The Penn's Grove record., 1886-10-09
A PROSAIC ROMANCE.

The Rev. Septimus Haslingdean,
having been escorted to a most COM
Portable seat by an attentive guard,
having arranged his various belongings,
and finally unfolded his afternoon pa
per, reclined against the cushioned
back of the compartment for a mo-
ment, sighed gently as a relief conse-
quent on the fatigue and bother of mis-
drive, the trouble of buying a ticket
and seeing that he was properly taken
care of. Then he learned his head out
of the window to survey conten-
platively the busy crowd hurrying and
bustling about. A crowd is always
more or less amusing to a spectator of
Its movements, and the reverend gem
tleman, being of a gregarious DISPOSE
ton, rather liked looking on at other
people working or playing, especially
well conducted, respectable kind of
people, who did not render themselves
disagreeable.=
The Rev. Septimus hoped he might
be fortunate enough to have his COM
partment completely to himself, and
had intlmated his desire to the friendly
guard. The carriages were rapidly
filling, and the tram would start in
another five minutes, so he blandly
surveyed the figures fitting and flying
to and fro, gazing on their busy actions
with languid complacency. He seldom
travelled beyond the outskirts of his
own Arcadia, and objected strongly to
e~ncountering any discomfort on his
journey.
at his age-he vas nearly 60, but
his dressing-case, in common with his
numerous friends and few enemies,
told HIM that he appeared certainly
twelve OIL fifteen years less-when nigh
six decades have begun to whisper
unpleasantly of aches and pains, bothers
and worries, 1t is most needful to be
gently punctilious as to personal COM
fort. Fate had been b%ounteous to he
Rev. Septimus. She had given him
all the welcome offerings she could
scatter at his feet--good looks, ample
fortune, a circle OF admrers, If not
adorers and worshipers, a s~unlighted
path to tread on through life. He had
married a well'dowered wife, who had
been moderately kind to him, but after
ten or twelve years of calm domestic
partnership had departed, leaving him
not utterly desolate, inconsolable or a
prey to despair. His only daughter
had married well in her teens; his only
son had received an enyiable appoint
ment in India.
Nearly everybody was seated. The
final slamming of doors ratified like
musketry all along the line of carriages.
The Rev. Septimus gently shook his
newspaper, the odor of the printing
Ink being slightly offensive to him. At
home IN the rectory the daily Journal
vas always s~olicItously aired before
being touched by the dlmpled white
hands of the perhaps too fastidlous
rector. With a reluctance .he had not
yet overcome rel when alone, he took
his spectacles from their case, wiped
the glasses with a handkerchief fine
and soft rs snow. such a duchess might
use, perched the gold frame across his
handsome nose, and m~editatively re-
signed himself to scan the latest news.
Fate had in one of her teasing moods
inflicted upon her favorite the mortifi-
cation of wearing ~spectacles in mali
cious sport, as frolicsome girls will
sometimes scratch their lovers with
the thorn of a rose. Outlines did the
rector think it was too bad when he
happened To see some wretched old
Farm laborer about 20 or 80 years old
eading without glasses" and with
manifest ease.
A soft, melodious voice said, so sud-
denly as TO startle him:
MAY / come in hereY"
He looked up. whipped his spectacles
under the paper, and stared at the
speaker, not only answering quickly,
''Certain y" but rising and actually
opening the door himself to admit a
most beautiful girl, who sprang lightly
IN and seated herself opposite to him.
The rector liked beautiful, ~fashionably
attired girls, though he seldom enjoyed
the good fortune of meeting them.
He ranked them among the agreeable,
solacing things of this dull life-hke
roses, peaches, plneapples, Rimmel's
choicest perfumes, and so on. In a
mild, paternal way, he disapproved of
young female persons trying to be
clever, or intellectual, or ~straying out
side the calm, sheltering precincts OF
domestic duties, as he deemed 1t ne
cessary to rebuke them for yielding to
the temptation Of frivolity On the other
hand.
This young lady was perhaps Is or
90 years old, with a charming frank,
girlish face, bewitchingly pretty, and
no doubt was as amiable as her looks
declared her to be. Her attire, q master
piece of richness in material, combined
with chaste simplicity of design, set
of her beauty TO the highest advantage.
20, thank you, 80 very much" she