Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-06-04

know, nay love, I have given you a difficult
task to perform, and nothing but my knowl-
edge Of your tact would have encouraged ms
10 ask you to undertake it. But you will do
it, and do it we'll Sophia will marry Prem
dergast, and the praise Of the affair will be
yours"
The little mother had not said one syllable
about Cars cleverness which was unmerited:
but however astute that young lady might
be-, she was like an osier wand in the skilled
hands Of her mother. With wonderful enthu-
siasm Car took up the scheme, and not less
wonderful was the simple obedience with
which she resolved to follow out the directions
that were given her. Independent and in
ventive as she was in herself, she yet learned
her mothers words by heart as faithfully as
if she had been getting up a scene in a play.
She did not insert a word Of her OWN; and
the more she showed her readiness to follow
her mothers instructions implicitly, the mora
did that unrivaled student Of human nature
laud her quickness, her resource, her capacity
for maneuver and benevolent stratagem.
Presently Egerton looked in from the con-
servatory giggling and blushing.
81 have heard all you have been saying to
Carry,n he said. 'HTwasn't listening, | hope.
Couldn't help it if it was, the other door
being locked. o, Mrs. Temple, do you know
| really think you must be a clever woman;
l really think you must be. You seem to
know everything and to manage everybody.
l quite agree with you about instilling things
into Sophia's mind. Impress upon her
here Egerton teapotted himself and with out
stretched hand began to spout fluently-"m-
press upon her the tremendous Importance OF
marriage. Tell her that marriage is the sort
of thing that must be done, you know.
You can assure her from me that it is tr4
mendously important. And you can tell her
| that my experience is that it isn't so much mat
ter whom you marry as the thing itself. Do
that, and the rest will follow. OF course l
was not speaking of myself quite, you know,
not altogether; for Carry is such a tremen-
dously nice girl that | don't hardly know that
| could have found another wife who would
have made me SO happy-at least, not with
out a great deal of trouble, you know. But
I mean you are to impress on Sophia that, in
a general way, it does not muck matter whom
you marry. And then, if she won't see it,
well, / scarcely know what to advise" The
streamnow became intermittent, and Egerton
began to show symptoms of wandering in his
mind. ~ was reading some book lately
about a girl that would not marry somebody;
and what her parents did was, they shut her
up in some tower somewhere. and kept her
on bread and water. But you see you have
no tower at the Beeches. Still, you might
try the bread and water. 1t is wonderful
what diet does"
Off flew our elderly little Venus once more,
charioted hithar and thither on the errands
and the mischief of love, She knitted her
brows, she made her little glove finger tips
meet, she set a reflective mouth, and thus
she conned over the state of her plans.
"Sibyl is to place before her the comforts
and the advantages of wealth; Sibyl will do
it well. Archibald Goldmore is to press duty
upon her, and take her OH the ground of the
fifth commandment. l can see him now
slow, solemn, parsonic. O., if | had time to
laugh over it, | SHOULD. And Caroline will
work on her feelings; that will com best
from Car, who has not much feeling Of her
own, because Sophia will reason: We'll, if
Car thinks so, there must be something in it.
Interest, obedience, affection. Yet, it is not
bad. And there is more to come. Sophia,
Sophia, l shall marry you, without a tower,
or bread and water, either! Simply by tact,
dearly tact"