West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-05-16
JEANIE'S DIPLOMACY.
A Sketch-with "a Moral.

Everything looked grim, massive and
out OF humor about the manufactured
Old homestead, Dark Ridge
The somber walls, draped heavily. AS
II in mourning, with the dark. writhinp
IVY, were certainly grim-lookin0 and
massive enough; and, if they were not.
IN their way, out OF humor. ii is not i'm
tine power OF architectural physio0nomv
to express ill-humor. If the primness
"i the exterior was austere. the grim
ness OF the interior was moroSe 4
certain obdurate air of misanthropv
chung to everything. The heavy panels
oil the walls, the smoky holdings of the
ceilings. the deep carvings of the mas
slVe furniture, seemed to the nervou,
ana imaginative little housckeeper like
SO many wrinkles of enc great implaca-
BILE frown.
In this lair lived and gro,,led John
Eldritch, bachelor and Landlord. eccen-
trio, irascible, reclusive. "Auld John y
his nelghbors called him. though he
was not old; and yet neither had he
ever seemed to be young. ..In his eorli-
est hoyhood he had been considered q
lnaist unco' bairne" His shock hair
did not brStle from the outside of his
Uranium with less regard to coEyen-
tIonal modes than his shock" of quaint
not onS.bristled on the inside of IT. This
laci and the rather more weightv one
lhat ms manners sat A. awKwartIiv and
loosely on him as did his awry garments
gave IA n@ little repute as philoSo-
H.ier. His philosophy was, however
ni very stern mold; ''pessimeestic. =
he termed it,
How John ever came into possession
ol ms universal premise whatever is
ought not to be, - do not know; but
having once adopted the spectral w,if
be chung to it with an heroic obstinocy.
quite inspiring.
The especial OBJ 'ect OF Johns abbor-
renee was the weaker sex. His antinotbv
To anything and everything feminine
was fairly ecstatic.
The feckless, bletherin' corbies -
he would vociferate. They care for
naeihing but daflin and clatterin I
wanna hae onything tac do wi them -
Wilma We. John? 'Bide wee.
Hnid John was a great rider. He
and hi~ shaggy old road mare. MEG =
were known far and wide: and Great
was The merriment they afforded tho
Keen witied peasantry on the line of
thelr expeditions, which often were nv-
tended for days. For their JOURNEYS
were nut one continued obstinate con.
test Tor the mastership. But il there
was any doubt a. To- VINO was. a. tpcio
master more politely mistresg il did
not exist in the minds Of Mcegv or tbo
lockers on. Whatever IL occurred IN
'h giraffe animal TO do she did i'm
-ple OF the railing inyectiycs Of her
rate but impotent rider Did clunp
"i grass ON The hillside offer special en-
i'crWoni
Whoa vs. hare We ,apgi,. mo-. .......i.,
tarrau uccrc2"
Hut his mandate was =, futile ~ his
rom. Meg nose was hillward. and
% John did not fancy being DRAGGED
ger 'h' I"W-~wecping branches. hi-
o. successful straiagcm was to Sin
"i in he rear and await, with 20, GOOD
or ~ iil grace as possible. the pleas
Nl' oi D. companion Did rarf;,i,.
..It coy pIac" bN The roadside incline
Meg io rest. the celcri,, with which tbe
''" pni"-ophcr slipped from hi, ,ad-
.t Hid lEc turbulent enthusiasm ,y,tE
'HirI ic "NpDstuIaicd with his com.
l'"0(H' partner, as she lay BLINKING
N.'.' 'iL2 at her lIcge lord. oc.
o." 'n'N much suppressed laughter
'"'o2 Inc un-' mpathetc Observer.
Ne.lI.ne 100 ono of the little glen.
sHa' frrp oui from the picturc-ouc
an historic valley of the weed va.
.nf quaint. Ntired homestead Of Glen
nook Glen Nook wa, The peaoafrI
nome OF avid Lci-ter former mar.
1u' Of Edinburgh retired. by lI
q. . D..