The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-09-10

Mr.. Whittlestaff felt that he had re.
ceived the comfort or at any rate the
strength, of which he had been in quest.
In all that the woman had said to him,
there had been re-echo of his own
thoughts-of one side, at any rate, oi
his own thoughts. He knew that true
affection, and the substantial comforts
of the world, would hold their own
against all romance. And he did rot
believe-in his theory of ethics he did
believe-that by yielding to what Mrs
Baggett called fine feelings, he would in
the long-run do good to those with
whom he was concerned in the world.
Were he to marry Mary Lawrie now,
Mary Whittlestaff would, he thought, in
ten years time, be happier woman
than were he to leave her. That wal
the solid conviction Of his mind, and in
that he had been strengthened by Mrs.
Baggett's arguments. He had desired
to be so strengthened, and therefore his
interview had been successful.
But as the minutes passed by, as
every quarter of an hour added itself to
the hours that were gone, and as the
hours flew on, ands the weakness oi
evening fell upon him, all his softnes:
came back again. They had dined al
six o'clock. and at seven he declared his
purpose OF strolling out by himself. On
these summer evenings he would often
take Mary with him but he now told
her, with sort of apology, that he
would rather 90 alone. "Do," she
said, smiling up into his face "don't
let me ever be in your way. OF course,
q man does not always want TO have IL
find conversation for a young lady"
"If you are the young lady, / should
always wantit-only that | have things
10 think Of"
"Go and think of your things. Twill
sit in the garden and do my stitching"
About q mile distant, where the
downs began to rise, there was walk
supposed to be common to all who
chose TO frequent it, but which was en-
tered through gate which gave the
place within the appearance OF privacy.
There was a little lake inside crowded
with water-lilies, when the time for
water-lilies had come and above the
lake path ran up through the woods,
very steep, and as it rose higher and
higher, altogether sheltered. 1t was
about mile in length till another gate
was reached; but during the mile the
wanderer could go off ON either side,
and lose himself on the grass among the
beech-trees. 1t was favorite haunt
with Mr.. Whittlestaf. Here he was
| wont TO sit and read his Horace, and
think Of the affairs Of the world as Hor.
ace depicted them. Many morsel ol
wisdom he had here made his own, and
had then endeavored TO think whether
the wisdom had in truth been taken
home by the poet to his own bosom,
or had only been o glitter of the
intellect, never appropriated for any
useful purpose. "'Gemmas, marmur,
ebur.'" he had said. "'Sunt qui non
habiant; est qui non curat habere.'
suppose he did care for jewels, marble,
and ivory, as much as any one. Me
lentus Glycere torret amor me@.'
don't suppose he ever loved her really,
or any other girl" Thus he would
think over his Horace, always having
the volume in his pocket.
Now he went there. But when he
had sat himself down in a spot Il
which he was accustomed. he had nc
need to take out his Horace. His own
thoughts came to him free enough
without any need of his looking fol
them 10 poetry. After all, was not Mrs
Baggott's teaching damnable phi.
losophy2 Let the man be the MASTER
and let him get everything he can fol
himself, and enjoy to the best of his
ability all that he can get. That was
the lesson as taught by her. But as ne
sat alone there beneath the trees, he
told himself that no teaching was more
damnable. OF course it was the teach.
ing by which the world was kept going
in its present course; but when divest.
ed of its plumage was it not absolutely
the philosophy Of seliishness? Because
he was man, and as a man had power
and money and capacity to do the
things after which his heart lusted,
he was TO do them for his own gratiii-
cation, let the consequences be what
they might 10 one whom he told him
self that he loyedI Did the lessons o
Mrs. Baggett run smoothly with those o.
Jesus Christi
Then within his own mind he agaiI
took Mrs. Baggett's side of the ques
ton. How mean creature must hi
not become, ii he were now to sufren
der this girl whom he was anxious t
make his Wife! He knew of himsel
that in such a matter he was more sen
sitiye than others. He could not let he
60, and then walk forth as though littl
or nothing were the matter with him
Now for the second time in his life he
had essayed TO marry. And now TO
the second time all the world would
know that he had been accepted ant
then rejected. IL was, he thought
more than he could endure--and live
Then after he had sat there for al
hour he got up and walked home; ant
as he went hs tried TO resolve that h,
would reject the philosophy Of Mrs
Baggett and accept the other. "If
only knewr' he said, as he entered hi
own gate. "If one could only see clear
Typ Then he found Mary still seated il
the garden. Nothing Is to got" h
said, "by asking you for an answer"
"ln what have failedP"
"Never mind. Let us 90 in an,
have q cup of tea" But she knew wei