The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-08-15

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I firmly belisvs that = large nunbsr
Of men are married BY thai1 wivss.
Outside Of her natural charms woman
has . csrtian mssmsric will-Soess 70
bring on . man which Il dangsrous 70
his welfare. There are critical mo.
ments in . mans career when Il will
take Ill the resolutions hs can muster
TO refrain from compromising himself
for Life.
Twas much amused with the expsris,.
ence Of . friend Of mine who . short
time ago received his first lesson in what
may be called bachelor prudence. It
seems that the affair commenced In
good nature. took little crescendo, ~
the musicians would ray, and finally
ended with IN allegro marziale.
/. My friend is one Of those good natured
men who look ct everything from
sentimental point Of view. Overlook
ing the excellence Of his motives, he is
the most uncomfortable being to get
along with possible. In his head are
all the virtues Of the Paladin, tho
chivalry Of . Sidney, and the heroic
self abnegation of Socrates; and with
every new book he reads he adds Q new
ideal Of comfort. II is not surprising
that he sometimes promises more than
he can perform, and undertakes more
than he can carry through.
He got into trouble in the most ma
tural way in the world, and indeed the
thing has happened to others than he.
A young man had been grossly imper.
tinent to girl friend, but in order to
save that girl friend aiscandal the matter
had been overlooked. The cub who did
the deed, however, is rich and marriage
able, and consequently still has Q foot
ing in society. A girl o stranger to my
friend be it said, snubs the cub. In
tense enthusiasm Of my friend. Noble
aud discerning girl, etc., etc.; will be
introduced at oncel (What q danger
ous thing il is to be introduced OF oncel
Mem.-Always make it late il You CAM
Ny friend is introduced in due form.
Intense impressment on the part of my
friend; gracious reception ON the part
Of the girl. One dance, and then
another. A german favor, which is re-
turned; an invitation to call, which is
accepted with alacrity. The call is
made and proves agreeable. Further
invitation to call, and then q promise
to read from those authors who COM
bine beauty Of though with weight Of
meaning. Vows Of platonic friendship,
etc. (What dangerous thing vows Of
platonic friendship arel Mem.-never
make them.)
The drama moved on. One evening
my friend called with q particularly
well-chosen assortment from Ruskin,
Emerson, aud De Quincy, as pieces de
resistance, and little Of Barry Corn
wall and Mrs. Browning's Portuguese
Sonnets" as plats sucres. The fire was
burning brightly on the dogs. Afew
flowers were arranged in q slender sill
YER vase, and an almost inperceptible
perfume pervaded the room. As my
friend threw himself back in the long
easy chair and experienced the exquisite
masculine pleasure in running the lace
tidy, he fell to thinking what an agree
able duty was his to fill fresh, pure
mind, with angel eyes and sylph-like
form, with fair thoughts taken from the
masters Of prose and song. This train
of thought was peculiarly agreeable
from the fact that it was quite disinter-
ested. "Some day, thought my friend,
"some good fellow will pc made happy
by the influence of this teaching"
These delightful imaginstions were
brought TO close by the appearance of
the fair pupil herself. After chatti ng
pleasantly for little while my friend
asked whether he should begin reading.
Il should like it very much" she
said quietly.
So he began. First with Emerson's
Napoleon. then with De Quincy's "Jo-
an Of Arc" then followed sonnet or
two, and then loye-song by Barry
Cornwall. And as my friends voice
rose and fell, and became strong with
noble scorn, awful with elevation, quiet
with reserved strength, and melting
with the accent Of pathos and love, he
could not help thinking "How much
am doing, to be sure, for the other fell
low." The reading was concluded with
the rapt air of one whose thoughts were
too full for utterance. He closed the
beautifully bound volume OF Ruskinis
"Queen's Gardens" and looked vaguely
up from the glowing logs to the mante1-
piece above.
"How beautiful it u.s." finally said the
pupil.
"Yes. il isvery beautiful" replied the
master.
The latter now rose to take his leave,
when the fair pupil herself rose, and, it
seemed to him, fairly planted herself
before the door. Without the slighest
note Of warning, she thus addressed him:
II wish" said she, with sentiment
ally desperate air, "you-would-not
call any more.n
Ny friend felt 0 cold chill of horror
stealing over his members. His knees
trembled He was expected to do some-
thing; he knew he. was. What was itP
Certainly he managed to stammer
out.
"You know il is different with girl
than with man." she continued, sadly;
ayou have been coming here so often
that people are beginning to talk"
Henow knew too well what was expect
ed Of him. and for moment he felt an
over-mastering impulse to comply. He
overcame it manfully, and as he re-
covered his self-control and managed in
some measure to meet those searching
eyes, he became, after the manner Of
men. brutal.
aHe would cooperate with her." he
said coldly, sin giving the Lie to public
opinion.
How, I do not know, he got ont Of
the house. As he gained the garden
gate, he ran from the haunted spot
ran and ran away from danger and in
consequence. And then in the cold
moonlight he sat down ON . curbstone.
The cold moon was sailing in the sky,
and - he sat down ON the curbstone
and looked up at the heavens blue, he
murmured in devout THANK kfulness. the