The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-05-10
C0NQUERING A QUAKER.

OONQUEhlNG A QUAkER.
81 would offer to help you, Edith, only
don't know what you mean to take"
said Helena Marvin, looking into the
room where her sister was pacing.
"Takef said Edith, hardly pausng to
answer as she moved about the open
trunks from closet and bureau, .'why,
I'm going to take everything"
"Dont you mean TO make any conces-
sionsr'
"Not o concession"
"You think it will be better to defy
themY'
defy them! no, indeedi What n hor-
rifle idea!'
Then what do you mean to DOR
IL mean to please them"
"But how can you possibly please
them IL you wear silk dresses and curl
your hair?"
IL don't know; perhnpo sha'n't; but
I'm going to try. And / know I never
should please anybody IL left my hair
straight" and the pretty Cambridge
belle thought to herself that 1t would be
q pity, indeed, If she, who had ALWAYS
pleased everybody without trying, could
not please Roberts relatives If she did
try.
But this visit to Robert 8 relatives wns
naturally contemplated with even moro
than the usual trembling excitement Of
the young fance. For Roberts father
and mother and sisters were all Quakers,
with traditions and beliefs and customs
according to which they ought to con-
template with horror and distress this
union OF their only son and brother with
q worldling. And such q wording!
Such fascinating combination of laugh
ing eyes and merry lips and curling hair
nnd tnkling bangles and rustling long
silk skirts and coqucttish bonnets and
bewildcring laces and ribbons and little
slippers. Oh, dear! oh, d.s-sa' ow thew
would hate her. And ES-,i diu ~
want them TO hate her. Shn lad not Tho
elightest desire to defy or TO horrify them.
She was very anxious. ipde.,a. M ,,I,.....
- i-ass-7- .oSs---zzJined with this anxious
desire TO please was quite unconscious,
though equally firm, determination not
to win their affection by concessions.
Not so much a5 tho bow Of a slipper
would she offer up on the shrine of do
votion to Roberts relations. Worldly
she was; worldly she would he sure
to remain; and it was best that they
should understand from the first that
abe was thoroughly addicted to silk,
satin and lace whenever she could get it.
but she had faint hope that, once
brought in contact with her worldliness,
they would find it pleasanter than they
thought. Why noti She had conquered
Robert; why should she not conquer
themi Robert had not fallen in love
with her in spite Of her airs and graces;
he had fallen in love with the airs and
graces themselves. He had often told
her 30. lie had repeatedly pointed out
the particular little curl over lier adora-
ble forehead that had first won his at
tention. and had assured her that it was
q certain bit Of lovely lace about her
throat that had completed his subjuga-
ton. And that dear little curl was not
only curl, but was boughten curl,
held in its place by hairpins, and as fic-
titiously worldly rs q curl could possibly
bc. True. Robert was not exactly a
Quaker; he was only q descendant of
Quakers. He had not definitely re.
nounced the world, although there clung
TO him, from the force of heredity and
training and circumstances, Ger
tain grave demeanor and atmos-
phere Of earnestness. He did not
dance; he did not even want to dance;
but he did not exactly disapprove of other
people dancing IL anybody did choose to
indulge in 80 foolish a caprice; and on
the evening when he had been lured by q
friend to one of the Cambridge ''as-
semblies," and had met thero his imme-
diate, unquestionable, irresistible, worldly
little fate, he had even felt suddenly
sort Of impotent rage with himself at not
being able to dance. True, he didn't
want to dance any more than he ever
did; but then, she wanted to dance, and
now could he ever please her il ho
couldn't do exactly the things she did?
stu, he had pleased her, and with very
little effort; for the quiet, earnest youth
was tall and very handsome, and would
graduate with honors; In consideration
OF which attractions his earnestness might
easily be forgiven, even, indeed, IL the
earnestness itself had not a certain charm
fits own, as at least a novelty. So, IL Rob
ert had pleased her, and she had pleased
Robert, unlike each other as they Were,
and everybody acknowledged that 1t was
aperfect love match on both sides, why
might 1t not be possible that she would
please Roberts relationsi though not SO
much as slipper bow would she sacri-
nce from her pleasant worldliness to
ure that much TO be desired result
4, ~. " CHANGED, test of her resolution
NJ 'S respect was offered Immediately.
a.'m and Edith had hardly been
!" Their chamber. after their ar
ith a the Longworth Lome, before
imeJp Jpsned 81 20 her travelling bag and ex-
10 s dear! oh, deari Mamma. NV
c,l pencl Is all broken into bits, and
ali Iaps 4 aIs nrs all out Of curl. Whatever
ouId dof m Oh, know Esther said she
ryshinS'a rin q ! IN the next room Il wa wanted ted
eeer's door. 'ns vas tapping ut
= sns :, sorry to trouble vou M. ,,v
tcncn c y AZ broksn 10 M bits I'm n my my
n,'' '' 1eu - - have ", one y, "a =