Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1893-01-26
A STRANGE TONGUE.

Professor Jonathan Dominic Adams
was a very great scholar. As everybody
knew who knew anything, he was con
sidered the authority on the Greek poets
and everything appertaining to the
Greek language, both ancient and
modern. Greek was his hobby, his
pleasure, the dream of his life, the
alpha and omega of his every days ex-
istence, and to any one who would or
could not converse on his favorite topic
the professor was most decidedly bore.
DR.. Adams was sufficiently a man of
the world to know that he owed his be-
ing in a very great measure to woman.
He was aware also that besides the hero
ines who lived in his books there were
women who moved in the outer world.
But beyond this knowledge he knew
nothing of the weaker sex, to whom
Greek, in most cases, was but word
and nothing more. Therefore it was with
the greatest CONSERVATION that one sum-
mer evening, as he was strolling home
ward across the Green park, he caught
himself thinking, not Of his favorite and
only topic, but Of a woman, and that
woman very sweet and pretty creature
of twenty-five.
DR.. Adams tried his hardest to bring
his thoughts into their usual and to him
proper channel, but to no avail To his
horror he found that he had even forgot
ten some lines of Homer, but that he
could not forget a pair Of bright blue
eyes and the smile of rosy lips. To the
credit Of the profession it must be said
that he gave up the struggle and for the
remainder Of the evening dreamed of
Miss Julia Drewry. while Homer for the
time being was dethroned.
Now while Professor Jonathan Adams
was dreaming of Miss Julia Drewry,
Miss Julia Drewry was dreaming of
Professor Jonathan Adams, thinking Of
him and the study of Greek literature.
For she also was great scholar, hav-
ing left Girton with all the honors that
it was possible for the fair student to
take away with her. But, although she
knew everything that there was to be
known about divinity, classics, mathe-
matics, natural science, moral science,
history, German, Anglo-Saxons ETC., her
favorite subject was Greek.
Somewhat to her fathers dis1nay he
perceived that his daughter ignored the
natural pleasures Of youth, while she
pestered him from morning till night
with dissertations on this dead language.
Learned man as he was himself, and an
old college friend Of Dr. Adams, he
would have preferred Julia to take more
interest in her surroundings and mix
freely with her fellow creatures, instead
of spelling her pretty eyes with continu-
GUS study. But no; Miss Julia turned
up her little nose at the girls she met,
and at the young men, too, for up to the
present she had not found one with
whom she could talk upon the subjects
which engrossed her mind.
Her father had one slight consolation,
and that was that the girl, with all her
faults, took an interest in her personal
appearance, dressing well, if in the
Greek style. Whether she wore blue
stockings he never inquired, and Of
course we cannot; besides, it has moth
ing whatever to do with the story.
1t so happened that one day, while TAX
ing his morning constitutional, Mr..
Drewry stumbled across DIR. Adams; or,
to put it more correctly, DR.. Adams
stumbled over Mr.. Drewry. The worthy
professor, instead of looking where he
was going, was walking along with his
eyes fixed ON the ground in a brown
study.
"Bless my hearth exclaimed Drewry;
"why, it's Adams. How are you-how
are you? What an age it is since we
have metz
'It must be ten years-ten long years;
and yet it seems only yesterday" replied
Adams
sLong enough for many changes. Ny
poor wife has been dead these ten years;
but, thank God, have daughter to
look after me. You saw her when she
was fifteen. And you, are you married?''
''No, indeed" said the professor; Il
am but welded to my work"
"Ah. yes; have seen your name men
toned now and again in connection with
your Greek studies. But don't let us
stand hero talking; come home with me.
Julia has often expressed wish to see
you again. She has questions to ask you
and some theories to PROFOUND, for she
also is Greek-very much So"
The two friends walked home to Mr..
Drewry's humble but neat little cottage
in Fulham, and from that moment
and / tell it with sorrow-Mr. Drewry
had, to put it vulgarly, to take back
reat. The professor found Julia charm
ing, and Julia considered the professor
delightful, while poor Mr. Drewry had
to listen to endless arguments upon the
eternal Greek. At first he endeavored
to divert his guest and draw him out
about old college days, but five minutes
after Dr. Adams would turn to the
daughter and take up the conversation
at the point where he had been inter
rupted.
The next day the professor called
again, and also on the next and SO on
and SO on until he was regarded in the
| light Of tame cat. Mr.. Drewry took
to his newspapers and his books. leaving
his guest for hours with his daughter.
/ And what were the consequences?
| Why, that Professor Adams after six
weeks found his eyes wandering to the
fair JuI7a's face instead OF keeping them
upon the books the two were studying
together. And Miss Drewry would
think to herself as she waited for the
professors diurnal visit that she had al
last met man whom she would be hap
py to marry, despite the fact he was OF
the wrong side Of forty and had very
bald head.
Matters had come to this serious point
on the day DR.. Adams walked across the
Green park, and when the image of the
girl totally obliterated the image oi
Homer. That night the professor, rs has
already been told, gave himself up tt
dreaming about Miss Julia, and the fol
lowing afternoon be put two questions
to her.
The first was whether she would bt
willing to help him with a work he pro
posed to bring out in twenty volumes
namely, the Lives of the Greek Poets,
with criticisms on their poems, hewhols
to be written in Greek. To this PROPOSE
ton Julia readily consented.
| The second question was that as the
undertaking would be work of wears