The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1889-03-13

should have hestated to proceed further.
The far off, unattainable and dim is dear to
the soul of man-at least till it Is bis TO take
or leave. One day, when we were reading
new poem together, card was brought in.
'"Teu Mr. Chester that | am engaged and
cannot see him tonight" l overheard her say
to the servant "Mr. Chester does not ap-
preciate our author" she apologized to me,
land am not self sacrificing enough to ac-
cept him in exchange for Browning" It oc-
CURED to me at that time that there were
other young men belonging to aristocratic
families who had no fear of mesalliance
with a landlady's daughter, although to
be sure they might be simply anus
ing themselves. as gilded youth were
wont to do Estelle would never go
out with me, she had no chaperon, she said
| wondered what my sister-in-law would an
swer should write her to chaperon my land
1ady's daughter to Lohengrin, she who chap
eroned only the very elect, so to speak.
One evening the conversation drifted into
the subject of marriage. Mr.. Chester and
some others were present, and led the theme.
II would marry the woman | loved, said
Mr.. Chester, "if she were beggar, and my
father disinherited me on the spot"
"Beggary signifies nothing" returned an
other. zone would not ask has she dot,
but has she blue blood"
IAN ancestral tree, in short, with more
roots than branches" spoke a third LAS
for myself, confess should prefer my wife
to belong to the impecunious old families
rather than to the nQuveau richie. Poor
Bishop, how his world came down upon him
when he fell in love with shop girl, with
ueither blood nor bullion, his mother espe-
callyI But Bishop stood to his guns. it must
have taken a lot of pluck to weather all he
did from friend and foe"
''You call that plucks" said Chester. 81
call it obstinacy, in his case 1t was such
an easy thing for Bishop to fall in love that
he might have pleased his mother and given
up The girl"
And what do you think, Mr. Van Huy
SANG asked Estelle.
III think Bishop was fool that isl
mean-there may be exceptional shop girls,
who have all the refinement and cultivation,
all the traditions OF good breeding. in the
world. but Bishops choice was not one of
these She was simply beautiful, and he was
d fool to allow himself, at his age, to he
hoodwinked, so to speak, by mere flesh and
blood"
= quite agree with you," she said
could have bitten my tongue out when
called Bishop fool-in fact the whole con-,
ver'sation had seemed maiap ropos to ME. and
| went away with a sense Of defeat But
how could tell her that although | might
draw the line at the shop girl marrying a
landlady's daughter was quite another affairs
. Every day, to be sure, | made up my mind
. that would seek Estelle no more that the
difficulties in the case were too great to tie
surmounted, but every day, all tie same,
found me beside her, without self denial
enough to resign the infinite charm OF her
presence, and yet too weak OF will to accept
all the consequences OF such an alliance.
You will say that If | could thus Judge
and weigh circumstances | was not IN love.
But what is it, when all your soul is sat
urated with thoughts of one being, when you
seem to be not SO much yourself as anothers
The heroine in "WutherIng Heights" asks,
do love HeathclTtiet am Heathcliffe: ~
and so, | am sure, | felt with regard to Es-
telle am eertain that IN time | should
have overcome all Obstacles that the uobil
ity within me would have got the better of
any meaner qualities, but every mans na,
ture or temperament is in manner his own
fate Had not been quite certain at this
time that pleased Estelle IN spite of her
gentle hauteur, perhaps should have been
able to overcome my Suciai St'r,iyiles sooner
\ few weeks later | was caile4iaway on busl
ness. AMI 1t was month ol more before |
found II convenient to returi During that
time mad written &c ESteIle more than once
without. however. receiving any reply Yet
Was Snrs she was mine. that ! NAT only to
speak aid meant to speak at last to speak