The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1885-10-08
SYMPATHY AND LOVE.

81 MPAIH1 AMI LU\E.
Taking tea the other evening with
an old acquaintance, now professor III
a New England college, the conversa-
ton recalled some of the friends of our
younger days, and he surprised me
with this remark: "A womans SYM
rathies lie nearer her heart than her
love- But he surprised me more by
the story he told to prove it.
Il guess it was seven years." he
said. that our chair of astronomy
remained vacant. You know DR..
Merdon? 1t was Justly that the world
finally gave him fame. Well, after his
| death, the trustees were at a loss to
fill his place. A weak man would have
been insufferable there.
do you remember his family?
Charming wife and daughter. They
spent several years abroad after his
death, and when they returned, not
withstanding that the widow still wore
mourning, the number of our little So
cial events doubled. The daughter
had a string OF millionaires after her
constantly. Female society, perhaps
YOU know, was limited, and it was
with a foundation of truth that the
fellows grimly joked about calling on
the girls their fathers had courted be-
fore them. Charlotte MerdoH was as
fascinating young woman as her
mother had been, so say the old folks,
and it was to her that Professor Lutz
quoted from Horace, oh, daughter
more beautiful than thy beautiful
mother when he brought down on
himself the ridicule OF the mountains
day party. Yes, she could have had
the pick from a dozen rich boys, and l
think she would have taken it, too, if
she hadn't discovered that her mother
was trying to influence her in their
| favor.
At the senior party that gear, Char
lotte held court las she did every wheFs.
She was surrounded by the rich fellows
of Charlie Elliott's set. Elliott was
happy that night. Charlotte had been
unusually gracious, and her mother
had made her favor clearer than ever.
Ed said he, turningto his chum,
Il tell you what will be great sport.
Bring Seymour up and formally prs
Eent him to Miss MerdoR. It will con-
fuse him. He won't know what to do,
and there will be deuce OF a scene
The chum complied, and in mo-
ment he had the reluctant Seymour
by the arm. The scene that followed
must have been all that Elliott desir-
I'd. For a moment che poor student
stood before the belle twas not UNI
like the beggar apd the princess. lisr
rasy attitude eontfasted strangely
with his painful awkwardness. Elliott
had not miscalcuiated. The effect vas
immediate. All eyes were turned to-
ward the couple, and a smile went
: around.
'Charotte Merdon saw it, and her
cheeks iiamed. She had OWNED the
heartless Joke. To the surprise OF
those about her, she begged Seymour
to be seated-insisted that he .,iseuld
be seated, Then she tried to draw
him into conversation. But 1t was
impossible. Embarfa ssment seemed
TO have driven his wits away: Only
one remark he ventured to make.
CHANGING at u prGtrait on the wall, he
stammered out, That's q good picture
of the president The pr4trait was
taken thirty years before, and vas
anything but "a good likeness OF the
president as he then appeared; the an
/ fortunate remark caused another
smile. Elliott was delighted. His joke
was splendid success. Poor Seymour
twisted about in his chair and hung
his head, His discontinue was COM
plete.
'Miss Merdon took i deliberate look
at the picture, and did not smile
Yes she said it is called a very goo |
likeness of him just after graduation.
Have you seell t!,e president flowers,
Mr.. Seymour? Let me show them to
you
'Rising and excllsing herself, she led
The young man into the greenhouse
adjoining the parlor.
1.-THE devil!' said Elliott. i didn't
look for anything like that
Seymour, rescued III this way from
the trying ordeal, hardly knew what
70 do or say. He felt as if Il milestone
| naA been taken from his neck. The
ma III and the manner of relief worked
STRANGE Oh Has sensitive nature. He
cit that he was III gtsst deot; TO nus
companion. He Mehte1 70 Mss Fhe
hem of her garment Ia wahtsa 70
cry. He knew he was feeling an, oct.
ing like fool. He felt that he woulu
make a greater fool of himself than in
the parlor. But some way he didn't
care. He had lost all fear of the beau
tiful girl. Her act of mercy had
brought him nearer than years of
acquaintance could. He talked rap
idly of the flowers, for he knew of
them. Charlotte listened, listened
wondering why she cared to listen. lit
tie thinking that her sympathy had
brought the awkward student nearer
than he would have been had she
known him lifetime and had never
seen him in pain. So, when he pointed
out the observatory where he worked,
the queerly-shaped building that
showed it's dark outlines in the moon
light, just over the campus on the hill,
she wondered what it was that
prompted her to beg him to take her
there, to exact thepromise that on the
very next night he would conduct her
through the buildings that had been
built after her fathers orders. She
persuaded herself that it was desire
to see some manuscripts finer fathers
which Seymour told her had been left
there. Perhaps it was.
Notwithstanding her mothers
mild remonstrance, the next evening
found her with Brent Seymour in the
telescope room of the observatory