The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-04


accounted wise-somotmes do foolish
things. Was it foolish, or was it wise
IN an elderly, grey-headed, specialized col
lege Don, to marry a girl of nineteen, fol-
the love of a delicate oval cheek and full
blue eye, hair of palest gold, and Lily
and rose complexion-for love of these girl
ish charms, and perhaps for pity Of the
girls helpless and solitary condition?
The Varsity town which Dr. Kirkdale
adorned with his learning and stainless
probity thought him foolish, and hoped
the young lady would be grateful and
not give him trouble.
Il don't think there is any fear Of her
turning out badly" said Mrs Hamburg,
the busy energetic wife of one Of DR..
Fkfrlzdales brother professors. "Theodora
is a good girl. Her poor mother brought
her up admirably. She was never allow
ed to give herself any beauty airs Indeed
/ doubt if she had a looking-glass in her
poor little attic
IF there was a 1ooking-glass in the
house you may depend Miss NARROW con-
trived to see her face in it," said Mrs.
Handbury's husband.
DR.. Kirkdale, who occupied the chair of
natural philosophy. was one of the bright
est lights of Verulam college-and Veru-
lam was the great college! so his marriage
with the friendless orphan made a ripple
on the placid surface of varsity life. Mar
low had been a classical coach not too
steady and not too we'll thought of. He had
died almost pauper; and his widow, af-
ter carrying on the struggle with adver-
sity little more than a year, followed his
example, leaving her only child, Theodore,
as desolate a creature as ever challenged
the worlds compassion.
Nobody who had known the Marlows.
and who knew the girls story, refused her
their pity; but the problem of what to do
with her, or for her, was not easily soIv-
cd. Mrs. Wolf, the English wife of the
German professor of Sanskirt, was the first
to offer substantial aid.
"She can come and stay with US while
she looks about her." said Mrs Wolff, and
all the other matrons agreed that this was
the best possible arrangement, for the
Volts had seven children, land therefore
could hardly feel the expense of one ex-
ira mouth" And all the matrons prom
recommending Theodore for that monde
script general-utility situation, for which
any young woman without means or par
ents is supposed to be fitted
Theodore went to stay with the VOLTS,
carrying her poor little trousseau of three
or four colored gowns which had been
shabby when her father died, one black
gown, which she had worn almost to
rags in the year of mourning, and one
new black frock which friend had given
her to wear at her mothers funeral. Ev-
erything she possessed was poor and
shabby, except this last frock
She took her place at the strangers fire.
side very quietly. The lively, hardwork-
ing sons and daughters of the house OF
Wolf admired her for her fair prettiness,
and were kind and plying to her. Each
of these down to the boy of II, who was a
morphologist, had his or her ambition,
goading spirit that kept him or her en-
ployed from morning till night; but poor
Thee had no ambition. She sat subdued
and silent, hemming pocket handkerchiefs
for the others. She was willing to do any
thing useful for the friends who sheltered
and fed her; but she had no ideas, no
views, no schemes. Her pretty blue eyes
never gazed into the unknown
II don't believe Theo can think" Ger
trude, the eldest girl, told her mother.
Il have never known her originate an
idea. She doesn't care for science; she
doesn't appreciate art; she sits like
stone while I play Chopin's nocturne in
E fiat. She is sweetly pretty. and the
image of that darling doll my god-mother
gave me when l was a small child"
Mrs. Wolf, whose offspring were more
talented than beautiful, agreed with her
dear Gertrude that theodore NARROW
had very little more in her than that
cherished doll, now lying with cotton
wool over its waxen chhbbiness, In
lavender-scented drawer, to be handed
down to the first granddaughter. No.
there was nothing in her. She was
placid piece of prettiness, just human
enough to open and shut her eyes with
out wires, and with a more pleasing
speech than the photograph has yet i'm
parted to dolls.
Doll though she was, Dr. Kirkdale, one
of the most undetermined as well as the
most gifted men in the varsity, trusted
his happiness to her, and al 81 years Of
age, and with very little knowledge of
women, took that plunge which is peril
GUS even for five-and-twenty.
The VOLTS were delighted with this
stroke of fortune. Theodore had been
with them nearly a year, and nothing
had been heard of likely to suit her. so
that the Sanskrit professor and his wife
were beginning to ask each other whether
they would have to keep the pretty doll
all her life
DR.. Kirkdale was well off. He had in
herited a modest income, and his books,
the mere titles of which warned off the
average reader, had brought him a good
deal of money. He gave up his college
rooms-of ideal beauty and pleasantness
and removed his furniture to a fine
square, red brick house within ten min
utes' walk of Verulam. Wherever he might
lodge that outward husk of him which
ate and drank and slept, and had to be
kept warm and comfortable, his mind
would live within the antique walls of
Verulam, and in the stiffness of that long
library where he had read and worked
for seven-and-thirty years.
The large square house was a hand
some casSet for the Jewel he had taken
10 himself, and nothing could have been
prettier than Theodores paneled draw
ing-room, painted white and pink, and
with Theodore in a pale pink frock, the
whiteSt, pinkest and prettiest thing in the
room, the fairest flower in a room thar
seemed full Of flowers. OF course. she
was extravagant. Her mother and father
had been always pinched for money, ana
she herself had been penniless: so the
sensation Of spending being new she gave
herself up TO the pleasure very freely. nr.
kirkdale grudged her nothing He was