River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-08-07
A cYNIcs OPINION.
That Most Men Are Married by Their
wives-An Instructive story.

has q CERTAIN mesmeric will-force to
bring on man which is dangerous to
his welfare. There are critical mo-
ments in mans career when it will
take all the resolutions he can muster
to refrain from compromising himself
for life.
Twas much amused with the expert
ence of friend of mine who short
time ago received his first lesson in what
may be called bachelor prudence. 1t
seems that the affair commenced in
good nature, took little crescendo, as
the musicians would say, and finally
ended with an allegro marziale.
My friend is one of those good natured
men who look at everything from a
sentimental point of view. Overlook
ing the excellence of his motives, he is
the most uncomfortable being to get
along with possible. In his head are
all the virtues of the Paladin, the
chivalry of a Sidney, and the heroic
self abnegation of a Socrates; and with
every new book he reads he adds new
ideal of comfort. 1t Is not surprising
that he sometimes promises more than
he can perform, and undertakes more
than he can carry through.
He got into trouble in the most ma
tural way in the world, and indeed the
thing has happened to others than he.
A young man had been grossly imper-
- n s,s,I INIT in or1ar 10
save that girl friend a..scandal the matter
, had been overlooked. The cub who did
Rthe deed, however is rich and marriage
able, and consequently still has a foot
ing in society. A girl a stranger to my
friend be it said, snubs the cub. In
tense enthusiasm of my friend. Noble
and discerning girl, etc, etc; will be
introduced at oncei What danger
GUS thing it is to be introduced at once!
Mem.-Always make it late if you can
NV friend is introduced in due form.
Intense impressment on the part OF my
friend; gracious reception on the part
of the girl. One dance, aud then
another. A german favor, which IS re-
turned an invitation to call, which Is
accepted with alacrity The call is
made and proves agreeable. Further
invitation to call, and then a promise
to read from those authors who com
bine beauty of thought with weight OF
meaning. Vows of platonic friendship,
etc. What dangerous thing VOWS of
platonic friendship arel Mem.-neyer
make them.1
The drama moved on. One evening
my friend called with particularly
well-chosen assortment from Ruskln,
Emerson, aud be Quincy, as pieces de
resistance, and little of Barry Corn
wall and Mrs. Browning's Portuguese
Sonnets" as plats sucres. The fire was
burning brightly on the dogs. A few
| flowers were arranged III a slender sill
yer vase, and an almost inperceptible
perfume pervaded the room. As my
| friend threw himself back in the long
easy chair and experienced the exquisite
masculine pleasure in running the lace
tidy. he fell to thinking what an agree
able duty was his to fill fresh, pure
mind, with angel eyes and sylph- like
form, with fair thoughts taken from the
masters of prose and song. This train
of thought was peculiarly agreeable
1 from the fact that it was quite disinter-
ested. "Some day" thought my friend 1,
"some good fellow will pc made happy
by the influence of this teaching,
These delightful imaginations We're
brought to close by the appearance of
the fair pupil herself. After chatti ng
pleasantly for little while my friend
asked whether he should begin reading.
81 should like it very much" she
said quietly.
SO he began. First with Emerson's
NAPOLEON" then with De Quincy's 90
an of Arc" then followed a sonnet or
! two, and then q love-song by Barry
! Cornwall. And as my friends voice
rose and fell, and became strong with
noble scorn, awful with elevation, quiet
with reserved strength, and melting
with the accent of pathos and love, he
could not help thinking "How much
am doing, to be sure, for the other fell
low" The reading was concluded with
the rapt air of one whose thoughts were
| too full for utterance. He closed the
beautifully bound volume of Ruskin's
'FQueen's Gardens" and looked vaguely
up from the glowing logs to the mantel-
piece above.
GLOW beautiful it is" finally said the
pupil.
eyes, it is very beautiful, " replied the
master.
The latter now rose TO take his leave,
when the fair pupil herself rose, and, t
seemed to him, fairly planted herself
before the door. Without the slightest
note of warning, she thus addressed him
az WISH" said she, with sentiment
ally desperate air, "you-would-not
call any more"
NV friend felt cold chill of horror
stealing over his members. His knees
trembled He was expected to do some
thing he knew he was. What was 1t !?
Certainly he managed to stammer
out
"You know it is different with girl
than with man." she continued, sadly;
"you have been coming here so often
| that people are beginning to talk"
He now knew too well what was expect
ed of him, and for moment he felt an
over mastering impulse to comply. He
overcame it manfully, and as he re-
covered his self-control and managed in
some measure to meet those searching
eyes, he became, after the manner OF
/ men, brutal.
"He would cooperate with her." he
said coldly, Sin giving the lie to public
opinion"
How, L do not know, he got out of
the house. As he gained the garden
gate, he ran from the haunted spot
ran and ran away from danger and in
consequence. And then in the cold
moonlight he sat down on a curbstone.
The cold moon was sailing in the sky,
and as he sat down on the curbstone
and looked up at the heavens blue, he
murmured in devout thankfulness, the
one word, "Saved saved!" The wind
that was stirring the eIms of the street
seemed to whisper the same happy
thought, and this is the end of my ex-
tremely ungallant but very instructive
story.
Things We read Of But Never See.