St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-19

''Bless me?" said ''this is very foolish; Of
course 1 didn't mean to hurt your daughters
feelings, ma'am; pray tell her so; I'll re-
member to speak less abruptly since you've
named It,
She almost wept at this.
ooh sir, you're the most feelin' gent as
everI did, I'm sure, I don't knowwhatever my
gurl'II say-and the last gent we had so diff
ferent-so violent in his language; not to
speak of banging the door. o dear! what it
is to have sperrit, which is what me and
mine never had, and so the world tramples
on us, said Mrs. Maudle.
Il hope not said I. ''You should take a
more cheerful view Of life, Mrs. Maudle.'
l was very busy, and wished she would go,
but she didn't.
''Wel, sir,'' she observed with sigh,
II always was one Of the down-hearted ones;
and Maudle's nerves that low! I never
shall forget when he asted me to have him
that's seven-and-twenty years agO-'Mariar,
he says to me CHATS my name)- ''but
there, sir, don't mind me, which as wife [
hope have a wife's feelin's"; and Mrs.
Maudle shed tears.
l did mind her very much, and devoutly
wished her at the north pole, as she stood
in the doorway wiping her eyes with her
apron, and evidently waiting my sympa-
thy.
FI'm sure Mr.. Maudle's choice does him
credit" 1 said desperately, she couldn't
have done better than take a good wife to
sooth the path of life Tor him; wasn't that
your door bell!''
"Sophonsiba Ann will answer the door,
sir, which l think you was mistaken, and it
didn't ring" said Mrs. Maudle. 'I'm sure
[ never did meet with a gentleman so
thoughtful and feelin'; a real friend, as
one may say, already, and I'm only thank
ful''-
'I'm afraid I must trouble you to shut
that door, Mrs. Maudle'', [ gasped. Pm
subject to ear-ache, and the draught''-I
hope [ shall be forgiven for the tibs that
woman caused me to invent. She slowly
withdrew, murmuring motherly compassion,
and family suggested pepper plasters, and
other mild remedies for ear-achc, while l
took up my pen and tried to collect my scat
tered ideas.
had not yet seen Mr.. Maudle, the state Of
whose ''nerves" kept him mostly confined
to an armchair in the kitchen, but from
occasional sounds Of melody, something
like feebly rendered choruses Of joyial
nature, in which slight confusion of con-
sonants was percepdble, l concluded that
even Mr.. NJ. had intervals of comparative
cheerfulness. Moreover, [ discovered that
there was a son of the house, tall youth
with Whitley brown hair, and skin and a
stoop in his shoulders-whose avocation
seemed to be near at hand, by his punctual
return to meals at stated hours in the day.
With this young man | was fated, alas too
soon to become acquainted
One evening, little before my dinner,
Maudle waited on me with an air Of meek
mystery to ask her son might ''step up by
and-by," and speak to me, if so be that l
had no objection.
His name, his mother told me, was Gin
cinnatus: he was rather low-spirted, and
had, in fact, something, on his mind.
Dear me.'' 1 said, ''poor fellow! any
trouble: Nothing serious, 1 hope!"
ooh, dear, no, sir-leastwise, nothing
wrong Gins as innocent as the babe I'M
born, as to evil ways, sir; no it's the mind,
that's where it is" (mysteriously) 'he's
got a soarin' mind, sir, and the worlds too
little for him.
'Tndeed?" said I, mentally regetting that
the young gentleman had selected me as the
confident Of his mental trials; but, alas / lit
tic guessed what was to come. Scarcely was
the cloth removed when a modest rap an
nounced my new acquaintance, and Cincin-
natus entered, bearing huge brown paper
parcel, in which he deposited with jerk on
the table, violently shaking back a long wisp
of hair which kept falling rebelliously into his
eyes, and sinking Immediately into the first
chair near, with an air of profound detection.
This young man had a large nose of the
solemn Roman type, very red eyelids, and
sonorous voice with a twangf in it. He
told me he was in an attorneys office, but
that the work was very distasteful to him,
and he had thoughts of giving it up and turn
ing author.
He had begun several works ofimportance.
one of which (his ''chef devOur, "..he called iD
he had brought up with him.
'Blank verse mostly, SIR" he explained,
Gin ten books, revealing the mysteries of a
human soul to the moon, who is supposed
to be listening-poetical license, of course
you understand. The first three books"
''1sn't it a risk" interrupted |, shrinking
from the prospect of being pressed into the
same service as the moon, and resolved to
be as practical as possible, 'Isn't it a risk to
give up steady work for an uncertainty like
literatureln
s'Well, S IT. mother talks like that, and she's
right, and you're right, in one point of view, :"
said the youth, meekly; ''but when you've
soul, and when you're soul mounts beyond
the office STOOL where are you then?"
He waved his hand descriptively,as it were
of an e rial fight; his nails were inky, and
very long,
'|Wen, 1 don't know" saidI, "but hadn't
you better--!"
But he had risen, and hurriediy commenced
undoing the brown paper, withdrawing from
it about fifty sheets of foolscap, well written
over.
''Listenr' he cried oracularly, and slowly
recited as follows:
Hail cold, unfeeling orb, tho thy bright ray
Mocks the absorbing madness of my soul!
Soon, soon thy last quarter will draw nigh;
But sooner still for me the funeral bell shall
toll
THAT'S the.opening lines, y said he; ''the
next''--
''My friend, I said, 81 am afraid you will
find the public hard to satisfy; you must look
for disappointment"
THAT'S all 1 look for, SIR" he interrupted,
''that and an early grave" he added, with
certain air of satisfaction. "And as mother
aren't as well off as they were, dare say
there won't even be a recordin' marble to
tell the world Cincinnatus Maudle lies below
but that's of no consequence"
He sighed.
''Aren't you little out of health?" I
asked at this point.
ooh, yes, SIR" he smiled. 'I'm Journey
ing 10 the tomb. I've no sort of doubt
about it myself. but the cold world will pass
needless by and think nothing of it, The
worlds so very sublunaryl Don't you find
it so, slr?''
Gwen, yes; suppose it is that" said,
never having had cause to d oubt it as fact.
.'Yes, I suppose it is. But now let me
advise You az friend"
He looked up softly.
81 knew you would" he cried; ''that's
just it, you will assist me, and I'll step up