with an in-
scruiablc German 'So! the only word
Of his native tongue that forced It's way
through his fluent aud excellent Eng
lish. lie found II impossible to con-
duct conversation both politely and
prudcntly, without using the familiar
syllable that lent itself to any meaning
or covered all meanings.
She's with her father, Fairwcathcr
went on. Hes rich as CrGsus-largc
mill owner, I'll introduce you as they
pass.
'Shc is very beautiful said Won
Held, tall and slight, brown eyes,
lovely chestnut hair, and what a per-
feet crimson on what q perfect check.
She has the soitness and brightness of
your autumn landscape, | fancy and
he flushed slightly in the fashion pecu.
liar to tho G.r"'an blonde. But Won.
Held was neither bashlul nor awkward.
lie was tall, good-looking fellow of
thirty-fve, with n long, yellow NOUS
tache, pleasant blue eyes much ex-
pericnce in the best society in Europe,
and much given to expressing his views
in neat, careful phrases.
'Gcorgc! exclaimed Fairweather as
Miss Warren came near, she's grown
haudsomcr than ever. She's got clio.
That's from six months in Paris
Why, that girls music alone cost at
least ten thousand dollars
'Thcn, observed Won Held, inter.
negatively, 'shc may be said to re-
present capital invested?'
Exactly. Here they are and the
count was duly presented.
Mr.. Warren's greeting was: Glad
to make your acquaintance, sir. How
are you, sir?' in u very loud voice,
and with show of feeling perfectly at
home. Then he shook hands with the
friendly grip current among mill own
ers in Eastern Massachusetts. The
count bent his blue eyes on him in the
uuietest observation, and returned the
"How are you sir?' and the grip with
that last test of true politeness-the
sacrifice of personal taste and pride to
put another, of inferior breeding, at his
ease.
But Miss Warren was unimpeach-
able; diguifod, calm. slow of gaze,
apt in speech, everything that the faith
er was not.
Where did she learn it all? How
did she come by that grace and pro.
priety? asked the puzzled foreigner,
when he had parted from the Ameri-
cans. is the mother charming?
Mothers manikln, answered
Fairweather dried-up party in black
silk; never says much. Dora Warren
is the new American girl; just adopts
luxury, accomplishments, manners,
style, and wears 'em as she wears her
clothes-as if they were made to order
expressly for her. She's an only
daughter, too; going to have fortuue
cool million at least
1--we always been interested in Amer
lea, remarked Won Held just here.-
THE notion of republic has long held
sort of charm for me. / think l
must make a trip out there.
Fairweather kept discouraging si-
lencc, frowned slightly, and stared at
some distant object.
From boyhood, the count went on
i've had dream of republicanism-
no caste distinctions, only those of per-
sonal merit. Lie Comte's views have
impressed me strongly. l feel our Old
World manacles of dignities and pre-