The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-12-26
HER MEDITATIONS.
How Mrs. Paulding Was Recon
ciled to Toms Sweetheart.

wonder why sons will never marry
the girls their mothers pick out for
them. The pervcrsitv of human nature,
! suppose. But it seems to me that If
any one pointed out the proper line of
conduct to me | would follow it.
had never much of a fancy for
Gerarda Abbey. Her lips and cheeks
always seemed to be too bright-colored,
and her dark hair curled and flew about
so. AID then her eyes danced and
shone in totally indignified manner.
Tom, | used to say at least once
week, Il wonder you don't admire Mar
gle lIoffheimer. She has such dignity,
such repose of manner
so has an iceberg-and an oyster"
Tom would retort.
We'll! the young men of the present
day have strange taste. She is just my
ideal of a woman. SHE never covers
her forehead with foolish bangs and
frizzes."
PITY she doesn't said Tom. at
has such a lumpy look.
Tom is my only child. ] love him
dearly, but he has always been a great
weight on my mind For instance, in
spite all Of my entreaties he would go
to Fairview to settle, though every one
said there was finH opening at home,
in PasChal, when Old DR.. Johns died.
What a dear. good old man he was-but
somehow he never came to see me pro-
fessionally that lie did not make me
sicker than ever.
l told him so once, and he did ret
take it in good part at all.
Strange how few people can bear TO
hear the truth.
Well, as | was saying. Tom would
admire Gerarda and wouldn't admire
Margie. Now, | am not mercenary, but
do think it is better for young pro-
feSSional man to marry "A girl with a
nice little fortune of her own than one
with a Widowed mother and five younger
sisters and brothers and just enough to
get along on.
you'll never succeed, Tom | cried,
in pet. IF you marry a girl with a
pack of mothers and sisters clinging to
her skirts
strictly speaking" said Tom. in his
provoking way, Mrs. Abbey can't be
called pack of mothers"
''Oh, you know perfectly we'll what
mean; but have your own way, as
usual.
OF course | had to call on the girl,
since she and Tom were engaged. The
little house where they lived was al
ways as neat as a pin. must say, and
Gerarda was the main stay of the fami-
ly.
1 was polite, but not al all cordial. l
am too truthful to assume any thing /
don't feel. | told her ! thought she
would look better with her hair brushed
back from her forehead. She colored,
but answered very pleasantly that Tom
liked it best So"
This happened during one of Toms
visits home. He never sSaid long, and 1
used to tell him it looked as if did not
make him comfortable. Well, did not
see much of GerarGsa that fall, though
we used to pay each other duty calls
now and then; and when winter set in
! heard of queer freak of hers
She had opened dancing school.
Now there seems to be something
very bold and unteminine about teach
ing a dancing school. One always
thinks a woman ought to support her
self by teaching music or embroidery
or painting plaques To be sure
Gerarda did not know how to play or
paint, never having had much time for
accomplishments, fancy.
couldn't understand it at all, for the
Abbeys had always got along 50 far,
and it was particularly odd when Nor
ton, the eldest boy, had been given
place in a commission house in Cincin-
natl by an uncle or cousin or something
OF the sort. | began to think size must
have done it out of sheer lightheaded-
ness and frivolity.