The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-09-27

my mouth, and | was speeches. I;
but the gentleman did not wait for
me, he seemed desirous to enter into
conversation-asked if I 'read much,
did give all my time to intellectual
pursuits, and would give him my
hand in the next waltz"
For the first time in my life I felt
the Inconvenience of not having been
initiated into the mysteries of these
little evening tete-a-tetes. But as re-
grets were useless, was obliged to
fall back upon plain, common sense,
and replied to him to the best of my
ability. I must confess that / was
surprised at the attention he was CIV
ing me, and at the literary turn which
the conversation had taken, but I
could not think it out then, so left
the matter until I should reach my
little room at home, and-simply en-
joyed myself.
The gentleman remained at my side
all the evening, to the chagrin of the
bellies and beauties saw significant
smiles, heard derisive remarks, and,
thinking that the lion of the evening
was paying such marked attention to
poor me merely as ruse to vex these
young ladies, made up my mind to
assist him so l talked and laughed
with more animation than ever be-
fore.
Whatever his object, he kept it up
all the evening, and when I left with
Mrs. Browning's nephew Frank, he
had asked permission to call upon me
at my home. When I reached my
own little room, puzzled my brain
to solve the problem, whether Mr..
Sunderland had given me so much
attention to pique some one of the
many young maidens who were ready
to fall into his arms, or whether he
had discovered in me some possible
charm.
A few evenings after the party, as
we were sitting around the table
reading, the bell rang; this was so
unusual an event at 9 o'clock at night
that we were all on the qui vive to
know who the caller might be. My
uncle gussed cit was Squire White
on a matter of business" my aunt
thought it might be ga member of
the Dorcas society,"" while thought
my own thoughts. As the street
door was opened I heard Mr.. Sunder-
lands voice inquiring if Miss Collins
was at home, and in a moment he
walked into the room.
thought I detected look of sur
prise as he took in my rather homely
surroundings, but he was exceeding
ly affable, and conversed with a
charming manner. In little while
it dawned upon my aunt and uncle
that the visitor was my own, and
they left the room. Mr.. Sunderland
staid but short time, and invited me
to attend the opera with him the next
evening.
Matters now progressed at an as
tonishing rate. I attended operas,
theatres, concerts, lectures, readings,
and a new world was opened before
me. Contact with real, active, out
door life invigorated me. l saw with
my own eyes, heard with my own
ears, what had before read or imag-
ined. I listened to noble truths,
strains of divine melody, from flesh
and blood lips of real human beings
like myself. 1t sent through me a
thrill of electric life such as I had
never felt before.
1 sat in bri1liantly-lighted rooms
amid gay friends, intoxicated with
the light and perfume, and with
feeling of pleasure that was almost
pain. Attentions and pretty gifts
were showered upon me my admir-
er spent every evening with me,
praised "my plain, unostentatious
way of living, my simple dress, &c.,
until at last 1 believed in him and
gave myself up to the delights of this
most delightful time.
Just at this juncture, VIXEN life was
fairest, sweetest, when the sun shone
and the flowers b1oomed brighter,
when I had grown to think Mr.. Sun
derland one of Gods noblemen, came
a summons which 1 could not disre-
gard. An aunt in a distant city was
ill, and her distracted husband sent
for me to come and look after him,
his household and his two little ones.
Could I go? Could I leave for
even a short time all that had made
for me my world? I felt that l could
not. At length l put my selfish hap
piness aside and wrote to my uncle
that I would come. Now it was left
for me to break this news to my lover
(for so in secret / styled him.
He was at first indignant II
should not go, let my uncle get some
one else, he could not allow it." &c.
At length he became more reasona-
BILE, and with promise to write often,
and pain at my heart, which l took
good care that he should not see,
left in few days for Dayton. Mr..
Sunderland saw me off, attended to
my baggage made me comfortable in
the train, dropped into my lap book
and a bunch of roses, and with a ling
ering hand clasp he left me.
I did not read, but through tears
watched the flying landscape and
wondered why things were going so
crooked with me, why my aunt should
fall sick just at this time, why I
should be obliged to do what was so
disagreeable to me. Finally my bet
ter self prevailed; I determined to
do what 1 could in the field where He
was certainly calling me to work, and
by the time reached Dayton 1 was in
a much better frame of mind.
I found my aunt better, but the
poor little household most demoraliz-
ed /; I fell to work and did my duty,
cheered and encouraged by long, kind
1aftor- fYOt,1 NJ C,,a1a~1o~1