The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-02-09
A GRAMMATICAL PRUDE.

Mr.. and Mrs. George Russell were
pair of matrimonial debutantS who were
making their first essay at hOusekeep-
ing in a pleasant little cottage near the
sea-shore phich they had taken for the
summer, and wherein they had be-
slowed the various tasteful and ingeni-
GUS articles of furniture and bric-a-brac
of which their wedding presents chiefly
consisted. After great deal of anna
teur carpentering and papering and
painting the establishment had been
pronounced complete, and very happy
month of undisturbed tete-d-tete had
followed, at the end of which time each
had remembered certain dear friends
whom they had asked to visit them. No
sooner had these friends been served
with reminders of their promises than
they promptly made their appearance.
There was but one delinquent, Mrs.
Russell's bosom friend, Eugenia Gray,
and she was to follow very soon. Those
already in residence at Lotus Lodge
(transiently so christened by the roman
tic little bride) were Miss Carrie Tenn
pie, another bosom friend of Mrs. Rus
sell s, Mr.. Frank Turner and Mr.. Hoff-
man Martin, the two gentlemen being
great friends of the hosts. These five
young people were all well educated
and enlightened members of society,
each having reputation for culture in
his or her little circle, which was quite
as well deserved as such regulations
usually are, though none of them could
have laid claim to absolute erudition,
except, perhaps, Mr. Martin, who was
professor in a great college and looked
upon as a rising man. In their several
ways they were all fired by the desire
for self-improvement, and had come of
for their holidays accompanied by vast
numbers of books and manuscripts and
scientific instruments and artists ma
terials. So far, however, although Mrs.
RusselFs guests had been with her a
week, none of these articles had been
called into requisition, and the days
had passed in dolce far niente.
'Eugenia will be here tomorrow"
said Mrs. Russell to her husband, one
pleasant evening, looking up from a
letter she was reading; land then, and
not till then, our party will be COM
plete."
"You think so?'' said Mr.. Russell,
hesitatingly, taking his pipe from his
mouth and looking fixedly into the
bowl to avoid meeting his wife's eyes.
''Why thought you were very fond
of Eugenia?''' the latter said
80 am, my dear. | admire her
immensely; but could we possibly be
getting on more comfortably and pros
perously than we are? Here are Frank
Turner and Carrie Temple, who'ye been
illy-shallying all these months, COM
ing to terms most beautifully under the
spell of this judicious juxtaposition,
aided by shining example of marital
felicity. And as for Martin, why, you
see, he's an odd sort of fellow, and
somewhat hard to suit, and yet how ev-
ident it is that he's suited down to the
ground with things as they are now!
| almost dread the change. and fear
Eugenia may be mistake"
"Eugenia mistake! George, won
der at you. And besides, you know
how anxious I've always been to bring
Mr.. Martin and Eugenia together!''
True, said her husband, smiling,
'1've long seen that Martin ought.to
marry. He thinks too much of himself,
and matrimony is good for that sort of
thing"
"You don't mean to say that I ever
made you think less of yourself! Why,
how could when you are so much
better and cleverer than l am? In
deed George, Pm afraid you don't do
your duty by me. am always asking
you to correct my faults, and you
won't"
"Why should I?'' asked her husband,
shrewdly. I'VE do capitally as we are,
and there are not many natures that can
stand being told of their faults, even if,
by possibility, they should chance to
have one or two"
40, but George.I would never mind
especially from you. Do try me and
see how well I'll take it,"
At this point the conversation was
Interrupted by the entrance of neat
little parlor maid who came to an
nounce tea.
1t happened that during this meal
Mr. Martin stated that he must go to
the city the next day and would be re-
turning on the evening train-the very
one that was to bring Miss Gray. So
it was arranged that he should intro
duce himself and act as her escort,
q plan which was accordingly executed,
and with such success that, by the time
/. they reached their destination, after
pleasant drive together in the summer
cleaning, they had come almost to feel
that they were old friends.
at works beautifully" said Mrs.
Russell to her husband, us they sat that
evening on the moon-lightcd porch, OBJ