The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-12-06
.GLM G~aaldliQstlleG
Office, Nos. 10 and q Foult epnth st'est.T
ROMANCE OF A DON.
L Continued from uulerdau.1

/, hUMANUE VI A UUN.
Continued from yaterday.1
The friendship between the old don anv
the young scholar grew apaee. In III
lormer 1t soon became tho strongest feel
Ing Of which he was capable. Never ha'
the reverend gentleman been torn by pas
sion. Ills blush had been faint as he req,
Of enhancing women In his weltworl
classical dictionary. Ele Ind never though
OF marriage himself. Indeed he cherishe,
4 mild preference for clerical ceiibacy, F,
preference SO mild tha. 1t did not proven
him from smiling, though n little protest
Ing, ut tho fine old common.room jest
which flowed again when one OF his mate
slipped downward to mutrimony and
country rectory. For himself he had hat
no thought OF love, nor time for loving
And so there grew up In his heart, nov
grown Old, like q faint flower, delayed By
nntimely irosts, n pale love, which Nigh,
have grown stronger In earlier days abou,
4 wife and children. lie wondered VIVA,
he had done that his laborious days
should be made beautiful with youth and
charm; that fortune should have brough,
10 his staircase the son OF the one woman
who had moved his boyish dreams. A,
first he invited his young friend with the
dillidencc Of II baShtul lover; but, since
the guest was not ut all shy aud 0 nc.
CURED the habit Of dropping in ut all
hours, the diilidence OF the host wore oil
and only tho Joy remained. 1t was a
very tender affection which had takcn
root in the old don's breast. lle seemed
half bashml sui,or, half proud fond par
ent. Why seek TO anatyze further This
delicate pale feeling which had blossomed
late in 4 somewhat dry life! 1t Is enough
10 say that ihn tutor regarded his pupil
with extraordinary tenderness.
Basil Ormc accepted thea4ection Of this
don who had known .his people" with
much pleasure. lie was very fond OF be-
Ing liked, and accustomcdtoit. Physically,
mentally, morally, he had always been
liked aud admired. He had a dclicaie
wit, t~tliousll he had small PERCEPTION Of
l%iutuor.) delicate manners, and delicate
and most delightful scholarship. lie had
won many prizes ind won item easily.
lie expected nice things to come easily;
and the affection Of this neat nutlering
elderly gentleman promised mic, things.
lie was fastidious, and when he was tired
III the shouts and clumsy fun Of other
undergraduates, he liked the quiet and
order OF Mr.. Betei's q~uasi-Gothic apart
mcnts. 1t was not long before le had
pushed shout the stiH furniture, andyiven
10 the severe study Il more friendly air.
lie Ind exquisite taste. He was amli-
tious, too, and he oon found that over a
cup Of tea, which was his elderly
friends chief luxury, he could learn
a great deal in the easiest and
plcasantest manner. lie picked Mr.. BE-
tells brains and Mr.. Betel seemed
10 like it. lie found that his bright
presence and ready smile paida high price
Tor all; and he liked Il smile and 10 know
his prescnce was bright. And SO the
friendship grew with eacl, year Of the
bows undergraduate life; and it seemed
that u very beautiful thing had rome to
The Rev. Stanley Betel in his declining
years. About him there was a fair reHec.
ton from Il half remembered past, which
iiis tinid imagination had yelled with Il
soft mist OF sentiment. Often as he satin
his still back chair, there brcathed around
him the summer ali Of kiiby place. There
were soft, pathetic echoes, n tender even.
ing reflection Of the romance OF long ago.
It seemed rs il capricious fortune would
shower gifts upon Mr.. Bctcl's head, which
wis too narrow and TOO highly pointed for
the bearing OF many gifts. IIo was SO
grateful Tor the charm Of youth und friend.
ship which had come to grace lis sliding
years, that ONE might have thought thut
his stock Of gratitude WIS exhausted. But
II his head was wide and narrow, his
taankfulness was wide and deep; and
when one day it seemed as il glory was to
be his rs well as love, he almost fell on his
knees beside his patent knec.hole writing
table. 1t was the force u 4 word which
struck him, and it was Il very little one;
but it almost brought him to lis knees. Ii
was a very little word and, moreover, the
different force which had suddenly struck
the old scholar as possible, was so very
little different from the force which the
word usually conveyed that to the orli.
nary right-mindcd, authorized English
man there would have seemed no differ
ence at all. To the Rev. Stanley Botel
il was different rs light from DARKNESS.
There was a Sudden and a binding iIiu-
mination. II this little word could have
this slightly different influence, the dark
sentence, at which his old eyes were peer
ing for the t%housandth time was clear as
day. To sat book in his chair, %grasping
its arms tightly Will, his long thin fingers.
lie shut his eyes, while his breath came
will, q little sob. Then before his closed
eyes sentence after sentence each a puzzle
to the learned, arose in .agder, and each
seemed clear hp this new light to the
learned netel. Could the processing little
word hive this precise force? It seemed
certain ; it seemed impossible. The little
admirable tall brain was in q blase. 1t
seemed impossible. Either This theory
about the word wNs false orit was old. 1t
could not be that it had not occurred to
some one OF tho.e literary Moltkes who sit
down patiently and besiegc for a lifetime
tho c%aruleAs 1%untenoe al M ancient writer.
And so Mr.. Betel's leisure was given to
pernsing Tcutonic Latin. He hreakiasted
with u German he lnnchod with q Ger
man; lie lay down and rose up with their
laborious investigations; he brushed the
long wisp OF hair, which he placed ACROSS
his skull, above thelt grabbed pages.
Whenever he was not leoturing he was
prying into the notes OF the learned. It
WIS tremendous. Not Il sign did he see
that his theory had occurred to any one
OF them. And yet it was not to be dis.
missed rs absurd. Tho moro no compared
passages, the more certain he felt that no
had hit on = great discovery. Not all his
modesty could make him doubt forever.