The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-10-24
SELECT STORY.
LILLE.

said his cousin, Margaret Ashton.
"All these resolutions invariably end
in doing the verv thing protested
against. would not be afraid to
stake considerable sum that you will
marry rcd haired woman after
ALL"
"Not if she was as handsome as an
angel and as good as you are, Mag
gle"
"Thank you, for writing me down
good instead of handsome, Aubrey
and there are not many ladies who
would thank you for it, either; so !
suppose it is another proof Of my
goodness. But your compliment does
not prove your assertion; and your
assertion does not prove the fact and
my opinion is that you will marry one
whom / have in my mind now, al
though you have never seen her.
"And pray who may that be, Mag
gle o.
"My particular friend, Lille Hol-
brook. She is coming to make me
visit, and defy you to resist her, red
haired though she be.
81 defy her! Seriously, Maggie. it
is an objection l never could get
over.'
"Well, give me your WORD that you
won't be engaged to any one till you
have seen Lille 7"
Every readily. l have no thoughts
of giving up my freedom yet" And
the good-natured, indolent fellow
threw himself into luxurious chair,
and with his feet in another he pro-
ceeded to smoke his fragrant Havana
in lazy forgetfulness of everything
else.
"What do you live for, Aubrey 7"
asked his cousin, as she watched his
placid countenance.
''To tease you, Maggie
"Nay, you cannot do that, Aubrey,
because care so little for your talk.
But am really anxious about your
state. Young, rich, not particularly
good-looking-but passably so: with
nothing to employ your time after 2
o'clock, and no incentive to active and
healthful toll for the mind or body
at least, no visible incentive-I am
afraid you are passing away this sea-
son of youth almost too lavishly, and
that by-and-by, when age comes, you
will have no resources against it.
"What can do, Maggie :"
"Read-for one thing. Those vile
cigars stupefy your brain, when you
ought to be storing it with knowledge
You have talents, Aubrey, but you
will not use them; and l believe the
best wish for you from those who love
you would be that you should lose
your property and your present situa.
tion in the bank, and become a de.
pendent upon your own invention fol
support,
"Thank you, dear? Your wish is
very benevolent, but cannot say tha,
l respond to it."
"Very likely; and yet I believe
your character would increase in value
a thousand fold. Life has been toe
easy to you, Aubrey. You have never
the uses of advorsity'-your spirit
needs uplifting, and it can never be
uplifted while these indugences OF
life lie so thickly around you. YOU
have never mastered difficulty
never earned an enjoyment.
Margaret was right. Aubrey Kin
nard needed disciplne--the discipline
Of sorrow or of poverty, to bring ou
his interior resources. He had talents
but they lay dormant because ther,
was no outward necessity for thei
use. He had not genius-for ths
will male itself known-but he really
had talents, only that he did not SEE
why he should trouble himself witt
application to any pursuit when for
tune had saved him the anxiety O.
providing for the future.
He had benevolence-that transient
sympathetic benevolence which can
not bear to look upon apparent suffer
ing-but he had not that deep an(
widespread feeling which prompts tt
acts of self sacrifice, and which seek
for objects ON which to expend its en-
ergies. That was the benevolenc,
which Margaret Ashton would hav'
lcouraged. Aubrey had seemed t.
her as brother. His fathers hous,
had been her home from childhood
and as he had no sister he came t,
think of Margaret in that light. Sh
was rich, too, in her own right. Sh
was richer, too, in strong and activ
mind, firm will, steady, inhexibl'
sense of right, and an active and self
defying benevolence.
Lille Holbrook was her deares
friend, and she had often wished tha
Aubrey could know her. She wa
just such woman as he ought t,
marry, and although averse to match
making in general, she determined il
this particular case to throw them, i
possible, into each others society.
Aubrey was out of town for a few
days. and when he returned, it was t
find Miss Holbrook fairly installed fo
along visit. She was all, and NOR,
than all, that Margaret had so Otter
painted to him, but alas she had tn,
obnoxious colored hair! True, it wa
long, and soft and glossy, and hung
in rich curls OH her neck and shoul
ders, and in all other respects she wa
a lovely and attractive girl; but h
never, no never, could get over tina
objection, he told Margaret, II
begged of her not to talk of him t.
her friend, for he could fulfill N
hopes that she might raise.
"Aubrey! Lille Holbrook woul
never marry man who was so indo
lent and purposeless as yourself. Sh
told me so herself"
"Then you have already talked IN
over Was that kind or delicate, Mag
gie?"
'Don't be so hasty, Aubrey. Yo
have never been mentioned in an
way, but we often converse upon pre-
erences and the very character whic
you possess was tins morning uncoI
sciously described by Lille, and he
opinion given
Aubrey was piqued and fretful, an
as it was rare mood for him to be i
Margaret rather enjoyed it. She di