The Marshall republican., 1906-01-26


' eighteen months, u occurred 10 mo
that there were Inconvenience attach
Ing to our mode Of life. and that n she
raw matters In the same light, Il would
be well 10 draw the bond OF friendship
ana affection yet closer by marriage.
Not that ! was In love with Fanny
Denneliy In the sense In which the
term In generally used. Indeed, Il was
one OF her great charms In my eyes
that II seemed possible 10 live on the
terms OF the closest friendship aud
Affection with her without any nonsense
of the sort being imported into tho In.
timacy. either on ono side or the other.
Also. as far an ! was concerned. had
buried all passion OF that kind with
my dear wife, and my sp~eculationa oc-
cupied my mina far too entirely 10
allow OF the entry into u OF any OF
those degrading limitations TO which
imaginative and intelligent men are,
oddly enough. especially liable N they
are not very hard worked. probably on
account OF the greater i~rritablllty and
constituencies OF their brains.
What I looked forward 10 In marry.
Ing Fanny Denelly was n reasonable
and sensible companionship, catered
into for the comfort OF congenlal "a.
ciety and to further the end To which
we had both devoted our lives. Also
I was DESTROYS OF giving my unfortunate
boy q permanent substitute for his
dead mother. and one whom he dearly
loved. Accordingly. | took occasion
one evening after dinner to speak TO
Fanny about the question. before we
settled down TO our nights work. This
! did with some tr~epidation. for how
ever well you may think you under
stand a woman. II IL not always pos
sible to know how she will take a mat
ter OF the sort. SIN ! put the bes,
face on II that I could. and talked for
a quarter OF an hour without stop.
ping.
All the time she sat stlll with her
hands behind her head. and her dark
eyes fixed upon my face. and never said
q word.
"You are q very curious man. Geof-
frey" she answered. with q little
laugh when ut las, l had done.
"Whyr Iasked.
because you have put the whole
question to me as though marriage
were q chapter out OF The Secret Of
Life"
well. for the matter Of that. 30 It
generally Is" l said.
And you have not said one word OF
affection. II has all been business.
from beginning to end"
MY dear Fanny" I answered, you
know how deeply ] am attached to you.
I did not think It necessary to en-
large upon the point"
YES" she answered, gently, and
with q Q light shining In her eyes.
but II In a point that women like TO
hear enlarged upon. am only n wom-
an. after all, Godfrey. am not all
scientific aud mathematical"
saw that ! had made a mistake, and
had appealed too much to the reason
ing side of her nature as opposed to
the sentimental. To II the truth.
when n lives day by Jay with a wom-
an. and all ones talk 10 OF the highest
problems Of existence. one Ia apt to
forget that these matters are. after
all. only more or less accidental to
her. and that the basis OF flesh and
blood. on which they are built up, re-
mains, the same. In short, a ssts
to view her more In the light OF .
man.
A man can lose his old Adam In
studiss or aspirations. or In devotion to
q cause; but = woman. 70 far ~ my
experience goes. and a. the moral OF
this story tends to prove. can eve
quite set rid Of the original Eve.