Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-12-17
AN IDEAL.


beautiful enough to justify such extrav-
agant admiration. II was called "Fu-
ture," and represented at half length n
girl in all the sweet freshness of budding
womanhood.
ayes, ae continued, "notc the char
acteristics of this picture and their sig
nificance and you will SEQ why say SO.
The figure is graceful, the head, deli-
cately poised Is rather large, and the
brow, of unusual breadth, is brought into
full relief by the dark brown hair,
brushed straight back, with its wavy
abundance only slightly confined by a
ribbon around the head. The eyes arc
a dark gray large and at once bright and
thoughtful; the mouth and chin, though
marked by the tender lines of youth yet
show sufficient decision of character.
intellectually and unselishness are in
dicated, but the one Characteristic most
prominently brought out is righteousness
in the noblest sense of that often mis-
used word. 1t is more than innocence
and does not depend on ignorance. 1t is
most often seen as characteristic of n
noble woman and is retained by them in
some miraculous way in spite of much
intellectual knowledge of the world s
wickedness. Such woman as is por-
trayed in this picture would naturally be
clinging and dependent, but finding her
self without support, or her chosen
protector proving unworthy, would meet
the emergency heroically and stand I'M
faltering.
"Such woman l most admire, and
such woman if have the good fortune
to find her, shall certainly marry"
'But she might be the original of this
picture and yet not have the character
you describe" said Mrs. Henderson.
"No, that is impossible; a woman
could not look that way without being
all that have suggested"
"But if you find her you still might
not win her."
eyes, i would, no matter if she was en-.
gagged TO be married and her wedding day
was appointed"
at is like you to be so sure, and like
you, too, to fall so desperately in love
with a picture"
In this Mrs. Henderson was right, such
determination was Characteristic of
George Millman. He was drummer for
q large mandatory. selling to jobbing
houses, and so had to take long trips
from city to city. When actually at
work he was all attention to business and
put his whole soul into it-with distin-
guished success; on the intervening trips
he yielded TO the speculative side of his
nature, spending his time in reading the
best novels, histories and philosophical
works.
Some three months after the above
conversation George again called to see
his aunt, who asked him If he had yet
found the object of his alteration.
II can't exactly say that have, but
your question reminds me that | have a
story TO tell you, and l suppose l might
just as well begin at the beginning"
please do; it is about that picture /
know" she replied.
"Well, you shall see," was the re-
sponse, and he began.
81 was on the Nashville, Chattanooga
and st. Louis train on my way to Nash
vile. / had been travelling twelves
hours and was rather tired. was read
ing the Tale of Two Cities'--trying to
read it, that is, for my mind was strange
ly wandering in spite of my interest in
that remarkable story-the best Dickens
ever wrote. Looking up in one of these
fits of inattention, l happened to notice
party which must have got on at the
last station, and had taken seats diago-
nally in front of me. 1t consisted of an
old lady, young lady and boy about
seventeen, evidently mother. brother and
sister. The mother attracted my atten-
ton first and l was idly admiring her
still unusual beauty, sublimated but not
destroyed by age, when the young lady
turned around. Aunt. she might have
been the original of your picture, so like
she was in every detail. | was aston
ished and could hardly believe my eyes,
watched her quietly and studied her
features until thero could be no doubt
about it. Thore was the broad brow,
the dark brown hair loosely confined, the
dark gray eyes, the sweet firm mouth,
aud above all the expression of intel
lectuality, unselfshness and Ingenious
ness. l forgot the story, and could
not take my eyes Oft of her for one
minute-I fear she must have noticed
it."
II know she did," interrupted Mrs.
Henderson. "You must have stared her
out of countenancc.
II suspect did, and all the time was
endeavoring to realize my good fortune,
and thinking how should manage to
find out the young lady's name and how
l could make her acquaintance.
After an hours ride of this way
went into the smoking car for my cigar
case, which had left there. was de-
tanned by friend whom l met there and
left the car just as the train was starting
again after having stopped at small
station. CHANGING to look TO one side,
saw my new found ideal ind her party
just getting into carriage. which had
apparently been Whiting for them. Aunt,
| just one thought filed my mind that
could not afford thus to lose my ideal Sc
soon, aud that unless followed her she
was lost. This wns rather an impulse
than thought-there was no time fol-
that, and / piled of after her. The car.
riogc had started, and there was only one
man in sight-thc depot agent. Ispoke
to him and asked who the people who
had just left were. He said that he die
not know; that he had never seen then
before; but l believe now that he did
and that he must have taken me for G
lunatic; my appearance was outlandisl
enough and suspect my manner was ex
cited. l tried to hire horse, Offered
| him large price for the use of one al
hour, but the fellow told me that he ha,
none and there was none in two miles
The carriage was now almost out o.
sight, and still hoping to find out some
thing about II | started out after it.