The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-08-24

NV
$ We dllCdyS miss you, colonel"
pidity of man, failing to understand
the situation, which, however, Mrs.
Mitchell, with a woman's instinct in
stantly comprehended She therefore
quickly remarked:
why, my dear Colonel Payton, do
you suppose for moment that a wo-
man must be told that man loves
her ere she can herself discover the
truth? Why, we are brighter than that.
I'll wager that your sweetheart knew
your secret-yes, perhaps before you
suspected it yourself"
"But then, if that were true, why
should she marry another man?"
Because you did not speak, colonel"
replied Mrs. Mitchell "a woman can
not wait forever for man to find
courage. How stupid you are, colo
mel! But then you are excusable on
g account of your SEX
She laughed lightly, but the thoughts
which her words aroused in the minds
of the others caused an awkward
pause, which was only broken by Per-
dita's saying:
"You tell us story, Mr. Mitchell. The
colonel is stupid tonight. agree with
Mrs. Mitchell"
II tell you story?" said Mr.. Mitchell
well. what shall the subject be.
about the little girl who gave the old
bag a lift with her bundle and then
found that the old lady was fairy in
sdisguise?"
mo. Tell me about your daughter
Rose. / never knew before that she
was adopted. How was it?"
-sAh, my DEAR that is sad story for
such young ears! 1 am afraid that
your mother would not approve"
You are mistaken" said Mrs. Van
Cortlandt. II hold that the old no
ton that girls should be reared in ig-
norance of the world is not only wrong,
but that such course is absolutely
sinful Why should girl be kept ig-
norant for years only to have her ears
suddenly assailed by such multiplied
ty of terrible tales as must shock her
rudely? 1 have no fear of anything
that you may think proper to relate to
u.s. also would be much interested to
learn your daughters history"
Il am glad to find woman who has
SO much sense" said Mr.. Mitchell "You
are fin de steele in the most refined
meaning of the phrase. My little girls
story is sad one, though the sad
parts really happened before she was
old enough to know anything. She is
really the child of a cousin of mine
He met a young creole in our old home,
New Orleans and persuaded her to
elope with him. The honeymoon LAST
ed long, but in time the young wife
was Mortified to learn that her hus-
band had contracted previous mar
riage."
"What! The man had married be-
fore and then had persuaded this girl
to elope with himw exclaimed Mrs
Van Cortlandt. "What villainy!'
In this particular instance it was
not as bad as it seemed at the time.
He was the victim of an INSCRIPTIONS
woman who had married him while he
was intoxicated and then kept the mat
ter secret in order to blackmail him
in the event of his marrying subse-
squently. Her fendish scheme succeed
ed only too well. The wife died, and
my cousin was finally driven insane
by his disgrace and grief"
rs not that sad story?" said Mrs
Van Cortlandt. "But then, after all
the girl brought much of her trouble
upon herself"
"In what way?" asked Mr.. Mitchell
"You said that she eloped, did you
aot?"
Eyes. What of that?"
AN elopement always implies mar
Tiage away from home and without the
consent of parents CT guardians, and
therefore girl who elopes proves her
self ungrateful as well as selfish She
is ungrateful because she ignores hel
obligations to those who have cherish
ed and cared for her from childhood
She forgets the nights of anguish spent
by her bedside as they watched hel
through attacks of illness and how heI
welfare was always their first consid
GRAFTON. She forgets that those who
thus have served her through life mus
have love for her in their hearts anG
that such love creates an obligation
Then, as have said, she is also selfish
She meets a man of whom she car
know but little, seeing him only wher
he is aiming to appear at his best. She
Dis attracted by the glitter and tho
sheen of the metal, but how. can she
form an accurate judgment of its pur
ty? But something about him fas
scinates her senses, and she mistakes
this new feeling for love. He impor
tunes, and she yields, leaving home
parents and real love behind to follow
this ignis fatuus. She may even havs
romantic notions and imagine that she
is doing praiseworthy action in sacpi
fcing herself, her conscience and hel
home to prove the sincerity Of hel
dove. Nevertheless there is nothing
but selfshness in her act. She goes
50 Gretifu har nwn desires. oh. no