The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-03-26
SOMERSET PA, wEDNEDAY, MARCH 26, 1890.

lives of the wives OF mems men, she
paused.
Il am still listening he said.
For the best, men understand women
but little, the mems men grow at least TO
understand them not at alll. Mems men
become at last 70 be world quite apart
Their wives have no excuse for being, ex-
e,pt insomuch as they contributed TO
their comfort.
@MiIiicent. DO you say that women are
younger than men? don't believe that
men Of sixty, or men that have been wild
overs two or three times, have thought
this question Of marriage out Ike you
Il won't talk to you any more"
~You must Back to our text. Six
faults then-my name, nv age, nay ma
tive rudeness. my iealously, nay incre,lu-
lity of Platonic friendships. and my being
mans man. You must name al least
seven deadly sins TO convict me. Isn't
there another?"
ayes"
@Milliceut, you are absorbingly inter
esting. l never. knew that you had
thought so much about me-"
Il ought to have thought about yon be-
fore" she paused.
Jacob waited moment Il under
stand before ycu refused 10 marry me.
You ought TO make some excuse forthat.
With what seventh fault did you
strengthen your case ?"
THAT you are so dreadfuily masculine
Il plead guilty. The roses are rosy,
the briers are thorny, the grass is green,
and l, Jacob Raus, the man who loves
you, am masculine, Alas alas Is that
more my fault than my name? You, be-
sides, are immensely feminine, and find
no fault with that Is il fair?"
Jacobs spirits were rising Millieents
perceptibly falling.
''Yes, It Is fair that /, being feminine,
should object to your being masculine.
The two are opposites II nature has
made mistake there, / am not response
bic. Men and women never understand
each other, because what nature has
bliudly bInndered into beginning, edu-
cation accomplishes instead of trying 70
set aright7
"But 1 have had no education said
Jacob.
Millieent went on without answering
him-falling now into an injured tone.
"Eyen you are constantly misunder-
standing me. You sometimes trample
M tenderest feelings uncousciously just
as you trampled my best white petunias
the other day, walking over my flower
bed as if it were path.
"Yes,r he said, Il saw you. Iran to
you. did not notice the way. Well :
In the West they viii be all wild flowers,
and if l tranple them they will come uP
again. shall think of the petuuias, and
wish bad chance to trample them
and you will forget what did when you
have found.that paragon who loves you
without jealousy, all other women and
no aen; who is polite and eredulous and
effeminSte. | zm none of these-5utI
love you passionately,"
He tried to grasp her hands, bat she
drew them away, saying excitedly:
and this is your greatest fault. If
YOU loved me tenderly might trust you;
but you love me, as you say, passionate
Iy, and /, who have looked on at life and
reflected, have seen that of all traps and
pitfalls this is the greatest. Talk OF the
5er,sie du siable of girls, that fits almost
/ with the bridal flowers, that is delusion
compared with the passion of men and
vet in choosing freedom rather than
binding ones self to delusion, you need
not tell me that l choose what is only
negative. 1t is so diseouraging. You
have such hopeless faults; and l shall
I never Ike any other man tnan you,
Jacob, know and so l shall never mar
/ ~"
'Yes, but am not ike that know
that I shall marry" he said, watching
the girls face closely. at seems to me
now as if should not, but am only
man, masculine, as you say. As long as
+ l an very busy may keep mp, but some
times theyisay it is not quitei Wholeson e
; in these ranches, and one is exposed TO
( wind and weather. | might be Ill ; and
/ then when ! am homesick and lonely
some good Western girl will take care of
me, perhaps like me, even me- For her
might not have so many faults. She
would not be so clever as you, or have
got things down so fine and she wouldn't
know, poor thing, what tissue Of faults
i is covered by my unfortunate name, that
sounds so homely and simple and good
So being sick and lonely and wretehed,
and grateful to her, know that should
be weak enough TO marry her know
that should"
YES said Miilicent, throwing down
beside her the bouquet of sweetbrier,
with a passionate gesture, -that's icst
what mani s love means. | shall be 50
glad that ! didn't mary you, when hear
of throwing yourself away on some wild
Western girl that any man of refinement
would shGdder to think of as his wife.
didn't believe it Of you - and as she ran
down the steps Of the porch into the gar
den.
Jacob was up in an instant and follow
ed her, but she ran from him swiftly.
leaping over the fiower-beds and speed
ing across the grass, slim and active as a
nymph, her pink dress telling white in
the soft light Of the summer night He
had almost caught up with her when he
stumbled and fell over the protruding
rot of an old tree. She fleeing breath
less, came Suddenly upon her father and
mother, who, having returned from their
drive, had alighted from the carriage at
the gate, and walked across the lawn.
They stood ncw hand in hand, looking
Up in the sky at the new crescent moon
charming picture Of the sweet compan-
ionship of loving souls, who, unconscious
Of the passing of the years, find their
own youth in all the promises Of nature
Nillicent stood and looked az them,
with sudden tears yelling up into her
eyes. They turned and saw her just as
Jacob came up, somewhat confused at