Daily Republican., 1883-11-03
conseq uently would not differ with you

10 meet person OF that kind, and be |
forced to converse with him TO knew |
when you assert an opinion, or make a
remark, that the mild yes or yes,
indes I have always thought no."
which invariably follows, would have
been exactly the answer returned to an |
opinion just the contrary.
Such persons are dOu btless extremely |
go,M- tom pered aud amiable, and rs
consequence manage to slip through life
easily, and without any OF those uu-
pleasant jars and crosses that are every |
day occurrences in the lives of their
differently constituted brothers. No
amount of cold water, thrown on them
by society, can dampen the feathers OF
their amiability. They are invariably
good -natured and invariably bores.
What blessing the world has so few
amiable people in it. actually shudder
when think what a fearfully prosy,
tiresome, ordinary set Of mortals we
would be if every one made it point
to agree with his neighbor. The fric-
tion producpi by bringing different
thoughts and opinions in contact with
each other Is very wholesoms for man'
kind.
Major Narley, without being exces-
Il vely amiAble, was nevertheless de-
cidedly enter training when he ose
to exert himself He had ideas which
he knew how to set forth In their clear
est lights He had the gift Of descrlb-
ing sO viyidly his faneies and emotions
that almost insensibly you were drawn
to SEQ them in the same aspect, and nn-
consciously to nuke them your own.
He had, too, that exquisite tact, ~
rare In men, that enabled him to touch
on delicate subjects without appearing
brusquef ard 70 express sympathywith
out being obtrusive or wOunding pride
No woman had ever yet voted him dull
or considered an evening spent In bis
society lost time.
But thirty rich and handsome, 1t was
q source OF wonder TO many why the
Major had never married He had seen
hundreds of pretty women. women too
of brain and talent ; it was strange out
of NO many he could not love one. Some
said 1t WAS his fasti,lious taste, Others,
that he wa- woman hxter, and again
others, that he had In early youth been
crossed In love.
Ba that ~ it may the Major WAS still
free. and designing mammas laid their
trans, baile.l with beautiful daughters,
in vain. The Major would not be
caught.
| II wa~ very early In the morning
when Mrs.. Derne descended the steps
of the Ocean House to where Major
Varley stood, waiting TO assist her in
the saddle in order that they might take
their proposed gallop across country"
| Hardly any of the inmates OF the
great hotel were astir, The ocean lay
foaming in the distance, the first rays
of the sun glinting along it's rlppling
surface. A solemn hush pervaded the
place a. they rode out through the great
gate in the cool Of the morning.
To the end Of her life think Mrs.
Derne remembered that ride She
could always rrcollect how the dew
sparkled upon tie grass and dropped
from ,he shady trees. how every bush,
and leaf, and flower was moist and
trembling from its kisses; how sweet
the breath of new mown hay; how pic
turAsque the farmhouses, and how the
morning. glories and climbing roses
twined round the doors.
Mile after mile of the lev country
road was trayersed and Mrs. Derne
had hardly exchanged a word with her
companion. She seemed to be drink,
ing in all the freshness and beauty of
the morning. Her eyes shone with a
new light wild rose-tint filled her
cheeks the old, lstless look had died
out of her face and it seemed transhg
ured, 10 rldiantly b autiful was 1t.
There was new life IN her veins.
As Major Varley watched her, there
came into his eyes look which not n
few women had sighed for in vain.
| If he had been disposed to be critical
he could have found no fault with Mrs
Derne, either as regards her figure o. the
management of her horse. Her riding
was simply perfection. =,
At last she re:ned in her steed and
turning to the Major with happy little
laugh exclaimed
"This ride is TO me as rare wine to a
weary man it is an elixir filling ire
with new life. | seem to have gone
back years and to be girl again"
"YOur face proves the truth of your
words but If it is not an objectionable
curiosity on my part, | would like 10
ask how old you are said the Major
smiling.
81 aln twenty three She answered
gravely
"Ah, ! see, you are quite venerable.
Age claims respect from youth ofthir-
ty like myself" and he made a mock
obeisance as he spoke.
Mrs Derne laughed, then became
grave. 1t is not the nun ber of years
we live that age us, but the life we live
in those years.
81 am but twenty three, and yet it
seems long time since was a happy
girl of twenty, full of enthusiasm and
bright hopes. Do you know ! often ask
my self Tennys0n's query.
| "Ah! what shall be at iry,
| Shout Nature keep me alive:
| II ind the world so bitter,
When Am but twenty iive!"
81 do not think my imagination is
strong enough to conceive you at fifty" :"
said the Major rehsctively, yet there
is no reason why you should not reach
that mature period, and according to n
pessimist'S \ view you have nearly thirty
years to drag through 'life's dull road
so dim and dirty How do you pro
pose doing it ?"
81 do,'t know" she responded
YEARLY I" tho hest can, suppose"
The Major had been STOPPING to ad-
just his s,irrup, but Us tn, panied voice
struck his ear, ho looked up suddenly,
and his heart smote him at the sight Of
the white face and tightly compressed
lips.
" Forgive me, have wounded you
1t was an idle question, spoken but in
jest" he said.
am f"olishly sensitive" she re-
piled. ~ have nothing to forgive"
They were riding slowly through
green lane, bordered on each side'witll
tail trees, through the thick foliage Of
which the rays Of the morning sun pen
etrated but feebly. Hundreds of tiny
feathered songsters were filling the
silence with melody. In a field on the
opposite side of the lane, but hidden
l