West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-03-29

mine was no exception to the rule. There
were widows in every stage of bereave-
ment and every stage of mourning; from
the indisputable hue of real grief to the
delicate tint of questionable sorrow. OF
one only shall speak, Mrs. Otis From
my arrival TO my departure Mrs. Otis was
constantly on the watch for me TO do
! queer things. And l did my best To
crafty her desire; never disappointed
her if / could help it, When failed TO
| furnish her with a weekly morsel TO roll
under her tongue she was positively of.
Tended, and looked upon il as a personal
aifront. Yet in spite of my genuine
efforts to be useful to her as a moral
wherewith TO adorn her many tales OF
feminine idiosyncracies, she never APP
peared specially grateful to me. In fact,
we were so mutually antagonistic that,
although no open warfare existed be
tween us, ii was evident enough that we
were not friends. One of the bright
young girls in the house spoke of Mrs.
Otis always as my particular enemy.
But enough of that. She has since mar
ried, aud had longed for revenge
couldn't have had sweeter." And Kate
laughed musically.
"WhyW we clamored.
"Because she married the man she
didn't want. But no more Of her now.
You know no one can live in Boston
without becoming tainted with literary
and intellectual ambitions, and was no
heroic exception TO that rule. That
| winter Browning was the idol worshiped
lie has ever been my idol, as you
know, and from my enthusiastic study OF
his vigorous poetic philosophy of life
i 1aarNa1 e.
class. We met at the house of a charm
ing Woman who was such a sufferer that
her couch was literally her home. She
lived, in one of the loveliest houses have
ever seen, one OF the loveliest lives have
ever been brought in contact with. But
there was this disadvantage, as far as |
was concerned, her home was some eight
miles from the city, and most idellly re-
mote from the vulgar convenience of a
railroad. Consequently was obliged TO
drive over. One very cold January after
noon was waiting impatently for the
conveyance that was to take me TO W.
| was ready, warmly wrapped IN furs and
| prepared to defy the cold, and Ibid not
relish being kept waiting by the livery
man. was just getting in little tenn
/ per when my pilgrimage to the window
was rewarded by the sight of n sleigh
drawn up before the door. ! didn't
recognize the driver; it was not the one
| was accustomed to have, but, Of course.
1T was my conveyance, so | ran down
stairs and out TO the sleigh aud got in.
| Drive me TO W. / said 'and you
may give the horse his head, for am late
now. ,"
'The driver touched his hat. bent
! Hnxyn a nj fFnplrr1 -, rr
we went. l needn't have said anythin1
he took it; he spun along over
the crust like Russian steed
| noticed his superiority TO the slow
animal that had dragged me over
the same route n week previous. and so
Pleased was with the change that re-
marked it.
This is better horse than the other
one, said.
q" i don't know, he said, doubtinplv.
Some likes the other best
'"Impossiblcp p exclaimed, remem ber-
ing the other
Il like this one best though they 20
well together, so they can't be so very
different he said, somewhat as if he re.
sented my noticing the difference.
90 GO well together echoed. How
could that bel
AN the doctors horses arc fine
animals, he continued.
All" said. i didn't care to enter
into n discussion with the driver. but
something impolled me TO say: "Your
master knows how to select a horse. of
course, being in the business
No one better, Miss. The doctor
never gets taken in in horse trade
- 'YO1r master is a horse doctorp
said
"The well-bred, Enplish-lookino
driver actually turned his head and
looked at me In an instant he had re-
covered himself AMI answered me:
No, Miss. he amt
His tone was so aggrieved that was
sorry ] had wounded his feelings and
hastened to make amends. / know how
sensitive servants are to any apparent
disrespcct to their master, and although
the master i'm this case was bat livery
stable keeper, who was known as doc
tor, didn't want TO lower his dignity in
the eyes Of his servant, so said:
Veterinary surgeon, believe horse
doctors are called; IL is the same thing,
"lIc made no reply, though he still
looked aggrieyed, and we whirled along
in silence.
"Wcm met various people whom knew
They Stared slightly as they bowed TO me.
and even smiled more than was nece eary
They think it is my own, / said to
myself, meaning the decidedly swell turn
out
"Whcn we reached Mrs. Stanford.
fOrd's told the driver TO take the horse
20 the stables and be at the door In an
hour. Let me pass over the hour spent
In discussing that fine dramatic poem.
spoiled by too much telling: The Ring
and the Book At the end Of that hour
my driver was waiting for me. and we
were soon whirling along again toward
the city When ] reached my whilom
home ] gave the man p little "tip. - and
told him 10 come for me the next week
ut the same hour, and 10 tell the
doctor, his master, that J wanted the
same horse also. Then 7 went into the
house, and instead Of going TO my room
! went into the drawing room was 50
full Of my enjoyable drive that 7 wanted
TO talk about IL. A group Of the ladies
in the house were gathered around the
open fire and joined them. They had
been talking a3 ] entered, but as ! drew
near they ceased speaking. Mrs. Otis
was ono Of the group, and seated next TO
her was a big fellow who stared at me
more than ] enjoyed. But 7 was too full
Of my drive 20 resent &C.
Such drivcp exclaimed raptur