The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-02-07
A PRUDE.

A GRAMMATICAL PRUDE.
Mr.. and Mrs. George Russell were a
pair of matrimonial de6utants who were
making their first essay at housekeep-
ing in a pleasant little cottage ear 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 a great deal of anna
teur ~carpentering and papering and
painting the establishment had been
pronounced complete, and q very happy
followed, at the end of which time each
had remembered certain dear friends
whom they had asked to witt them. No
one 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, EGgenia 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
sells, 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 a 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, MI. Martin, who was
professor in a great college and looked
upon as a rising III their several
ways they were all fired by the desire
for self-improvement, an had come off
for their holidays accompanied by vast
numbers of books and manuscripts and
scientific instruments and artists ma
terials. So far, however, although Mrs.
Russel's guests had been with her a
week, none of these articles had been
called into requisition, and the days
had passed in a 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, u party will be COM
plete."
.'You think SOP" said Mr.. Russell,
hesitatingly, taking his pipe from his
mouth and looking fixedly into the
bowl to avoid meeting his wife's eyes.
"'Why l thought you were very fond
of E~ugeniaP" the latter said.
$50 1 am, my dear. 1 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've been
shilly-shallying all these months, COM
ing to terms most beautifully under the
spell of this judicious juxtaposition,
aided by a shining example of marital
felicity. And as for Martin, why, you
see, he's an odd sort of a 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 a mistake"
"Eugenia a mistakei George, I won
der at you. And besides, you know
how anxious I've always been to bring
MI. Martin and Eugenia together!"
"True," said her husband, smiling,
''I'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 1 ever
made you think less of yourself! Why,
how could 1 when you are so much
deed, George, I'm afraid you don't do
your duty by me. am always asking
you to correct my faults, and you
won't"
"Why should IP" asked her husband,
shrewdly. 1--WE 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"
so, 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 a neat
little parlor maid who came to an
nounce tea.
1t happened hat 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
nj that was to bring Miss Gray. So
it was arranged that he should intro
duce himself and act as her escort,
O plan which vas accordingly executed,
aud with such success that, by the time
they reached their destination, after a
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, as they sat that
evening on the moon-lighted porch, OBJ,
serving the pair who were now the spe-
cial object of their thoughts. Miss
Gray, all in white, was stretched at ease
in a hammock, and Mr.. Martin SAT
near by in a garden-chair and gently
manipulated the hammock-string. Al
a little distance the forms of Mr.. Tur.
ner and Miss Temple could be seen
strolling about the garden-paths, and
Mrs. Russell, observing all this, felt
within her a supreme content.
At breakfast, next morning, when the
delicious country cream and butter and
fruit had received their full share of at
tentton, and every one was in his or her
best humor, the little hostess solemnly
proposed that they should, that morn
ing, begin their schemes of self-im-
provement, by entering into a resoiute
takes in grammar and pronunciation,
whenever any member of the party
should detect such on the part of any
other member. Her proposition was
warmly Endorsed by all present, with
one exception. Miss Gray was silent.
''Why don't you speak, Eugenia?''
said Mrs. Russell, observing this.
"Surely You wouldn't mind being told
if you should make a mistake-which
isn't likely!"
81 hope not. certainly" replied Miss
Gray; .'but DO you know, Minnie, l
hardly think this a happy thought OF