The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-12-26
TWO WAYS OF WOOING.


from that broad path which you have
been mistakenly regarding as gravel
walk. If you are one of the learned ones
of the earth those small mollusks may
teach you that you are near the shores
of the Gulf Of Mexico, and, for aught
that know of such matters, may inform
you that you are on the coast OF the
stata of Mississippi.
Now, if you add the pursuit of litera-
ture to that of science, look well around
you; for here that most valuable literary
raw material, local color of the southern
type, has been most lavishly poured out.
Here are magnolias, oleanders and all
other southern trees and shrubs. There,
in that arch of confederate jasmine, two
hooking birds have their habitat. They
have been fighting since daybreak with
every living thing that has approached
them; but you need not put that in your
article.
Behind you is broad galleried, deep
rooted mansion of the most approved
antebellum architecture, and before you
is the bluest water in the world-crede
me experto who have seen the Adriatic
and the Caribbean seas. It's beauty is
marred by long dilapidated piers, but
you will not complain of them when the
mosquitoes swarm in from the Louisiana
marshes and drive you out into the sea
breeze.
From where you stand you can see
through the great hall of the house,
quite through to where the pine forest
stands out against the sky. 1t was not
many months ago that party of three
to me at that time most interesting
party-made that hall their assembly
room and temple for their household
gods. Indeed, it was often their battle
ground, for in the long leisure of sum-
mer days the coating of conventionality
in talk wears rather thin, and behind
that coating are often concealed the
most startling beliefs in persons Of the
most unimpeached responsibility. At
such times the sole male member of the
trio was apt to begin the discussion with
smooth appeals to experience, policy and
knowledge of the world, which hap
pened to be his particular divinities,
and like other priests of Baal, he some
times appealed long, loudly and in vain.
1t was after one of the longest and
warmest of these debates that all three
sat ostensibly deep in their mornings
mail John Dunn, the lone champion of
the commonplace, tore through small
pile of letters with an air of mysterious
Importance, which he had been early
taught it was necessary to assume in or
der to attain business success. AS he
had attained that great and noble desid-
eratum, and in no small degree, he
might be fairly credited with a knowl-
edge Of the necessary methods. One of
his fair antagonists, Constance Aston,
who had played heated, enthusiastic
and altogether minor part in the discus
sion, had forgotten the whole matter in
bulky letter addressed in broad mas
culine hand.
Presently she looked up. whats to-
day-the day of the month I mean?' she
asked. And then, without waiting for
an answer: Fifteenth, sixteenth, seven
tenth. They will be here today. He
writes that ne will be here tomorrow
that is today of course; and he is going
to bring friend with him." She buried
herself again in the letter and emerged
with further intelligence: Ellis friends
name-I am not sure how to pronounca
it. Alice" she said, turning to her cous.
in, the last Of the trio, with mischiev.
Gus look, chow do you pronounce
B-e-a-l-l?'
IF her object was to create either sur.
prise or confusion on the part Of hey
cousin the attempt was fiat failure, for
that young lady answered imperturb-
ably:
ssBell of course. You know the name
well enough. You can hardly have for,
gotten him since last winter
"Was he Johns Hopkins mana fell
low?' asked Dunn with interest.
s'Yes, we knew him at Baltimore"
answered Alice.
"Well, he's stopped all that" said
Dunn, presumably referring to the pur-
suit of knowledge by means Of fellow
ships. Zone of his rich relatives dice
this spring, and he's pretty well fixed"
81 suppose we know all about him
now, SAID Allce, trlue W0dr1ly, anu
rising she strolled out to the edge Of the
wide gallery, where she stood pensively
looking out, clear cut figure against
the blaze of light from without.
'sThat's graceful picture" said Con-
stance warmly.
eyes, she's a very pretty young girl"
answered Dunn indifferently. He proved
the genuineness OF his indifference by
carrying on o very distracted converse
ton with Constance for few moments,
and then wandering out with a careful
indefiniteness to where Alice stood. To
a sensitive man the manner in which he
was received would have been equiva-
lent to verbal denunciation as an I'M
pleasant interruption, but Mr.. Duan's
many enemies attributed much of his
success to his seldom making such dis
coveries.
Half day later and Constance and
her correspondent had resolved them
selves into faint splash of oars and a
murlnur of voices scarcely audible from
the pier where Alice was burdened with
an embarrassing wealth of ccs panion-