Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-11-12
MRS. PAULDING C0GITATES
BY MARIA sAINTsBURY.

t1re, suppose. Dut IL SeeIHS W Hlo
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,
andher dark hair curled and flew about
so. And then her eyes danced and
shone in totally undignifed manner.
'"Tom,' | used to say at least once a
week, II wonder you don't admire
Margie Hoffheimer. She has such dig
nifty, such repose of manner"
$50 has an iceberg-and an OYSTER
Tom would retort.
"Well the young men of the present
day have strange taste. She is just my
her forehead with foolish bangs and
frizzes."
'Pity she doesn'tl" said Tom. cit
has such 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 of all my entreaties he would go
to Fairport to settle, though everyone
said there was fine opening at home,
in Paschal, when old DIR. Johns died.
What dear, good old man he was-but
somehow he never came to see me pro-
fessionally that he did not make me
sicker than ever.
| told him so once, and he did not
take it in good part at all.
Strange how few people can bear to
hear the truth.
Well, as | was saying, Tom would adj
mire Gerarda and Wouldn't admire Mar
gle. Now | am not lnercenary, but |
do think it is better Tor young profess
sional man to marry girl with 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, eff you marry a girl with
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 well what |
mean; but have your own way, as
usual "
OF course I had to call on the girl,
since she and Tom are engaged. The
little house where they lived was always
as neat as pin, [ must say, and Gerarda
was the mainstay of the family.
was polite, but not at all cordial. [
am too truthful to assume anything /
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 sc"
This happened during one of Toms
visits home. He never staid long, and
| used to tell him it looked as if | did
not make him comfortable Well, [
did not see much of Gerarda that fall,
though we used to pay each other duty
calls now and then; and when winter
set in | heard of a queer freak of hers.
She had opened dancing school.
Now there seems to be something
very bold and unfeminine 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 Ger
arda did not know how to play or paint,
never having had much time for &C
complishments, | fancy.
Icouldn't understand it at all, for the
Abbeys had always got along so far, and
it was particularly odd when Morton,
the eldest boy, had been given place in
a commission house in Cincinnati by an
uncle or cousin or something of the sort
I began to think she must have done it
out of eerlightheadedness or frivolity
[ wrote to Tom, hoping he might
demonstrate with her. | am always
moderate in the expression of my
: opinion, so [ simply said:
"Gerarda is looking very badly. All
this dancing and racketing around is
not good for her. But the young peo-
pie of the present day have no discre-
lion. Modesy seems to have gone out
of date along with vene ration for their
elders"
That was all I said.
But it seemed to have no effect, for
Gerarda still went on teaching. She be-
gan to look worse and worse. All the
color left her face; even her lips were
pale, and her mouth got a pincled look.
Then she got a hacking cough, and |
used to hear her going coughing along
the street from her dancing school. She
had not been to see me for the longest
Intoxicating me with marked disre
spect But at last [ could not bear to
hear her, so / ust ran out to the gate
and gave her box of lOZenges.
She thanked me; then she gave me
wistful sort of look and hesitated, as if
she wanted to say something; but she
evidently changed her mind, for she
passed on.
One day | WAS walking along the
beach. Winter was beginning to break
up, and there were bright patches of
green to be seen here and there. The
sky was blue and white, with Tying
clouds, and the water around the piers
was shining in the sun. Everything
looked so peaceful and happy that [
couldn't help wondering why people
can't be peaceful and happy too, ana
follow the golden rule.
/ had had very trying morning.
In the first place | had been to see
Mrs. Jones. When | went into the sit
ting room there was fire cracking on
the hearth, and could see through the
door that there was one burning in her
room also. Now, as Mrs. Jones is poor,
and as had supplied her with food for
the greater part Of the winter, | thought
/ had right to say:
Dear me, Mrs. Jones, / shouldn't
think you could afford to have two fires