The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-04-18

| cOmbed head was thrust out.
.Oh. how small IL makes you fee
to ovcrhcar people talking, even wher
you can't help it! II ! had only been
dressed. and could have walked right
out! And TO think he never ones
looked Mt the upper shelf where the
poetry Is! How ignorant Of him 70
suppose ] can not enjoy these precious
books without being a stifY. angular.
'strong-minded' old thing! WANTED
to like dear Auntic Wakeiield's only
son, but now ! can not Such a mar
row. conceited fellow! I've half a
mind to fool him by acting the part Of
a frivolous. fashionable girl, without
an idea in her head. could do II.
But he isn't worth the trouble. Bet
ter leave his majesty entirely to him
SELF"
Nevertheless, IL was a very cour-
teous and agreeable young man whom
Ruth found when, two hours later,
she descended to the tea table and was
formally introduced to Mr.. Ralph
Wakefield.
For several days their acquaintance
made little progress. When not en-
gagged in household duties the young
lady wandered in the woods and
fields, rs had been her wont, or sat
in her little room holding sweet COM
partnership with the slandered books.
When she talked with Ralph, it was
usually about the dressing Of salad,
the relative merits Of currant jelly and
raspberry jam, or the kind OF gerani-
ums that always prospered best under
her care. Once when she asked his
opinion as to the trimming most ap-
propriate for the caps she was making
for his mother-whether he preferred
quilted ribbon or muslin frills-and he
answered that he knew not one from
the other, she was moved to tell him
in the most innocent manner that she
had some books upstairs which he
needed to read for instruction. All the
young mans attempts to draw out any
opinions she might have ended in
failure. He received but the shortest
and drycst Of answers Yet there was
at such times something in her
eyes and in her manner that puzzled
him. She could not school her tell-tale
features into proper immobility, and
after time Ralph's wonderment be-
gan to border on enlightenment
Finding himself growing more in
terested in her every day, in spite Of
her reserve. he changed his tactics
and entertained her with common
place topics-his life in the city. his
Law studies, his ideas Of Jurisprudence.
the acquaintance he had made, his
outlook for the future. Gradually the
amiability of each found full play; in
terest and confidence grew up on both
sides. and, in spite Of her grim re-
solves, Ruth found herself almost un.
consciously acting once more some.
thing like her real self. Still. she
fought against the change, and nigh,
have continued to fight, until
October, with her HAIR ansme.
Flushed brow, and purple finger tips,
Aeross the Southern orchards cama.
And touched the apple with her lips"
had not an accident, veritable acct
dent, happened to her sewing-ma
chine.
Strangely enough, Ruth began scold
ing, not the machine, but the work.
''Oh, the supreme folly Of moderl
dress-making! am 30 tired Of hem'
and tucks, bands and ruffles, puffing
and fittings! And now that the hem
mer will not hem, and the gatherel
will not gather, what can / do will
this mass Of trimming? Auntie,
hope that II / ever come into thil
world second time . great wave o
reform will have swept AWAY all sucl
fummery as muslin putfs and ruffies.
"Same of potato-bugs," murmuret
Father Wakefield. sleepily, from hi
| chair.
A voice from the doorstep.
have no desire to re-appear on this sub
lunary stage when the curtain fall
upon my present mortal existence; an,
/ have no faith in Reichenbach's alb
surd doctrine Of re- incarnation. /
was Ralph.
Ruth, who had believed the younI
man was at the post-office, mile away
gave great start that threatened t.
overturn the unfortunate sewing-ma
chine. But she was not to be discon
certel, and answered promptly:
Are you sure OF that? Now. I cal
not give this old world up SO willing
ly. ! like it. It is the only world
know any thing about want to know
what will become Of the Anarchists
and how long England will remain ,
monarchy. Then there is Japan. grow
ing so interesting; and-and the Mort
Pole.
I'm excuse the North Pole" sal,
Ralph, "but ! do feel an interest i
Pasteur's discovery, and the Bacon
Shakespeare cipher. And confess :
a yerning desire to know how tn
Philadelphia Public Buildings will loo
when completed"
Yes, indeed" said sympatheti
Ruth. And there are fying-machine
to be perfected. Then think Of faith
cure and hypnotism!''
"Humbugsr' groaned Father Wake
field.
but there are mysteries which al
not humbugs; every thing connecte
with electricity Is mysterious. Thin
Of the photophone. and all othe
phones. What mystery is the phon,
graph; and-oh, SO many Othe
thingsr'
Name some Of them, please" sal
Ralph.
They can hardly be named," 81
said, with sort Of reverent hush
' her voice. Il call them the Reserv'
of nature. They are so fine, 30 subtl
What hints there are in what Rusk
J calls the choices Of the atoms show
in capitalization. What miracles y
: the lovely singing flames. as Tynds
shows them, and the light waves tn
:. have their choices. also. Think OF q