The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-10-05

| NY cuolce OI IuUure incarnation,
should choose to be central African
despot-or cobra! What change from
relieving the aches and pains Of Mrs.
Hodge in the village and bringing Sophie
Stubbs' little baby through an attack of
Group!
There must be an essential discord at
the bottom of my nature. Ny tempera-
ment seems to be quiet, methodical, un-
demonstratire, retiring. People find me
sympathetic. appreciative, benevolent.
am made the confdant of all manner of
Troubles and secrets. 1t is my fate to be
an adviser and mediator. Though ]
was born four years later than John and
two years after Henry, yet am older in
my ways and external feeling than either
of them. In this my twenty eighth year
my character appears already fixed.
And yet am never without misgiving
that this is not my real self-that the
genuine Frank Mainwaring has never
yet been revealed. am asleep. The
hour of my awakening has never struck.
Of course it never will strike. This
perception of latent possibilities is no
doubt common, and the practical reali-
ties OF life gradually obliterate it. lam
an observer and student, but have
never attempted to control circum-
stances. My acts have been obedient, not
aggressive. have taken relief in inag-
ination, but that will cool in time.
only wish the whole thing did not seem
so like playacting. fancy | should
have been better-being what l am
without that $4,000 that my fathers
will gave me. ought to have had the
whole estate or nothing. Henry did very
well with his $4,000 At least his desire
always was to roam about the world,
and his bequest has enabled him to do
it all these four years since father died.
But Henry is as different from me-from
both my actual and my possible self-as
brother could be. He is restless, law
less Bohemian, unconventional in thought
and act. mysterious, unaccountable, low
able and genius. He can be happy
anywhere, for he enjoys even his miser-
les. No one can help serving him, for
no one can help liking him. For my
part, though not Of gushing disposi-
ton, am his willing slave whenever he
is within reach Of me, and I have actu-
ally pined for him during this long alb
sence.
AS regards John, it was another mat
ter. He is the eldest, and as father saw
lit to maintain the English prejudice Of
primogeniture-in fact, father always
remained English to the core, though
the last 35 years of his life were passed
in America, and though he spoke of
himself and thought Of himself as an
out and out Yankee-we were always
trained to regard John as the future
head of the family and in some sort
OF another flesh and blood than we.
Though generous and very affectionate
fellow, John was naturally overbearing
and peremptory, and his position would |
tend to develop these traits. Irespect |
him and something more, but care most |
for Henry. And I am inclined to suspect |
that Henry is mothers favorite, too,
though she never confessed as much and |
is too aristocratic in her instincts to ad-
NIT it even to herself.
Perhaps would better have taken a
leaf from Henry's book and have cut
loose from the family homestead and set
up for myself when father died. think
should have done so had been left to
myself But mother was accustomed to
my ministrations, and John could hardly
have dealt alone with the matters conse-
quent upon his accession. And, to confess
the truth, lam indolent. Hack ambition.
| lack motive. If the opportunity or
the stimulus came, l like to fancy might
do or be something in the world-if, for
instance, instead of John had inherited
Cedarcliffe and SOC, 900 a year. But since
in order to do that both John and Henry
must die before me, and unmarried, nv
stimulus and opportunity are not likely
to come to time. Heaven forbid they
should!
1t is rather singular, by the way, that
neither of us three boys has ever serious
ly thought of marriage. John is now 80
and getting set in his ways. For his own
sake, as well as for the family's, he ought
not to delay much longer. Father set
his heart upon the perpetuation of the
Mainwaring line in America, and he
built this great stone mansion and
bought the 200 acres of ground on which
it stands with the purpose that it should
OC Jul loiONcI. Dut JOQu uOGS |
not seem to be attracted by women or
to attract them, apart from the fact
that he is a millionaire. | am not mar
rying man either. Inever was SO much
in love with any girl as / am with my
cobra. Henry is the lady 81 man of the fam
lily. He was always cherishing romantic
passion for somebody and had score of
good chances Of becoming a Benedict
even before he went abroad. What he
may have done since know not. But he
is as tickle as he is impressionable, and
doubt whether he will ever bring him
self to the point of calling any woman
his wife. What villainous mischance
it would be if we We're all to remain
and Cedarcliffe were finally to
go to some of our unknown English rel
atives! There is Edward Forrestal, for
m. mothers brother The last
we heard Of him was 20 years ago, when
ne married and was going to India. He
may have dozen children by this time