Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-05-14
CHAPTER II.

FAIE ~ FACE.
And 50 1t was. Young Brent had fallen in
love with the daughter of the woman who
had just rejected his father so angrily. Mr..
Brent thought at first that this alone would
make an end of the thing; Mrs. Barbara
Temple would not give her consent, SO rea-
soned this parson, who knew the world Sc
we'll He kept silence on the point, however,
and soon his sons ardor, carrying everything
before it, made his small doubts and scruples
of no effect at all.
"This picture is good-very good" the
father said, gazing at it, "but l must tell you
that it does not do the girl justice. Where it
fails I cannot say; indeed, l can scarcely say
what it is that kes Sophia Temple so hand
some"
OF course the son listened to all this with
greedy ears; and the conversation turned into
a discussion of the prospects of the affair
which for the present the father would not
admit to be hopeful, still remembering his
own late repulse. When, however, young
Brent ascertained that his father was on
visiting terms with the family he would hear
no more of doubt or difficulty. With such
aI opening the fault must lie his if he did not
lake the girl his own.
"You are sure she is not engaged9" hs
asked.
"Oh, yes, quite sure" the rector answered.
"None of the girls are engaged; indeed, the
only one of the family who has been talked
about in that respect is tie"
Mr.. Brent stopped, and turned as red as a
turkey cock. He never did guard his lips
well, and this disclosure came out before he
remembered how awkward the subject might
DO. So he repeated the sentence stammer-
inglIE,.
"The only one of the family that was talked
0bout in that respect was"
You don't mean her mother cried the
young fellow. He was quite interested in his
beauty's mother, and was ready to be inter-
ested in her grandmother if necessary.
"Yes, the mother was talked about" the
rector said, still red with self-consciousness;
but there was nothing in it, Percy-nothing."
SIS the mother handsome?" asked our lover,
vivaciously.
Decidedly handsome" the father replied.
"About what age"
"Her age, Percy" the rector replied, gloom
lily, "has not been ascertained."
Young Brent was a man of scientific tastes,
and it was to his credit that, born as he was
to great expectations, he steadfastly pursued
his studies, in which he was now no con-
temptible authority. Geology was his
f~avorite, and he resolved to devote his
energies to thar science, for he was
old-fashioned enough to believe that birth
to good fortune imposes obligations on
the inheritor. Young Brent resolved to
make his mark in the world. Like all young
enthusiasts, he must be for ever talking over
his subjects, and he would try to interest his
father in geology; but Brent senior had no
patience with the Unsuitable demands of that
science for time. "1n the lame of goodness"
he would say, lis not six thousand years
enough for you! Just think what could be
done in six thousand years! Up to that time
you can do as you please, but | do object to
your upsetting everything on the plea of
wanting time to account for a dead fish be-
ing found in one of your strata. Is it any
great matter how it anne there, or whenl To
be upsetting Bishop Usher simply because
somebody has found a few bones in a rock
where he did not expect it, seems to me the
most monstrous thing l ever heard Of"
For all that, when the e~asy-humored rec
tor heard his son praised in mpa for his
scientific attachments he was not i'll pleased:
and contrasting his earnest and energetic
youth with the idleness and f~rivolity of other
young fellows in the town, he was willing to
excuse the mild skepticism which contented
itself with requiring a little chronological
elasticity from Bishop Usher. Indeed, the
rector might fairly be proud of his son; in
teLlectual ardor is seldom exclusive, and the
young mans love Of science gave him SYM
pathy with much beside which was not di-
rectly scientific. He took an interest in
politics, but with Radical symptoms, which
his father pounced upon with vigilance and
greatheat, ending the dispute generally with a
laugh, and the hope that things would last his
time. Besides this young Brent was a good
musician, and not without literary tastes, for
he dabbled in poetry. But partly through
studious shyness, and more from a certain
physical awkwardness, he was not altogether
a drawing room man. He had too great
respect for women to be altogether a ~favorite
with then; for these exalted beings, knowing
their celestial qualities, cannot see why they
should be approached with downcast eyes
or addressed with faltering lips. So young
Brent was not a lady's man, nor a company
man, although there were stories of at least