San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-03-10

ueTo dI6 utlu duuOus tlc CoLiihOh kCo-
pie of the south. Ned Anthony's could
pass muster tolerably well. They lacked
grace and suavity, certainly, but the
want was not more conspicuous in him
than it is in many men far better &C
credited
On his return from his initial call on
the new arrival, old Judge Wilmer sum-
med him up to his wife with pith and
perspicuity:
Hes something of gentleman, my
dear, but not quite so. In the new
school, suppose, he would stand rather
above the middle of the class, but in the
old he would grade lower. There's good
metal in him, but wonderful deal Of
alloy mixed in. Among men he is
shrewd. intelligent and rather agreea-
BILE fellow, quick and clever in converse
ton on all practical subjects (Which are
the only sort likely to be preached with
him), and not aggressively braggy, con-
sidering that he can fill up the bushel
measure and shake it, while none of his
neighbors can conveniently even up the
quart. but think that when you ladies
come to try him on you'll find him
misfit in good many places"
Mrs. Wilmer, a picturesque old lady,
with soft faded hands on which were
quaint old red gold rings that had been
in her family many generations, looked
up from her knitting with a smile of
large indulgence on her sweet old face.
"He is western man, you know" she
said; "and that is the reason perhaps
that he appears somewhat different from
us old fashioned folks who have lived in
one spot all our lives and carried on the
old traditions. The new era is inaugu-
rated now, my dear, and they say the
changes are Fundamental We old fogy-
ish people, who are too settled for pro-
gression, should be at least indulgent.
The west is very untrammeled, have
heard"
The good lady's knowledge of the sub
ject of western ways was nebulous, but
she felt that it was large one, and not
amenable to rules applicable to Virginia.
She was kindly woman by nature, and
lenient to outsiders, although strict
enough in regard to her own people,
which term of course included all the
inhabitants of her native state. When
she spoke of Anthony's origin as "west-
ern," she established at once in her own
mind reason for his roughness and also
an excuse.
The judge poked the fire meditatively.
"He uses western idioms," he remarked,
shut it is along with those of other sec
tions. He used one or two today that l
never heard except from people who
have lived among negroes. They had
the true cotton and tobacco ring. And
in the next sentence came Maine logging
terms. His language is cosmopolitan,
but the timbre of his voice is southern,
and his intonations sounded mighty ia
miliar in my ear"
"Dear mer' said the old lady, to whom
an unconventional westerner was thing
Of interest but an unconventional south
erner an abomination; perhaps ! had
better not have him here until we find
out more about him. have asked the
Harveys and the Carringtons and Mary
Beverley to take tea with us on Thurs
day. I'm very fond of Mary, and l want
to show her some attention, now that 80
much of the land is gone and their cir
cumstances so altered. l thought of
asking Mr.. Anthony also, because /
know Mary has no feeling about his
having bought the place, and as they
will be such near neighbors it seemed
pleasant thing for them to meet at once
and be quite friendly. But if he's a
southern man, and common, perhaps
she wouldn't like to meet him. Indeed.
don't know that shall myself"
The Judge, who could not appreciate
the distinctions of locality in common
ness, and whose hospitality was pro-
verbal, laughed outright. There is
nothing the matter with the man, my
dear" he explained. You've flown off
at a tangent. He's quite presentable,
and if his grain is little coarse he won't
hurt us any. Invite him by all means,
and let's be friendly with him. If we
turn our backs on settlers with good
money in their pockets how will the
country ever improve materially? Have
all the people; and let Anthony come,
too, by all means; we have no marriage
able daughters"
The same familiarity of tone and in
donation which had struck the judge
commended itself to the attention of
Mrs. Hector Beverley when the new
conner was introduced to her on the
Thursday evening in question, for the
original programme was carried out in
spite of sundry misgivings on the part of
the hostess. He was a presentable man,
she was fain to acknowledge, well made
and well dressed, and if he lacked GER
Eo;r GDa bo,,o,,af of sroY,+iIifxy che did