West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-05-21

came, and brought Tom Woodbird to
stay with us.
Woodbird was not at all of an un-
pleasant species of poet. lie had not
been sourcd by The vanity of human
wishes any more than ordinary people
who are unable to pen their aspira-
tons. He did not seem at all addicted
to incoming, but entered heartily into
every thing that was going forward,
and, when he saw how matters stood
between Rose and me, he most honor
ably rcfraincd from any poaching upon
my preserves. So much was | pleased
/ with this delicacy that / resolved to
take him into my confidence. As he
was a poet, being 'of Imagination all
| compact he would doubtless be able
to imagine some scheme for attacking
my uncle's hobby. | was not disap-
| pointed. 1t is true that he embraced
| the situation with an Olympian roar OF
| laughter, which somewhat outraged
my Sympathies, until | remember the
! privilege which superior men possess
of looking on the humorous side of
things, and did not take offcnse. He
made very light of the hobby. and
! promised me that my uncle should be
won over i'm a few days.
1T is not the first time he said,
THAT | have done battle with the sub
jects of Queen Entelccheia, ct militavi
non sine gloria.
The alusion to Rabelais was beyond
me, but | had learnt enough Latin at
Elton to construe the quotation from
Horace, and felt much relieved at hav.
ing secured so excellent a champion
What his plan of attack was he would
not tell me, and he made me promise
to leave every thing i'm his hands, and
to wait patiently until the enemy sur
rendered. ! can not say that / waited
patiently, for | was burning with anx-
iety to know what would happen, but
| refrained from any Interference. The
campaign was Unexpectedly brief
On the very day after my conversation
with Woodbird, whilst | was indulg-
ing my melancholy in the garden, /
saw my uncle coming towards rue with
glow on his face that made my heart
leap.
Reginald, he said, laying his hand
upon my shoulder, and speaking i'm an
excited way very different from his ha-
bitual manner, "go at once and ask
Rose TO be your wife; she is i'm the con
servatOry alone. Heaven grant that
she may say yesn
What were my feelings do YOU think?
Oh, the Joy, the uncertainty, the de-
spondency! If she should refuse me-?
All, now | began to see upon what
slight hopes ] had built my foolish cas-
tic in the air! Never did man pre-
pare for surgical operation certain to
either kill or cure him with more pain
full emotions than | went to put my
fate to the touch. How it all happened
| do not know. From the time at
which ] entered the conservatory to
the time when Rose and | left it to-
gether swimming in dream of mutual
happiness, | can only remember dis
tinctly my words: do YOU care for
meP' and her precious answer: Eyes. :"
We went TO my uncle, who blessed
us with tears in his eyes; there were
not three happier individuals in the
world. The afternoon glided away in
rapture. The hobby was forgotten;
and it was not until the evening that |
had any thought of gratitude to Wood
bird, or curiosity as to the reason of my
uncle's sudden change of front.
VI.
You must give up writing poetry,
my dear, when you're married, said
my uncle to Rose. as we were taking
coffee in the drawing-room.
'Oh, i could never write a line of
poetry she answered, bushing. I'm
Gle for must always call you uncle
| see | must make a confession. VIII
YOU ever forgive me? 1t was all Mr.
Woodbird doing. Those verses which
| showed you this morning were never
written by poor me- Did You really
think that ! could have written thcmP
1t was a little conspiracy between Mr..
WOOdbird and me. He wrote them for
the GrOsueHOr N0gu.iHe. and said he
wanted a perfectly unbiased opinion Of
thcm. so ] promised to give them TO YOU
without telling you who wrote them
but pretending they were mine. as il /
could write poetry And ! didn't tell
you, Mr.. WoOdbird. how pleased he
was with them. lie said they actually
showed what was it,, uncle? snv-
thetic Imagination Oh. Won dear
uncle, did YOU really think / had any
synthetic Imagination I'm afraid
you will be 20 disappointed with mcr'
SO this was the secret of my uncIc's
conversion / looked at Woodbird.
who was sitting with q comical twinkle
In his eve, intensely rcli-hing the situa-
ton As for my uncle his face was "a
study A battle was going on i'm his
heart between the hobby and his alTcc-
ton Sor Rose aud myself Science and
love together puckcrcd up his face into
the most grOtcsque complex expression
If annoyance and sati-facGon But
Ibis kindly nature proved too strong for
che resistance Of his crotchct-. and bc
submitted lie rose from his seat. and.
going mp 20 Rose. kissed her upon the
forehead and said:
i shall never be disappointed with
you. dear Rose You nave won my
heart, as vel. as Brginsld's
And so the hobby was vanquished
When ] told Rose the whole story. She
was az first rather concerned a. her in-
nocent part in the conspiracy. for it
appeared % rer feminine sensitiveness
q cruel thing % deceive my uncle In
any thing, and she was not satisfied
until he had been informed Of Wood
bird wickedness. But my uncle was
so pleased with the result that he read
iIy fOrgave the means bv which IL had
been obtained ur marriage took
place after short engagements and
we have taken mp our quarters not far
from my Oh home. We do not FORGET
when we are obliged 10 listen % the
kind scientist Discourse. which be-