, 1885-12-13
A PERMANENT CURE.


eonntod as dissipation. IL WAS not the
passion that controls or molds nine
,enths OF the human race. The object
Of his alteration had its origin in the
most intense heat imaginable; but It's
radiance was cold and impersonal. lie
Jared more for the sharp, quick, selfish
Iparkles from a dynamo machine than
'or the light Of wit or tenderness in a
woman S eye. The passion that pos
Iessed him was for electricity.
Il can t understand this at all, " said
ls friend Feed, picking up in Brenton 8
looms one day a pamphlet filled with
ong mathematical formul g and strange
designs OF instruments. Cant under
stand it any more than can your alb
lorption in this pursuit. How can you
20 on with such horrible dry reading
Brenton replied: THE dryness of the
reading, my hoy, only increases my
.hirst-for knowledge"
",f course" said Reed. After an in
slant he laughed and added: ooh, un-
lerstand that it's a oke. But don't You
sver get tired outi'
~ es, " trenton admitted. 'The fact
3, I'm tired nov for almost tho first
line. Somehow, I'm losing interest in
ny studies. My head doesn't work
we'll, and l don't know what the
.rouhle is"
Better see a Doctor, Reed advised.
And Brenton wen to his physician
hat very evening. 4 few days later
eed was surprised to meet him at .
Inner party, for his friend was a mar
who seldom went out. Brenton was OK
.remely gay, and seemed to throw his
whole heart into the affair. What he
was throwing into the conversation
with his neighbor, pretty Miss Paret,
Reed could not tell, but she was eyi.
lently pleased.
well, old fellow" Reed said to hin.
when they were smoking, you seem
in such good trim, I take it your are
Ill right"
There's nothing in tho world the
matter with me- Brenton nswered
buoyantly. Doctor said so. let us
live and re happy
This rollicking was 50 I'M
usual in him that Reed began to think
hat there was something the matter.
He worried himself about his friends
brain. Reed was never troubled about
his own brain, although he fire. luently
rollicked and went much into society.
But his concern for Brenton deepened,
as he met him day after day and night
after night at receptions, dinners and
even at balls. The worst shock was
still to come. One remarkable midnight
he found himself sitting opposite Bren-
ton at a select little poker party in the
house of a friend; and they parted at
6 o clock in the morning, Brelton hav
Ing bet freely and lost a couple of hun.
dre1.
Look here, Arthur, said Reed, on
the doorstep, feeling it his duty to
speak, this isn't the sort of thing for
you at all. You don't know how to
play poker and you cant afford to pay
for your ignorance.
q" teady, now, Feed" answered Bren-
ton, who had drunk nothing but settler
during the night; ~ am all the richer
for having lost two hundred and odd
dollars"
well, but your work, Reed Insisted,
with the fatherly b~euevolence inspired
by his wonted draughts of champagne
at the card table. How can you go
along in this drive and attend to your
work
Il don't do any" said Brenton.
"But-but your electricity, mean, D
said eed.
Brenton looked severe. "non't men
ton that word to me-" said he. 81
know nothing about electricity.
OF course, after that, there was but
one conclusion for Reed 10 draw. His
natural that Reed should devote his
time to society, that ne should frequent
clubs, duck suppers and poker parties;
ek.N ba rkAn1I I.aur nathsa, nI.nt
electricity, and very little about any
thing else. All this for him, was
healthy and reasonable; hut for Brenton
to he in the same condition, and do the
same things, was pure insanity. Let
us be iust TO Reed. He felt very sorry
for the fact; but he decided that his
duty at the present was TO keep the
nournful secret to himself.
ether people did not seem to suspect
1t at all. trenton had a large circle of
non eonduoting or unelectrical friends,
who had long been trying to draw him
into their gayeties, and were only too
clad that he had at last hardened to
their persuasions. They knew he was
bright. They were re oiced TO see him
take his proper place aud rapidly he
come a ~favorite. The Parets especially
were pleased. They, as every one
knows, were immensely rich. Old Mrs.
Snrah Paret, who, with no need for
money, had become a sort of receiving
reservoir of the family wealth,
was looked upon with great interest
by all the branches which acted as
distributing reservoirs; and old Miss
sarah had long ago taken a great fancy
to Brenton. | suspect her of having
for some time planned a match between
him and her niece, Lily Paret- the one
he had set next to at the dinner | have
mentioned. Miss Sarah was too proud,
too rich and too maidenly to divulge
this amatory plan; but | suspect her all
the same. lt gave her great delight to
see the interest in the young man which
lily showed. And, as Brentou paid a
great deal of attention to Lily Paret,
nearly every n began to agree that he
had forsaken science for society, and
that, instead Of devoting himself to
units OF electrical measurement, he
would doubtless very soon begin an OK
pertinent with two lives made n unit by
marriage.
Lily had always been indifferent Ia
the admirers who had presented them
selves during the two or three seasons
since she had made her social debut.
And finally her parents and old Miss
Sarah grew anxious at her lack OF zesi
for the good things Of the life to which
she was born. But when Brenton APP
pearcd on the scene and gave himself
up TO the pleasures Of the world, his
example seemed TO do her good, and
she became quite herself again. o.
was il herself with a little something
added Certainly, no one before haC