Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-28
AN AMATEUR CUPID
s1 5oHskABBraron.
(oopyrkht, 1885,,


Copyright, 1850
Watsfe Jervass, whose proper name was
Walter, was his parents only child, SO
| early in life he was treated almost as If he
were a man. All that his father and
| mother knew about their neighbors and
| acquaintance, as well as much which they
| thought they knew, was freely talked of in
the boys presence until in the course of
| time Watsie, who was always cautioned
| against repeating anything which he heard
| at home, found his mind so closely packed
with other peoples affairs that he wonder
ed how it could make room for any more
What troubled him more, however, was
| that some people of whom he heard did not
| get rid of some of their difficulties, when
! the way seemed so easy. Almost any
| trouble seems easy of remedy-by those
who don't have to do it-so when Watsie
heard his parents tell how some man could
| pay his debts, or some woman bring I'D
her family better. or some minister preach
sermons that would do special good he
would sometimes ask why his father or
mother did not go at once to the persons
named and give them the advice needed.
In answer TO such questions he generally
got an id smile, or the Information that
he would know when ne grew older and
knew more about human nature but such
replies were net at all satisfactory, for it
seemed to him that he knew all that his
parents could tell ABOUT human nature in
his native town of Plumville
one case that gave MIN much to think
OF was That or Masle Mack. teacher in
the school which he attended. Miss Masie
mad come from another town, and as she
was quite pretty she had upset the hearts
and heads of half dozen young men at
flumVille, although no one could say that
she did anything to attract attention or 10
lure sweethearts from other young women
one was attractive enough in herself, how
ever, TO make number of the older and
soberer natives wish that some Young man
might persuade her to become "A Derula,n,t
resident of the village, AID Watsie's ,yn
iather said THAI If he were a bacneIor he
would teach some OF the stupid fellows of
the village what ought to be done with so
charming an opportunity.
what provoked Mr.. Iervass most was
that Lincoln Brace, the assistant post-
master, and as tiice. a Young man as Gouid
be found anywhere, although re ,.ould NOT
help biushing whenever he met he nrettv
Reimbursement to do lolhin.. that he orpht
10 90 TO Keep the young woman rom being
captured by Capt. Stiles a good enough
fellow to all appearance but Il CITY mr.
VINO had Accidentally come to Plumy;lic ia
try to purchase "Tna Pines"--a few acres
OF large, OLD pine .rceS which The town had
ionS enjoyed as Semi public grove and
which the villagers strongly objected TO
having cut down and rdilroaueu TO the city
to he sawn into ldnlar
DuS;nc;S-fiEa bic
attentions 10 Hiss MaSie as he WAS toward
the owner of the pine trees: he had a Gne
PAIR OF horses, and Seemed to have nothing
10 DO while school was not in session. so he
; re TOOK the pretty teac her out driv-
ing, while poor Lincoln Brace. VINO snent
nearly all his waking hours in the most
once could scarcely afford to hire a livery
morse ana buggy, or even to attend evening
parties at which Miss oNiasie was present
There was one place however where 7 IN
com brace and the pretty teacher were sure
c. meet once week, and that was the
sunday school, for lincoln was librarian
OF the school. and Miss Masie had been
persuaded to take class of the Older girlS.
indeed, they were young women But what
ala mat amount to?AS Watsie's mother
, ru,hluiiy remar ked, each girl in that class
rad z warm place ilE her heart for the Ii
pfaflah, SO Whenever, the young man an
preached the class to- take up the returned
BOOKS or to bring new ones he was received
by an absolute chorus of tcrdar loo,Ss
Whicn made him blush still more deeuly
than when his eyes met only Miss Masjes
VI course, there ~ 10 such thing possible
as chorus of looks, but there might as
well have been, so far as the effect unor
the young man wis concerned
Watsie himself although only twelve
years OF age was so good Bible scholar
thanks to his parents. that he was in a
class ON the side of the Sunday school room,
where the older students were and tho
seat of his class was directly behind that
OF the pretty teacher: so there were parts
OF the Sunday school session in which he
could not keep his eyes off of Miss Mase
and Lincoln. Where his eyes were there
were his thoughts, too and thoughts will
IN time lead to acts as surely as wishing
will lead to doing.
So 1t came to pass that one day while
he was right in the middle of a recitation
OF Scripture verses for a prize, there came
to Watsie an idea so brilliant that it took
entire possession of his mind and made
him recte the remaining verses so badly
that he fell about fifty verses behind his
nearest competitor. Still he told himself
that he didn't care; one of the lessons that
had been impressed upon him, at Sunday
school and at home, was that man should
rot live for himself alone, but do all he
could for others, especially for those who
were not able to do all they should for
themselves.
Mamma" said ,Watsie at the dinner
table that day. when a woman-a real
nice young woman-is in love with a man.
does she really have to wait for him to do
all the talking? Can't she say or do any
thing for herself?"
Mrs. Jervass looked prudent. but said
nothing, SO her husband answered:
Indeed she can. my boy: otherwise some
other woman might have been your
mother"
"You wretch" exclaimed Mrs. Jervass.
although she did not look as if she meant
it, and when her husband blew a kiss to
looked SO handsome that Watsie told him
self that Miss Masie was not the prettiest
woman in the town-not by long way.
But he did not forget what was uppermost
in his mind SO he asked:
"What did she do, father?'
Mrs. Jervass held up her foreffnger warn
ingly, and her husband replied:
"Just what she should-bless her." Then
the subject of conversation was rapidly
and discreetly changed.
During the remainder of the day Watsies
brain was in whirl. He tried to read and
study the lesson for the next Sunday, but
he could not even memorize the verses.
He tried to read his library book. but it
did not seem interesting. He went off to
visit sick boy of his acquaintance. but
! instead of talking on Sunday topics, as he
tried to do, he consulted the invalid about
ways and means of bringing Miss Masie
and Lincoln Brace permanently together,
and the two finally found themselves in the
throes of literary composition, for their
purpose was to construct tender note
which should seem written by the pretty
teacher to the assistant postmaster. After
two hours of absolute brainracking the sick
boy said:
ITS no use, Watsie. We're not old
enough for this sort of thing. The best Of
these things we've written are bad enough
| to make a tomcat SICK
But Link Link Brace isn't tomcat.' sug-
That's So" replied the sick boy. thought
fully; so 1 guess 'twould just about kill
him. The best thing We can do is to try