The courier., 1896-08-01

asked who he was. The friend said
to meet him." At the same time he
looked out into the parlor and noticed
a young woman standing in the centre
Of a group and he asked who she was
And there you are.
BY spring they were engaged. When
they were graduated they were the
valedictOrians in their respective
classes. The winter following gradua.
ton, that most trying and disappoint-
ing period of a girls life Mary Baird
and her mother and father went to
Florida and travelled about from St
Augustine and Jacksonville to Talla-
hassee. The next winter Mary de-
cided she must know how to keeI
house and cook. So when they go,
home she did the work.
Mr.. Bryan decided to build house
and the betrothed spent many hours
discussing the plans. When the work
man began on 1t Mr.. Bryan's imagina.
tion had 1t finished and furnished many
times before even a door was hung
He wrote to his sweetheart one day
that THE cellar was dug and the bacl
fence up and it looked quite homelike.
Like Tommy Twaddle and his centre
table, 1t was the sign of possession
and when he looked into that cellar
he and his wife were living In a house
whose walls were not yet reared, thu
furniture was beginning to look worr
and he was wishing for a better house
Young Bryan made IL a rule in hi.
courtship never to give anything t.
his lady that he had not purchased
with money of his own earning. TIL,
first gift was volume of Bryant.
poems, bought with the prize none!
won at an oratorical contest. The en-
gagement ring was the guerdon Of an
other Grafton.
After they were married they decided
they wanted to study. They were
asked to join card clubs, but declined
because they had not time.
After Ruth was born Mrs. Bryan de
cided to study law, not because she
had the slightest idea of practicing 1t
but because she wanted to understand
her husband when he talked about hi,
cases and also because, when they
were married, they were together ant
she did not want to fall behind. II
her to study in the beginning of hel
studious career. She began studying
when the baby was eight months old
She read in the evening and when the
baby took her daytime nap.
They moved to Lincoln in 1887 and
Mrs Bryan was admitted to the bal
soon after.
Mrs. Sawyer, Mrs. Bryan and a few
other ladies organized the Lincoln
Sorosis which has had such a success.
full career. Mr.. Bryan and Mr.. Saw
yer organized about the same time
The Round Table The latter was
supposed to include only the husband:
of Sorosis women. But this was q
poor rule, for it would not work botf
ways. Frequently the man of the
house is found to be fond of discussion
and argument and light on subjects
like free silver and kindred topics; or
the other hand some Sorosis husbands
prefer cards and refreshments. 1t was
found impossible to keep the rule and
continue the Round Table. so the rule
was abolished. The first meeting OF
Sorosis was held at Mrs. Sawyer's
house. Mrs. Bryan led with a discus
sion on Henry Georges single tax
theory.
When Mr.. Bryan went to congress
his wife and family went with him
They were strangers and went with
delight about the beautiful old city
that was as new to them as IL 1t had
been built the day before their arrival