River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-07-07

which habitually marked his bearing to-
ward them.
The lecturer was tall, rather ungaiis-
ly young man-young, that is to say
in years, but in everything else, as it
seemed-incredibly old-grape with the
gravity of the "ffties," serious and sol
enln with the serious solemnity of ore
to whom life is an earnest and real
hing. whose own simplicity Of heart
renders him incapable of suspecting du-
plicity of motive in Others, whose single
ness of purpose seeks to find its reflec-
ton in the straightforward honesty of
all with whom he may have dealings,
doubling their good faith and their sin
certify in the smallest matter no more
than he could conceive them to doubt his
own. Least of all the kind of man who
could be expected to appreciate or under.
stand that attitude of mind which is able
to treat even the most serious matters
with levity and fippancy of spirit so
completely alien to his own conceptions
of what is due to the nobler feelings of
humanity. He was not himself insen-
sible to the influence of the emotions;
but, outside his profession and in his
merely social relations, certain natural
awkwardness, the shy reserve of a man
who is conscious of his external disad-
vantages, gave him an air of diffidence
and GOODNESS which suggested a passion
less temperament.
So far, however, from being difident
to the gentler aspirations of the heart,
the lecturer, like many lonely natures
was possessed with deep craving Tor
some of that love which he saw so law
ishly scattered among other men around
him-the love of woman. His heart hun
gered for affection; yet for him it seemed
there were to be no ties of wife, home
and family. Loveless and lnloved, he
must pursue his solitary way alone. 1t
was a cold destiny for man of 80 to re-
ceive, and when his duties took him, as
they periodically did, into the midst OF
garden of fair young girls, with their
soft, winning ways, and gentle voices
and bright eyes, it seemed colder and
harder still. Other men would be made
happy some day by these fair young
creatures, but they were not for him.
And, thinking especially of one pair of
exceptionally bright eyes, of one soft,
smiling face, the lecturer would sigh.
More than once during his lectures in the
schoolroom he had fancied these particu-
lar eyes had rested on his own with
and his heart had swelled with a silent
gratitude to the gentle possessor of them.
Ali what would he give to call such eyes,
such lips, such sweet, serious gracious
ness, his ownl
The lecturer, indeed, had but the most
superficial acquaintance with the mys-
terious ways of the beautiful young HUI
man creature called grill
he
breakfast table one morning little pink,
dainty looking envelope, addressed in
dainty little girlish hand to himself, his
first wonderment gave way to rapid
succession of very singular emotions,
quite foreign hitherto to his experience,
as he read the delicate little missive to
it's end and then stood moment, trem-
bling, with it in his fingers. Collecting
his rebellious thoughts with an effort, ne
read the note through again. 1t ran
thus
teMarch 81, 1903
Dear Mr.. Morland-I feel terribly shy
about writing to you, but | hope-I
know-that you will forgive me. feel
perplexed and troubled don't know
quite how to explain it, but you are so
clever, so kind and good, that l am sure
/ may count upon you to give me your
advice upon the subject, which is rather
a delicate one! Please let me speak to
YOU alone after class tomorrow morning
for few minutes. / will stay behind
the other girls. Yours most sincerely,
DOROTHY DEWDROP."
Had he been more of man of the
world and less of an idealist. the lee
turer would have suspected some of the
woman's designing craftiness in this APP
parently artless girls note. Indeed, tie
wicked little lines bleathed audibly of
n ischief but the lecturer guessed it not,
and he did a very curious thing. Instead
of throwing the note into the fire with
laugh-and, possibly, a promise to him
self to take advantage of this oppor-
tunity of a stolen Irritation with a pref
ty pupil-he pressed the scented paper
to his lips. Dorothy Dewdrop 1t was
Dorothy Dewdrop whose soft, serious
eyes had rested on his face so often and
so teRderly las he fattered limself)
during his class lectures, and now She
she had written to him! Forgive herr
All, what would he not forgive that gen
tie, smiling angel? She was perplexed
and troubled, and wanted his adyice--on
delicate subject. What could it mean
At length-as it seemed, by some pure
Iy mechanical process-he finished his
breakfast, and found himself in his usual
place in the classroom of Miss Primbird's
seminary, with his fresh young pupils
arranged daintily around him.
For an hour he lectured to them wise
ly, passionlessly, on moral philosophy;
yet, when he thought of it afterward, he
could rot remember one single word Of
what he had said during that hour; ne
even vaguely wondered whether he had
not been talking nonsense.
hours will, whether of joy or sorrow,
pain or pleasure; and the class rose.
There was the usual kaleidoscope or but
terfy movements, the usual ripple of
laughing voices, the opening of a door,
and then the lecturer looked up and
found himself alone in the room. Not
quite alone, though. A tall, graceful
figure appeared suddenly, standing at BIS
desk, and pair of sweet gray eyes
glanced little timidly up into his own
and Immediately fell with a pretty en-
barrassment as they encountered the lee
turer's gaze.
Ell got your note, Miss Dewdrop,"
the lecturer began, after an instant's
pause; then he stepped short and
blushed.
ooh, thank you 1t was so good Of
you," replied Miss Dewdrop-who was no
other than "Poppet"-blushing too.
This remark was trife elliptical, but
the lecturer aid not appear to notice it.