Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-05-28

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Of sound information, Of irreproachabls
habits and Of a temper which was under.
stood to have suffered trying and salutary
probation during the short term Of his we'd.
ded life. Miss Everett was, therefore, all
things considered, believed to be making a
very good match and to be havin. by no
means the worst of the bargain.
And yet Miss Everett, too, was q yery
marriageable young lady-the pretty Miss
Everett, as she was called, to distinguish her
from certain plain cousins, with whom,
owing to her having no mother and no sis.
tiers, she was constrained, for decencys sake,
to spend great deal Of her time-rather to
her own satisfaction, 1t may be conject-
ared, than to that Of these excellent young
women.
Marian Everett was penniless indeed; but
sne was richly endowed with all the gifts
which make a woman charming. Sbe
was, without dispute, the most Charming.
girl In the circle in which she lived and
moved. Even certain Of her elders. women
OF larger experience, of heavier caliber.
as 1t were, and, thanks to their being mar.
ried ladies, OF greater freedom of action.
We're practically not SO charming as she,
And yet, in her emulation of the social
graces or these, her more fully licensed Sis
ters, Miss Everett was quite guiltlem Of any
alteration from the strict line of maidenly
dignity. She professed an almost religious
devotion to good taste, and she looked with
horror upon the boisterous graces Of many of
lier companions Beside being the most en-
Pertaining girl in New York, she was, there.
fore, also the most irreproachable Her
beauty was, perhaps, contestable, but IL was
certainly uncontested She was the least bit
below the middle height, and her person was
marked by great fullness and roundness of
outline; and yet, in spite Of this comely
ponderosity, her movements were perfectly
light and elastic. In complexion, she was a
genuine blonde--a warm blonde; with a
midsummer bloom upon Der cheek, and
the light OF midsummer sun wrought
into her auburn hair. Her features
were not cast upon classical model.
put their expression was in the highest
degree pleasing. Her forehead was low
and broad, her nose small, and her mouth
well, by the envious her mouth was
called enormous 1t is certain that it had an
immense capacity for smiles, and that when
she opened it to sing (which she did with in.
finite sweetness) 1t emitted a copious flood of
sound. Her face was, perhaps. a trife too
circular, and her shoulders a trifie too HIGH.
but, as say, the general effect left nothing
to be desired. might point out dozen dis.
cords in the character Of her face and figure.
and yet utterly fail to invalidate the impres.
sion they produced. There is something es-
sentially uncivil, and, indeed, unphilosophi-
col, in the attempt to verify or to disproye
a woman's beauty in detail, and man gets
no more than he deserves when he finds that,
In strictness, the aggregation Of the different
features fails to make up tho total Stand
of, gentlemen, and let her make the addition.
Beside her beauty, Miss Everett shone by
her good nature, and her lively perceptions.
She neither made harsh speeches nor re-
sented them; and, then, on the other hand,
she keenly enjoyed intellectual cleverness,
and even cultivated it. Her great merit was
that she made no claims or pretensions,
Just as there was nothing artificial in her
beauty, so there was nothing pedantic in her
acuteness and nothing sentimental in her
amiability. The one was all freshness and
the others all bonhommie.
John Lennox saw her, then loved her and
offered her his hand. In accepting it Miss
Everett acquired, in the worlds eye, the one
advantage which she lacked-a complete
stability and regularity of position. Her
friends took no small satisfaction in con-
trasting her brilliant and comfortable future
with her sImewhat precarious past. Lennon,
neverthela s, was congratulated on the right
hand and on the left; but none too often fof.
his faith. That of Miss Everett was not put
to so severe a test, although she was fro
quently reminded by acquaintance Of q NOR
alizing turn that she had reason to be
very thankful for Mr. Lennox's choice. To
these assurances Marian listened with look
Of patient humility which was extremely be-
coming 1t was as If for his sake she could
consent even to be bored.
Within fortnight after their engagement
had been made known, both parties returned
to NewyYork Lspnox lived In a house Of
his own, which he now busted himself with
repairing and refurnishing; for the wedding
had been fixed for the end of October. Miss
Everett lived in lodgings with her father,
decayed old gentleman, who rubbed his
idle hands from morning till night over the
prospect Of his daughters marriage.
John Lennox, habitually man Of numer-
GUS resources fond offeading, fond of music,
fond OF society, and not averse to politics,
passed the first weeks Of autumn in restless,
ddgety manner When q man approaches
middle age he finds it difficult to wear grace
fully the distinction Of being engaged. He
finds it difficult to discharge with becoming
alacritv tbe varions natits soins ;noiJao.aI.s =.
the position. There was n certa;n ,,otha,;o
gravity. to those who knew him xal, In Tan'
nox's attentions. One-tbird OF his time ha
spent In foraging broadway. wbence ba ra.
turned half dozen times week. Iadsn With
trinkets and gimcracks. which he al,yavs
finished by thinking it puerile and hrntol 10
offer his mistress. Another third he passed
in Mr., Eyerett's drawing room during which
period Marian was denied to visitors. The
rest of the time he spent, as he told a friend,
God knows how. This was stronger lapguaee
than his friend expected to hear. for Lennox
was neither a man of precipitate utterance.
nor, in his friends belief, of a strongly pas.
sionate nature. But it was evident that bs
was very much in love. or at least very much
az his balance