The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1886-11-18
A LOVERS QUARREL.

any harp Is all out of tune; the piano is
discordant; the canaries pipe u shrill
treble, instead of their usual soft notes;
and IL rains--and--"
"And what, childY" said the pleasant
voice Of Aunt Mary Denman, as she criti-
cally examined the countenance of her
niece
"And | wish l was dead or had never
been born--or something scarcely know
what" and Maggie Meredith's beautiful
lips were pouted, aud strange cloud OF
sullenness and dissatisfaction hung por-
tentously over the fresh young face.
81 dislike very much, Maggie" said
auntie, "to hear such remarks as those
you have just uttered from any lips; much
more, my dear. from yours. Life is not
all sunshine and sweetness; but IL remains
with us, as God.loving God-fearing indi-
viduals, TO be content with the part as
signed us, and live 1t out patiently and
unflinchingly.p
."Oh, yes; that's all very nice to talk
about but suppose one wasn't given any
patience to start withP Does body pos
sess n little root or slip OF anything, why
one can cultivate 1t, of course; but pa
thence can't be manufactured You might
as well tell me to go into the garden and
make blade of grass or sprig of
mignonette. Now, just listen, and will
tell you what's the matter. Harvey Is all
the time lecturing me. IL II be necessary
to find so much fault now, the probabili-
ties are that we shall never be happy; for
can not and will not endure so much
badgering. l told him so last night,
Auntie, and gave him back our engage
ment ring" and Maggie held up her little
forefinger dubiously, "and l told him
never TO come near me again. vow /
won't be everlastingly talked to; so
there"
"You have trihed, Maggie Merrideth,
with one of the noblest men God ever
made; thrown away the costliest pearl
He will ever offer you. Maggie, am as
tonished."
ooh, mercyl II this isn't tedious You
talk, auntie, like crazy person. DO you
imagine for moment that l court this
everlasting humdrumming / am COM
PEELED TO listen to, at home and abroad,
from relatives, friends and loverp Do
you suppose that | do not, from the
bottom OF my heart, deplore the fate
that sent me into this breathing
world, scarce half made up, and
that so lamely and Questionable that
dogs bark at me rs | halt by themp"
Richard, | suppose, was talking about the
hump on his back. refer to my mental
and moral deformity Someway every
body seems to feel at liberty to descant ON
my infirmities, and right before my face
and eyes too didn't tell Harvey Crit
tenden to make love to me and run after
me two years before he got chance to
whisper a word of it. He has got impu-
dence; there is no mistake about that"
"What is the trouble between you and
Harvey my dear" inquired auntie, en-
deavoring to calm herself for Maggie was
very dear to her Ever since the death of
her parents some five years previous,
Aunt Mary had had the sole care of her
niece. She was keenly alive to the faults
of the impulsive girl, but believed that
time, experience and the love of the really
worthy man to whom Maggie was be-
trothed would round off the rough edges
Of her character, and bring out, like gold
from the refiner's fire, the traits OF true
nobility she knew she possessed.
"Like the majority of quarrels," re-
piled Maggie, "it originated from just
nothing. l said that | hated beggars,
that's all"
"Why, Maggie, are you derangedYp said
aunty, who could with difficulty repress
smile. "You of all others to say such a
thingi-you who keep the kitchen con
stantly filed with the objects of your
charity How could you tell such false
hoodf"
"Well, the other night, just as we were
getting out of the carriage at Pike's-I
was in a hurry, ! knew the opera had
commemorate forlorn old beggar, his
breath smelling horribly of whisky,
stopped us. II was awful cold, and Har-
vey kept me standing a minute or two on
the walk while he fumbled in his pocket
for money to give the old vagabond to
buy more rum with. / was vexed and
cold, and If he had let me alone and not
kept asking questions and looking as IL
he'd just come from the funeral OF all his
friends i should not have said the dread
full words. | declared it would have al
teredsthe case had the man not been a
dfunkard. Harvey insisted that society
was TO blame for that sin, and he, as a
member of IL, would never turn his back
upon a man who he knew was cold and
hungry All he could do was to help
mitigate the evils that society allowed
He could not abolish rumselling, but a
starving drunkard was just as much an
object of charity to him as a starving
minister. Good gracious, didn't his eyes
snap thought He's as much too radical
az | am too willful Then l said hated
beggars, anyway"
Aunt Mary could say nothing, advise
nothing. She saw that, by little judi
cious management on the part of the
lover, this grand finale might have been
avcrted; but men are not natural diplo-
mats. And 80, with a careless observation
in regard to the weather. she withdrew.
perfectly aware, from previous expe
rienc that all remonstrance would be
useless Several days passed, and not a
word from Harvey, Aunt Mary felt sure
that he would call on or write her; but no
tidings of any description had reached
her. Maggie moped, denied herself to
company, and the beautiful home on
Murray Hill was as still and deathlike as
though some dear spirit had taken its
flight from thence to the Eternal City.
ooh, dearl how lonely that poor little
finger looks" said Maggie one day softly
to herself. at had been there long enough
TO leave ridge, too.
~ reckon the next girl Harvey Crtten-
den Is engaged to will have an easier time
with him than have He has learned
lesson from this, as true as you live.
Maggie;" still surveying the finger,
stripped of its dear symbol. "Its.always