River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-02-05
fearful lady paused to take breath.

| down below to me. His way seemed
HARSH she says, hut his hearts in the
right place, she SAYS; I'm certain sure
Of it, she says, and she's been cryin'
| her eyes out, which Sophonisba Ann Is
rather 'sterical at times, sir. | tell her
I'm sure you don't mean nothing, and
likely it won't so occur again.
"Bless me?" said l, "this is very fool
ish; of course 1 didn't mean to hurt
your daughters feelings, nam; pray
| tell her so; I'll remember to speak less
abruptly since you've named it.
ooh! sir, you're the most feelin' gent
as ever / did know, I'm sure, don't
know whatever my gur'Il say-and the
| last gent we had so different-so wio-
| lent in ms language; not to speak of
| banging the door. o dear what 1t is
to have a sperrit, which is what me and
mine never had, and so the world tram
pies on us, said Mrs. Maudle
| 81 hope not" said [. you should
take a more cheerful view of life, Mrs.
| Maudle."
[ was very busy, and wishee she
would go, but she didn't.
"Well, SIR" she observed with sigh,
AZ always was one of the downhearted
ones; and Maudle's nerves that lowi l
never shall forget when he asted me to
have him-that's seven-and- twenty year
ago Mariar,' he says to me Chats my
| name)-"but there, sir, don't mind me,
which as wife l hope l have a wife's
feelin's;" and Mrs Maudle shed tears.
did mind her very much, and de-
voutly wished her at the North Pole, as
she stood in the doorway wiping her
eyes with her apron, and evidently
awaiting my sympathy.
I'm sure Mr.. Maudle's choice does
him credit" said desperately, che
couldn't do better than take good wife
to sooth the path of life for him; wasn't
that your door bell?"
"SophOnisba Ann will answer the door
sir, which L think you was mistaken,
and it didn't ring" said Mrs Maudle.
az am suro never did meet with gen.
tleman so thoughtful and feelin'; a real
friend, as one may say, already, and I'm
only thankful"
I'm afraid I must trouble you to
shut that door, Mrs. Maudle, gasped.
I'm subject to ear-ache, and the
draught" hope / shall be forgiven for
| the fibs that woman caused me to invent.
| She slowly withdrew, mrrmuring moth
| erly compassion, and family suggested
pepper plasters and other mild remedies
for ear-ache, while | took up my pen
and tried to collect my scattered ideas.
1 had not yet seen Mr.. Maudle, the
state of whose nerves" kept him most
| " confined to an armchair in the kitch
| en-, but from occasional sounds of melo-
| dy, something like feebly rendered
choruses of iovial nature, in which a
| slight confusion of consonants was per-
ceptible, / concluded that even Mr.. M.
had intervals of comparative cheerful
ness. Moreover, l discovered that there
was son of the hsdse-a tall youth,
with whitey-brown hair and skin, and a
I stOop IN his shoulders-w avocatIon
seemed to be near at hand, by his pune
| tual return to meals at stated hours in
the day With this young man ! was
| fated, alas too soon to become aquaint-
/ ed.
One evening, little before my din
| ner, Mrs. Maudle waited on me with an
/ air of meek mystery, to ask if her son
might 'step up by-and-by" and speak
| to me, if so be that l had no objections.
His name, his mother told me, was
| Cincinnatus he was rather low-spirit-
ed, and had, in fact, something on his
mind.
Dear me' L said, poor fellow any
trouble Nothing serious, 1 hope?"
ooh, dear, no. sir-leastwise, moth
ing wrong. Gins as innocent as the
babe unborn, as to evil ways, sir;
no, its the mind, that's where it is"
/ (mvsteriouslv) 'he's got a soarin' mind,
sir, and the worlds too little for him.
"Indeed?' said l, mentally regretting
/ that the young gentleman had selected
me as the confidapt of his mental trials /;
| but, alas | little guessed what was to
come. Scarcely was the cloth removed
when modest rap announced my new
acquaintance, and Cincinnatus entered,
bearing a huge brown paper parcel,
which he deposited with jerk on the
table, violently shaking back long
wisp of hair which kept falling rebelli-
ously into his eyes, and sinking i'm
mediately into the first chair near, with
an air of profound detection.
This young man had large nose OF
| the solid Roman type, very red eyelids,
! and a sonorous voice with a twang in
! it. He told me he was in an attorneys
office, but that the work was very dis
tasteful to him, and he had thought of
giving it up and turning author.
He had begun several works of i'm
portance, one of which (his "chef dou-
vsr," he called it, he had brought up
with him.
BLANK verse mostly, sir" he ex-
claimed; Gin ten books, revealing the
mysteries of human soul to the moon,
who is supposed to be listening-poeti-
cal license, of course-you understand.
The first three books"
Isn't it a risk" interrupted 1,
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 risk to give up
steady work for an uncertainty like
litersture?"
"Well. sir, 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 your
soul mounts beyond the office stool,
where are you then?"
He waved his hand descriptively, as
it were, of an aerial flight; his nails
we're inky and very long.
well, don't know" said [, ''but
( hadn't YOU better-?"
But he had risen, and hurriedly com
menced undoing the brown paper, with
drawing from it about fifty sheets OF
foolscap, well written over.
''Listen" 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
"Thats the opening lines" 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 look for, sir" he inter-
rupted. "that aud an early grave" he
added, with certain air of satisfaction.
And as mother and father aren't as
we'll off as they were, | daresay there
won't even be a recordin' marble to tell
the world that Cincinnatus Maudle lies
| BLOWOUT that's of no consequence.
! He sighed.
Aren't you little out of health?"
l asked at this point.
ooh, yes, SIR" he smiled. ''Tm
| journeying to the tomb. I've no sort of
| doubt about it myself, but the cold
world will pass needless by and think