The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1895-06-06
NIPPED IN THE BUD.

NIPPED IN THE BUD.
When | was boy, 1 attended a pub
lie school in New England town not
many miles from the Hub. The teacher
Of classics in that institution was man
of the name of Virgil Monson, who
was by birth and training Puritan,
but one whom culture had somewhat
liberalized, though he retained many
prejudices of the average Yankee.
In person he was short, heavy and
thickset. His head was dome shaped,
but it appeared to me that his bumps of
veneration and combativeness had been
unduly developed at the expense of the
bumps of conjugal affection, which was
sufficient explanation of the fact that he
had not yet committed matrimony,
though he had turned 80 at the time l
first knew him.
Whatever may have been his defects,
| must do him the justice to say that
his forehead was broad and high, sure
sign of intellectuality; his nose of the
Roman variety, which always indicates
strength of character and tenacity of
opinion, while his manner of compress
ing his lips pointed not the less certain
chin also contributed.
His disposition was by no means
lamblike, nor his temper equable, as
his red hair-what there was of it-and
red beard bore abundant testimony to
the contrary. | grieve to say that much
learning had made Mr.. Monson not
mad, but bald. The dome part of his
head was wont to shine like the golden
dome of the state capitol in Boston, es-
pecially after the vigorous polishings be
gave it in his toilet. A fringe of sandy
hair surrounded the aforesaid bald sur
face like the diverging rays of light
around the aurora borealis.
Add to the foregoing an excitable
temperament, quick and nervous man
ner, love of pedantic display, fond
ness for Greek and Latin roots and
most of all for natural science, and you
have a tolerably fair description of an
interesting personality.
1t was our professors habit to seek
recreation in the weeds during the in
tervals of pedagogical labor, and there,
amid the sighings of trees, the singing
of birds and the chirpings of crickets,
to com bine his pursuit of health with
the study of natural science. After
spending an afternoon in the fragrant
seclus1on of the forest he would return
with his pockets full of botanical and
chronological specimens. Among the
last may be mentioned caterpillars,
moths, butterflies and other denizens of
the woods.
His room was next door to mine and
had the appearance of museum. There
were numerous books, of course, on all
sorts of subjects, ferneries, cabinets of
minerals and chlorofOrmed butterflies,
suspicious bottles containing queer crea-
lures in all stages of alcoholic intoxica-
ton and aquaria containing living fish,
toads. lizards and SO on.
Absorbed as he was in his duties at
school, his favorite studies and pursuits,
Mr.. Monson had had little time to think
of matrimony, and though some design
ing mammas had pressed the question
home to him his invariable reply had
been:
II don't need wife. am happy
enough as | am.
This reply served as wet blanket to
the enthusiastic interest his lady &C.
quaintances entertained in his happi-
ness. Though his character and dispo-
sition were not such as to make him
popular with the fair sex, still the few
who knew him respected him, wondered
at his prodigious learning, which he
took no pains to conceal, and secretly
laughed at his eccentricities and hob
bies.
Having evaded Cupid's darts so long
and with such signal success, no one
supposed for moment that he would
succumb at last to the charms of a
coquettish country girl. But so it turned
out, thus proving the truth of the old
adage that there is no fool like an old
fool. He fell victim to love so late in
life that, like mumps and measles, it
attacked him with greater virulence
than it would have done in his younger
days.
The girl, whom we will simply call
Lillian, was a brunette of fascinating
manners, but rather homely features.
But if she satisfied Mr.. Monson' g no.
tions of an ideal woman no one else
had right to complain. She was still
attending school, though past 81 years
OF age, and as fate would have it was
boarding in the same house as the pro-
lessor. 1t was observed by the landlady
and her daughter that after Lilian's ad-
vent Mr.. Monson was changed from his
own self. He paid more attention to his
toilet than before, brushing his fringe
OF hair with unusual care and having
his beard trimmed oftener than had
been his wont. At the table he had al
ternate fits of abstraction and loquacity.
He fingered there as long as Lillian re-
manned and would, after supper, fol-
low her to the sitting room, where he
would talk to her by the hour about
some Greek poet or some natural phe-
nomenon. And when he showed her his
various bugs, insects and reptiles, max
ing running commentary on their Pc
culiarities, the landlady formed the
very natural conclusion that the profess