Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-09-28
AN UGLY GIRLS ROMANCE.
New O-leans Times Democrat

and / with our fancy work, Matte, as
usual, crocheting a shawl. | wonder
how many shawls Matte has crochet
ed.
We were speaking of the near ap
proach of the holidays, and Cousin
Adele, looking at the calendar that
hangs above the judges desk, sudden
Iy exclaimed
Tomorrow will be the 4th, Mr.
Scudder's day. | wonder whether he
will be as puActual as usualI'
81 saw Mrs. Aictehly at Canby's
this morning" said Matte. "She
seemed to be laying IN quite a stock
of groceries, if that can be considered
ale will fall in love with Grace
this year, said Adele laughing, and
looking at me, eff he does you shall
marry him, Grace"
The idea of falling in love with me
was so absurd, and yet SO delightful
| must confess it-delightful, alas
that tshould also be absurd that felt
my heart beat fast and my cheeks
burn. ! was bitterly ashamed Of being
thrown into such confusion by such
II careless Jest, but nobody can con
troll the action of that automatic mus
Gle, whose motions are SO easily dis
turbcd.
1t was sometime before could sum
mon courage to look up, but when
did | discovered that ! need not have
felt shy. Cousin Adele was inspecting
the bald head Of the infant Judge, and
Matte was busily counting her stitch
es Neither of them had noticed my
foolish bushes.
Matte finished counting her hundred
and fifty stitches before saying with
her quiet smile:
Last year it was Miss Martin, was
il notY
mo, Miss Hart; Miss Martin was
the year before The year before that
it was the little widow, from Geor-
gia."
81 wonder how many women he
proposes to in the course of II year,
said Matte. Il suppose he keeps up
his pursuit wherever he happens to
be; there is always some engible
woman around, even if he is on the
plains"
One every three months would
wake four year" computed Adele
ellis wife has been dead five years; at
that rate, allowing him six months
for mourning, he must have invited
eighteen women to take her place.
poor man.
Poor man, indeed" cried Matte
"Why his heart is perfect harem. ="
but you don't know that he has
proposed to marry, | venture to sug-
gest, moved to defend this unfortunate
gentleman.
mo" Matte confc ssed, eve don't
actually know it; but the probabilities
are that he has. II seems to be the
principal pursuit of his life. "
Did he propose to y0ui' | asked.
COZ course not; he has only seen
me twice, and besides under the cir
cumstanccS, even he would hardly
make SO bold"
Matte has been engaged SO long she
thinks everybody knows of it.
but what is the matter with the
man that maids and widows all refuse
HING
ooh, he's horrd" replied Matte,
disdainfully.
Iit IL ilbl. tAtldlllltu A(ltIt, WIFI
warmth. "lie is really very nice, and
II perfect gentleman. Girls are so fool
ish. y
Married women always side with
the rejected man rctorted Matte. Il
wonder whyi'
"Not always; but when they do, it's
because they are better judges of men
than girls are. They know the points
of a good husband. y
"Dear met" exclaimed Matte; Il
wonder whether, after ten years mar
rage, | shall find myself recommend
ing a stout, grizzly, slightly bald old
gentleman, as having the point of a
good husband. Ii seems to be entire
~ II post matrimonial taste. Girls
never care for the good husbandiSh
sort of man
cor couse not, V rctortcd Adele, BE
cause, as | have just said, they are so
foolish
Here the six predecessors of the
present incumbent burst into the
room, each trying to be the first to
impart some item of information; and
there was an end to peace and quiet
Tor the morning.
like to record conversation. They
give dramatic flavor to the pages of
my poor journal, and this one made
strong impressions upon me- because
OF the manner of its introduction. |
confess | am curious To see this Mr..
Scudder. A man SO unfortunate APP
peals strongly to the SympathieS of
one equally unapprcciated. never
feel the disposition most girls mani
fes: to laugh at the woes of the re-
jccted Smtor Human love seems to
me too precious n thing to be rcck
lcssly thrown away, notwithstanding
the pretty idea about its waters re
turning, making rich the heart
whence they sprang.
But then | am not one of those
beautiful women, sent forth like the
angles of the Apocalypse with com
mission to destroy.
December ii have seen him. He
walked into the sitting-ro this
evening with the privileged familiari-
ty of an old friend, without waiting
for the servant to announce hun. \
rather short, stout gentleman, with Il
fresh complexion, hair turned gray,
and disposition to he jolly. That is
why Matte dishkeS him. She hates
jolly men. Thank heaven, her 'foel
is never jolly For myself, rather
like them SO. They make things
bright and comfortable. This one in
a moment, now, kad shaken hands
with everybody, tossed the baby, pat
ted the dog, and sat down with the
little two-yearold on his knee. He
has pleasant gray eyes that twinkle
when he laughs, and white, even
teeth undefiled by tobacco Not hand
some, certainly, but the kindest face {!
SO kind that should l think hungry
dog might select him among a thous
and rs the one To whom to make APP
peal for breakfast.
l think / see what has been the bar
to his success. 1t is not only that
there is little III him to appeal to a
girls fancy, but that he himself has
no fancy. He is as plain and practi-
cal as crow-bar; talks about the
crops and the new railroad; his new
dog, and his prc parations and expec-
tations for the seasons hunting. 1t
is for the hunting he is here.
December 10.-A long time since |