The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-09-26

anu let MIN get everything ne can IOr
himself, and enjoy to the best Of his
ability all that he can get. That was
the lesson as taught by her. But as he
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 selishness9 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 gratifi-
cation. let the consequences be what
they might to one whom he told him.
self that he loved! Did the lessons of
Mrs. Raggett run smoothly with those of
Jesus Christ?
Then within his own mind he again
took Mrs. Baggett's side of the ques-
ton. How mean a creature must he
not become, il he were now to surren-
der this girl whom he was ANXIOUS to
make his wife! He knew of himself
that in such matter he was more SEN
sitiye than others. He could not let her
90, and then walk forth as though little
or nothing were the matter with him.
Now for the second time in his life he
had essayed to marry. And now for
the second time all the world would
know that he had been accepted and
then rejected. 1t was, he thought,
more than he could endure-and live
Then after he had sat there for an
hour he got up and walked home; and
as he went he tried to resolve that he
would reject the philosophy of Mrs.
Baggett and accept the other. "If l
only knewr' he said, as he entered his
own gate. If one could only see clear
ly" Then ne found Mary still seated in
the garden Nothing is to got" he
said, "by asking you for an answer"
elm what have l failed?'
Never mind. Let US 90 in and
have cup OF tea But she knew well
in what he accused her of failing, and
her heart turned toward him again.
CHAPTER XVII.
Mr.. wHITTLEsrAFF MEDITArEs A JOURNEY.
The next day was Sunday. and was
passed in absolute tranquility. Moth
ing was said either by MIR. Whittlestaff
or by Mary Lawrie; nor, % the eyes of
those among whom they lived, was
there anything to show that their minds
were disturbed. They went to church
in the morning, as was usual with them,
and Mary went also TO the evening SER
vice. 1t was quite pleasant to see Mrs.
Baggett start for h0r slow Sabbath
morning walk, and to observe how her
appearance altogether belied that idea
OF rags and tatters which she had given
as to her own wardrobe. A nicer
dressed old lady, or more becoming
black silk gown. You shall not see on a
Sunday morning making her way to
any country church in England. While
she was looking so pleasant and demurs
one may say almost SO handsome, in
her old-fashioned and apparently new
bonnet-what could have been her
thoughts respecting the red-nosed. one
legged warrior, and her inten ed life.
to be passed in fetching two-penn' orths
of gin for him, and::her endeavors to &c.
for him morsel of wholesome food
She had had her breakfast out of he,
own china teacup, which she used TO
boast was her own property, as it had
been given to her by Mr.. Whittlestatf's
mother and had had her little drop oil
cream, and to tell the truth, her boiled
egg, which she always had on Sunday
morning, to enable her to listen to the
long sermon of Rev. Mr.. Lowlad. She
would talk of her hopes and her bur-
dens, and undoubtedly she was in earn
est. But she certainly did seem to
make her hay very comfortably while
the sun shone.
Everything on this Sunday morning
was pleasant. or apparently pleasant,
at Cookers Hall. In the evening, when
Mary and the ma d-servants went to
church, leaving Mrs. Baggett at home
to look after the house and go to sleep,
MIR. Whittlestaff walked off to the wood
ed path with his Horace. He did not
read it very long. The bits which he
did usually read never amounted to
much at a time. He would take few
lines, and then digest them thoroughly.
wailing over them or re oicing, rs the
case might be. He was not a. the pres
cnt moment much given to Joy. "In-
termissa, Venus, diu rursus bella
moves? Parce, precor, precor." This
was the passage to which he turned at
the present moment; and very little
was the consolation which he found in
it. What was SO crafty, he said to
himself, or so vain, As that an old man
should bark back to the pleasures of a
time of life which was past and gone!
Non sum qualfs eram," he said, and
then thought with shame of the time
when he had been Tilted by Catherine
Bailey,-the time in which he had GER
tainly been young enough to love and
be loved, had he been as lovable as he
had been prone to love. Then he put
the book in his pocket. His latter effort
had been to recover something of the
sweetness of life, and not, as had been
the poets. to drain those dregs to the
bottom. But when he got home he
babe Mary tell him what Mr.. Lowlad
had said in his sermon. and was quite
CHEEKY in his manner of picking Mr..
Lowlads theology to pieccs;-for Mr..
Whitt!estaf did no. altogether agree
with Mr.. Lowlad as to the uses to be
made of the Sabbath.
On the next morning he began to
hustle about little, as was usual with
him before he made n journey: and it
did escape him, while he was talking to
Mrs. Baggett about q pair of trousers
which it turned out that he had given
awsy last summer, that he meditated a
journey to London on the next day.
'.You amt a-going?" said Mrs. Bag
gctt.
II think shall
Then doa't. Take my word for it,
But NJ. Wittlestaf only
snubbed her, and nothing more was
said about the journey at the moment.