Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-12-15
A CRITICAL MAID.


girls, the lectured, were standing note
book in hand, in a little group in the
corridor, talking in subdued tones,
consulting one another on a knotty
noint In the history of grand Jury. The
lecturer came out of the lecture-room
and passed us. He bowed gravely as
he passed, and went hastily down stairs,
his college cap in his hand, his long
gown falling Imply about his tall, thin
figure. We were silent until he was
out of sight; then our tongues were loos-
ened. and we no longer spoke in sub
dued tones.
Poor young mani" said Lottie, feel
ingly.
''He is as grave as judge" said
Nell.
THAT" said Claudia weightily, sis
nervousness. He is nervous girls
nervous of u.s."
But il was l who had the most to
cay. 1 leant against the balusters, with
my face towards the open door of the
lecture room, and gave the girls the
benefit of my observations.
''Yes, he is nervous" l said. "Poor
young man, he is shy! When L asked
him if the grand jury still existed he
blushed, girls-oh, he is copper-colored
to start with, 1 know, but he blushed
through the copper color"
For your ignorance, perhaps" sug-
gested Claudia.
''He is very shy" said /. she is not
used, expect, to teaching girls. He
can not forget that We are girls. He
waited-did you notice?-until we had
left the room; the other lecturers stalk
out before US, / think he wanted to
open the door for US and to bow us out.
Oh, poor young man, he is shyI-sly
and young.
The other girls were frownlng az me.
Claudia was touching my elbow, with
mysterious meaning. on one side; Nell
pulling my sleeve imperatively on the
other. Lothe formed her lips into
silent ''hush.r
"Shy and young-Tery youngl-what
is the matter?" l said.
Nobody answered me. No answer,
indeed, was needed. At that moment
our lecturer passed us again and went
--As7i= -inso- The lectRze-reom. He had
come up the stairs behind me-he must
have heard me. He seemed to glance
ny way as he passed. There seemed
te be a twinkle in his gray-blue eyes
Tie girls moved slowly away; but j
turned precipitately and fled.
Past the lecture room door, along the
corridor, upstairs l fed, to my own
little room, (study, bed chamber and
reception room, near the sky. meant
to work and took my Stubs and
turned over its leaves, and found my
place nrriedly, with an unusual
energy. But work would not drive
away the remembrance of my unlucky
speeches, and sentences bore no mean
ing TO me; could not fix my attention
Oh the history of early Germanic in
structlons. 1 shut IN my Stubbs in
despair; the girls were playing tennis
in the courts below, seized my racket
and ran swiftly down to join them.
Tennis would make me forget.
But if my thoughts were distracted
for an hour or two they attacked me
again when the game was over.
stood bef re my glass and changed my
dress for dinner and grew rosy red as
the resemblance of my words came
back. | had SAID that he had blushed
because l had spoken to him-I sald
that he was shy-I had implied that he
was shy OF me because was girl. L
should never dare to speak to him or
look at him againi had called him
copper. cOlored-at least / might have
spared him that reproach. l looked In
the glass at my own little face; 1t was
as brown as berry-brOwn by nature
in the first place and made more brown
l. ~ hn hrlQva from
the sea at home. His eyes were Diue
and his hair was fair. 1t was altogether
brOwn-hair, eyes, skin, all brown
alike. And 1 had called him copper
headed.-I had called him young! what
else had called him? 1 brushed back
nv brown hair tightly and severely,
tied my soft silk sash with jerk and
ran down to dinner with rush, hoping
to escape from my thoughts again.
Perhaps, after all, l thought, trying
to comfort myself he had not heard me.
Ny voice, alasl was clear as Deli's.
was an only girl in family OF boys--s
spoilt gin who had never been taught
to be meek and silent in the presence
Of her brcthers-a talkative girl VINO
had learnt to make herself heard In any
Babel of louder and gruffer voices.
But perhaps he had been thinklng-not
listening-meditating on the MARX sys-
TEN, trial by jury, or the dlsrupIlve
tendency of feudal government. buI
no, said the girls. lie must have heard'
there was no doubt whatever lnaI ne
had heard me.
The girls were as happy as usual.
They could contemplate the situation
TRANQUILITY; it even afforded them
amusement; they found something hu-
morous In my discontinue. 1t was l,
not they. whom he had overheard.
We sat in a half circle on the noor
before the fire that night, in our pretty
bright dressing-gowns, and drank cocoa
and ate sweet biscuits before going 10
bed. l was hostess. The stuuy' .ne
little tin kettle singing on the mop, .he
blue and white china, the cocoa lne
sweet biscuits were all mine. we l0uI
friend gave cocoa parties in tuon. 10
morrow Claudia would provide tDe
feast. Yesterday Nell had been most,
ess. Cocoa was the chief DISSIPATION Oh
a college. We gave ''cocoas" as our
brothers gave "wines''-lt was drlnA
easily made, inexpensive, nutritious.
We sat around the fire on the hoor'
talking and laughing, holding our YEA yea
cups and stirring our cocoa Slowly u AZ
absent-mindedly as we talked. ny
guests were merry, but to-nlgnI was
unusually silent and depressed ...,u
after all,'' said Claudia, senslpiy:
trying to comfort me-''after all, VIVA.
did you say, Cis? NothlngInoenliiss nais
at ali events that mattered. You Salu
he was young; well, that is true; iio"
cid, girls. do you imagine he Isl"
..T,ra,tyf,,o - Sard I.Ottl6.