New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-18
THE PROFESSORS PROBLEM

at am quite unable to understand H. Sa'u '"'
Professor sgn found himself at fault most OF
IL VIC would have conciudeu lIas @le SUI 70
in ,S must have been one soms Of the best
conp'' ~ b;s life over problems SO eAceTuInsy
no,tv that they were wont 70 spe"k % soio
Wonderfully clever man an uie feaineu H,
W. Lnow my dear don't ask me 10 eNpaln,
gles, yu ~ absence of definition which ADDS so
ng Nna y yet after all it was nothing SO very re
narLabfe or extraordinary Owe Shlch ne was
.m11ing himself The freak of man ana the
ppsnrice Of woman would have summed IL all up;
Int the only 'oogy 1t had TO 90 Wltn h"pi {,t
~ he the one the Professor knew nothing about
- StranOe thing-an unaccOuntaDle thlhg ne
repoated emphatically. lhat because pool
pbillimore fancied me, he should leave me I1le
care of a child Dear, dear me- II ne hau Only
devoted only little more time TO the creek pdIIu
eiesi II was a sad mistake. Eight years iiaS
the child really lived with US elghu years sbe
snupose il must be so; and, as Rachel says, she
il a woman now and she has found IoI solhe
time / fear, the house too dull for her. nave
not found it dull" unused me froIesSI hsye bren
of sadness in his tone The years naog ,u OVEN
happy-the happest and pleaSantest nav N io,
since little Hetty came; am sure heneI 80 ~
how much young glrl mas ]! III ner pcboerfui
il has been to hear her steps about ohe pl%cc
How we should miss her-Rachel and l--lf she were
10 leavel But | have been neglecung heri l
have forgotten that she needs something brighter
than the monotonous tenor Of her lie mere 70
She is not happy; now that come TO thlnK o! H.
have not heard her singing i0r 80 som Slame S he
said at last aloud; the mouse Is uIl ~ 80
and l am dull, and Rachel Is dull oIgnU ~
have thought of il before am not mVvu crcture
knows, to have the charge OF young cre'' Snd
like that l am afraid Pmlnmofe maui " " CT
mistake, so far as her happiness was Goii0oin'>
when he left hex 10 us. wonuer WdidI 90" sba
vonnq girls anticipa tions-what surroundings She
requires? 1t must be dull can see that now low
TO be so constantly with Rachel haNe CSc t
found Rachel little monotOnous myself; "a
after all i understand little OF W0mahkno'
calculated the Professor, sadly. ;,,. o..
The philosophers he uttered mtSa ,.drnen
last 4" they had something TO say ABOUT "olnon'
He stretched out his hand and partly tilted
the back Of book then let II reasSune lIs Pp
sition and scanned his crowded shelves luTtheI-
Great thinkers have not dlsdalned inc SUBJECT
] am sorry little Hettie has given up her sing
ing. Well WELL he added as ne toUn u tHncs
I am anxious to do my duty by the child"
An hour had slipped away, and the Pro1cSsor'
deep in thought, had lald down ms doom l 9o. a
time and was gazing a certain vague sadness
perceptible in his cOuntenance AT the 1al: spring
SKY seen through the fastshut window lie was
SO absorbed that he did not hear nght 9'ep
pass the door, nor did he even notice II when
the step hesitated. The door was gently opened
and the subject of his thoughts & lanced IN
IL he had observed it, he would not nave mag.
ined for q moment that the action denoted any
particular interest in himself. 1t was her way
a pretty, engaging way little Hetty had from a
",
losophers on their shelves. The philosopher IN MS
chair had grown won't to look Tor IL wheh sne
passed. - .-o,,,,,. ,,.o,,o,
certainly and very pretty and brlght-eyed one
but the fact that she had quite grown up would
long ago have been apparent to any eyes 9u I
Mr. ROchesters She had charming, rounded
figure the prettiest little loveoclSs, chestnut ana
curling, framed the plquancy OF her lace her eyes
alone we're childish innocent S0i9ge 1od IrO vef
wilful enough at times when Hetty chose ana,
as a child, she had chosen toleraby often And
there was quite wOmanly air OF decision about
her She considered she had arrived at years OF
discretion, and knew her own MIND FOR the
matter of that, she had known her own mind for
long time. and she felt it TO be thousand
pities the Professor did not know his 80,
Hetty closed the door with
sigh. and went slowly upstairs to to
her own room. sitting down, when she had reached
it, not far from the glass. She had been ac-
customed 10 admire, being young and pretty, ner
own pleasing Tefec1n put ~ haG IN b sCH beSS
20 object TO her nair which was curly ana WouId
not keep smooth also to the youthful curve Oh
her cheeks with other , small 1e's asserted Hettv
at last aloud, for there was no one by TO hear
her, and she shook her head scornftuly, con-
temningly. at her pretty image IN the mirror
seventeen years older than am, and because he
has thought and Thought till he is getting bald,
and his nice chestnut hair is growing little
gray and because he loves those miserable phllOSo-
phers-musty, detestao BILE, stony hearted old thngs!-
that nothing young. or bright or cheerful can
ever have anything to do with him. Why can't
he see that he is only thirty-eight after all?
Hes not bent in two, yet IN spite of his books
The looking glass might tell him little; and he
has the incest dark eyes | ever saw, and lie is a
muf He is miserable if | 40 away for day
Miss Rachel always says so-and he follows me
about the room with his eyes and he loves me
l know he loves me-if he is as blind as bat
And l am woman grown murmured little
Hetty softly, land have seen other people now;
and know what l have known for ever so long,
that there is nobody-nobody like him. And he
will never, never find 1T out. ! shall actually
bave-to-propose- to-him-myseh!"
1t was striking - downstairs; the Professor
pushed his book away, and gave long and
heavy sigh. IL appears evident he said mus
ingly a tlnge Of sadness in his tone. that woman
from time lmmemOrial has always found her proper
sphere and her greatest happiness IN the capacities
Of wife and mother. | must find home for little
lletty. 1t is right that l should do my duty by
the child"