The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1886-05-01
IX.

Was ever budding poet placed in
such situation The hanpiness
of my life hung upon the power OF
my verse. II was wi.h fererish
impatieuce that l opened the desk
which held my little store OF honey,
and SIT down to select II sample for
my uncle's palate. Dear me, what
poor stuff it was With sinking
heart l chose three or four of my
most cherished productions, and
took them with me to show to my
uncle after dinner.
When the ladies had retired, 1
gulpad down Il glass of claret, and
reproduced the MS. fronl my
pocket.
My uncle took them with a smile
which really tried my strong afiec-
ton for him, promising to look at
them before bedtime. He had evi-
IDENTIFY no faith in my poetical gen
ius.
Rose was more fascinating that
evening than she had ever been be-
fore. She sang my mother bids
me bind my hair" with so sweet a
manner that the tears came into my
eyes. How / wished that l had ex-
pressed myself better in that "Ode
to the. Great Bearl" And yet l
cherished a secret hope of my un-
cle's conversion.
Alasl I was doomed to disap-
pointment.
81 wouldn't waste any more time
over this sort of thing" said the
cruel critic, handing me back my
precious MS. cts not in your line,
my boy. Try trigonometry. By
the-way, my DEAR" he added, turn
ing to my aunt, 81 shall be glad
if you will drop note to Wood
bird, and ask him to come to us on
Tuesday"
Then l lost my temper. / told
my uncle that l had sworn by the
nine gods to marry Rose d'Agin-
court, and that nothing on earth
should prevent my proposing to
her, least of all ridiculous subser-
vience to crotchets that were all
moonshine. She was the only
woman could ever love, and l
would never marry any girl to point
Il theory or adorn a scientific
treatise.
"You should not speak Of science
in the way, my boy,' said my uncle
very gravely. "When you are
older you will see matters in anoth-
er light" and all my wrath broke
in vain upon his placid front.
Before l went to bed that night 1
was firmly resolved to propose to
Rose the next day, "before that war
bling idiot Woodbird comes upon
the scene," l muttered to myself.
The next morning, however,
brought less precipitate counsels.
| felt that l could not offend my
uncle. And so / drifted on irreso-
lutely, until Tuesday came, and
brought Tom Woodbird to stay
with us.
V.
Woohbird was not at all of an
unpleasant species of poet. He had
not been soured by the vanity of
human wishes any more than ordi-
nary people who are unable to pen
their aspirations. He did not seem
at all addicted to incoming, but en-
tered heartily into everything that
was going forward, and, when he
saw how matters stood between
Rose and me, he most honorably
refrained from any poaching upon
my preserves. So much was l pleas
ed with this delicacy that 1 resolved
to take him into confidence. As he
was poet, being "of imagination
all compact" he would doubtless be
able to imagine some scheme for at
tacking my uncle's hobby. l was
not disappointed. He made very
light of the hobby, and promised
me that my uncle should he won
over in a few days.
What his plan of attack was he
would not tell me, and he made me
promise to leave everything in his
hands, and to wait patiently until
the enemy surrendered. The cam
paign was unexpectedly brief. On
the very day after my conversation |
with Woodbird, whilst l was indul- |
ing my melancholy in the garden, 1 |
saw my uncle coming towards me |
with a glow on his face that made |
my heart leap.
Reginald" he said, laying his
hand upon my shoulder, and speak
ing in an excited way very different |
from his habitual manner; ego at
once, ask Rose to be your wife; she