Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1896-12-31
Ben's hove Affair.

1t was agreed on all hands that Ben
Whitley was n very practical follow.
BY some this may have been said OF
him dispangingly, though others UNI
loubtcdly applied the words in n COM
plimentary sense. Practically has it's
eulogists, but it has, also, its censors
There are some people who will find
fault with prose because it isn't poetry;
the same sort of people consistently
denounce practically because of its
inetiiciency in speculativeness. For 1t
is II common form of criticism to con-
denim a thing not so much for being
what it is as for not being something
else.
Ben Nhiteley's mind ran clear and
pure as Il brook He was broker in
the city. At one time in his life he
had been shockingly poor and had to
work very hard. His industry at last
had met it's due reward. Arrived ut
nearly middle age, he was in very COM
Portable circumstances, and he saw no
reason to doubt that his prosperity
would continue. When he announced
to his friends that he thought of TAX
ing to himself Il wife it was generally
felt that the step he meditated was Il
prudent and Il proper one, and only
what might, under all the circum-
stances Of the case, be reasonably eN-
nectcd. And when he further stated
that he had made an offer of his hand
to one Miss Edna Latrohe, the daugh-
ter of a very wealthy dry goods mer-
chant. and that his offer had been ac
ceptcd by that lady. his friends, among
whom 1 numbered myself, fastened to
tender him hearty congratulations on
the happy occasion.
Ben spoke of the matter in his own
simple. sober way:
well, you know, I'm getting on he
said, land if I'm ever to marry it's
about time should be setting about
it. A few years hence it will be too
late. | shall be settled dow then i'll u
bachelor kind of life, shall have adopt
ed bavhe.or views and habits and bacl,-
eIor ways of looking at things, which l
shouldn't be able to alter or get out of
ut any price. A few years ago l could
not have afforded 1t, to put the matter
plainly. and so it was quite out of the
question. But always looked for
ward to getting married when could
afford it. and now T,n going to carry
out the notion. You're very kind, and
1 think l shall be happy-in fact. I've
M doubt about it-as happy as any
fellow has any right to expect to b".
One ought not to expect too much. of
course. But I'm very fond, in my
way. of Miss Edna Latrobe, and L
think that she, in her way. is fond Of
ne. She is not too young nor too old,
not 100 good-looking nor too plain.
She's sensible enough and accom-
plished enough, and do not see why
she should not make me very good
Find of wife, and, similarly. l don't
see why l should not make her very
good kind of husband. What more
is there to be said? Perhaps Pm not
very fond of old I,atrobe, and perhaps
old Latrobe is not very fond of me.
But, still, l don't see that that need
matter very much. l daresay we shall
understand each other by and by;
meantime, we must rub on, just as
well as we can, and must try to make
the best of the old gentleman's hui
mors, and not run counter to him any
more than can avoid. We need rot
be meeting so very often. you know.
And it seems to me the old fellow
would not be any fonder of anybody
else who might want to marry his
daughter than he is of me. And if
Edna likes me land she says she does)
and like Edna land say do), that
seems to me the chief part of the bust
ness. don't think need trouble N.Y.
self about the old mans views on the
subject You see. it's our affair." Ed
hard to make him see it in that light.
she looks at the matter very much as
feeling that he is her father: whereas,
very much obliged to you for your good
wishes. l say over again."
1t will be seen that Ben Whitley was
not Il lover to ''sigh like Il furnace"
AS for writing woeful ballad to his
mistress eyebrow" don't fancy he
could have accomplished such Il feat if
his life had depended upon his doing
so. His pulse beat ever steadily and
puuttuluN. llN luci1lOElCtcI OIL Ills
love stood at temperate With no
tendency toward a rise. Let Cupid Go
all lie could. it did not seem that he
was ablt to accomplish any vital
changes in these respects. Whitley. it
was evident, persisted in contemplate
ing love and marriage from the prosnic
and practical point of View. Notions
OF poetry and sentiment on Il csc, or,
indeed. any ether subjects, were not
possible 10 him. His constitutional So
renity refused to be disturbed at all.
There was nothing about him denoting
81 careless dcsolation." The marks
OF love" as they are commonly nndel-
stood. were not d;scerbiblc upon. him.
Many. perhaps. would have regarded
him simply rs Il man going to he mar
ried. and be inclined to think that he
was not to he regarded as lover at
all. He affected no particular raptures
as to the proposed change i'll his life.
IL his friends on the board of trade lie
said nothing as to the agtated state of
his breast or the excitement Of his
feelings. lie did not regard Miss La
trobc as an angel or Il goddess. Pas
sion did not pcrpleX nor discompose his
vision. Miss I.atrobe seemed simply
TO him what she seemed to every QUO