The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-26


plexities Of the small, narrow lives OF
grim. inexorabie shape Of Fate.
sorss rlo ess aid pl not esE ssasT oxss
ters In 1.-THE Mil on the Floss" In the
sense Of the word creation" when APP
EEssnmond. raistaff, MIcawber, Jean Val.
jean and other similar personalities OF
slction. . Very, few: 4 any: e Georgss
immortality. Her genius manifested
work Il e the. story and not the crea-
lures OF life-remoresless, unbending.
uncomprornising.
Mr.. Tuliiver. the owner Of Doricote
Mill on the Floss. was man OF safe.
traditional opinions Perhaps in only
one case had he really trusted his un-
assisted intellect to guide him TO
conclusion: which was that rats, wee
wills and lawyers had been made by
the devil.
AS is natural in conservative persons
TO whom ideals do not come with un-
natural prodigality. Mr.. Tulliver's one
great mental achievement became a
triumphant and sacred belief. 1t stood
az the one great positive fact in the
universe to his mind. which was WILL
Ing enough in other matters not con-
nected with milling and farming to adj
Among the puzzles Of this puzzling
world not the least were his two chill
dren. FITS the wonderfuPst thing" he
was wont to say. II picked the moth
er because she wasn't DER cute. But
you see, when mans got brains.
there's no knowing where they'll run
to: an q pleasant sort o. soft woman
may go on, breeding you stupid lads
and cute wenches TIL it's like as II
the world was turned topsy turvy. It's
an uncommon puzzling thing.
The honest miller's perplexed esti-
mate of his family was two-thirds cor
rect. In his object OF marrying
narilv successful Mrs. Tuliiver was q
perfectly good-natured. very fair ana
completely dull woman, who shook her
head in almost pious alarm. at her
strange daughter, Maggie, half dread
ing that this dark -skinned child with
her black hair that refused fused , to cur -
her own family, had been sent as "a
Judgment on her"
"If I send her upstairs for anything"
she sighed, bewildered, "she forgets
what she's gone for an perhaps .ulI
sit down on the floor I the sunshine
an sing to herself like Bedlam crea-
fure. That niyer run IN my family,
thank God, no more nor a brown skin
as makes her look like muIatter."
Her blond sisters, Glegg, Pullet and
DAane. shared Sister Tulliver's grtef
over this unhappy child ana lost no
opportunity to regret voinDly tnat
Maggie was so unpleasantly different
from her neat. exquisite. dainty cousin.
Lucy, with her liquid hazel eyes and
her bright curls.
Maggie had become quite accustomed
to the open talk about her ugliness
on the one side and about her sinful
E - At1 n hmRnfV
grieved over her looks, and gave her
admired cousin Lucy the free ana iun-
reserved homage that a subject pays
a queen. The admiration and love for
which her childish heart hungered be.
ing withheld from her on the score
OF appearance. she strove TO astonlsh
people with her learning. and thus,
while she was still child, she de-
voured a wonderful mass of. books,
from Defoe's History of the Devil TO
Jeremy Taylor's Holy Living and Dy"
ing. ~.
rect about two Of his household, he
wronged his son Tom. That healthy,
self-willed young animal was indeed
immensely stupid over his books, but
he knew very well what he~Was about,
which was to get the best out Of life,
as a plain duty. that every human being
owed to himself and to the world.
Maggie adored Tom as something
almost too wonderful for the compre-
hension OF a mere girl; and Tom was
good to Maggie--a fact which he was
careful to impress on her frequently.
He was a stern young patron, and dis
ciplined Maggie freely by debarring
her from the splendor OF his society,
punishment that subjected the girl 20
o double torture, filling her heart with
humble, bitter grief.
Her aunts Glegg, Pullet and Deane
shared with Tom the better in the need
OF frequent correction and did not fail
TO impress on Maggie her sad differ
ence from her mothers comely family
and her wickedness OF mind ana tenn
per.
The three sisters were ladies OF
strongly marked character, all hugely
satisfied with their own wisdom of life'l
and conduct, and all agreeing in de-
spisine their sister Tullfver's husband,
who, In turn. did not fail to repay in
kinda repayment which was often
embarrassing, as the miller was ex-
tremelyl outspoken and did not hide his |
guage.
sister Giegg was the chief of the |
clan. not merely because she was
known to have a thousand pounds
which she would leave to her various
relatives, but because she had bitter
tongue which never SUFFERED lot lack /
OF systematic exercises.
Sister Glegg's particular strength !
was to wear her second best and third
best garments, leaving her best ones
laid away. This meritorious |
economy gave her commanding posi-
tion from which to assail other folks
Sister Pullet presented a most UNI
sisterly contrast. being a fashionable
female much given to balloon sleeves.
and being decked with so many rib
bons and feathers as to look like a
brig with all sail spread. Ter share
Of the family virtues was to be in
state OF bitter grief over the
death OF some one, whether the some |
one happened to be a distant relative !
or a person whom she had known
merely by reputation.
Sister Deane was the wisest Of the
fact which she proved in her
own natural, negative manner by caro-
fully refraining from speech while In
the company of her militant sisters
The three had married we'll, and were
very proud OF their successful hus-
bands, whom they kept thoroughly
under their thumbs. They united in
plying their sister Tulliver as one
who most emphatically did not have her
husband under her thumb, and who,
In addition, was doomed to ruin sooner
or later through that same husbands
and freehandedness
The miller repudiated their criticisms
and made Injurious reflections on their
freely rendered advice. He went his
own way, and one part of that way was
to go to law frequently, despite his
hatred of lawyers. As result OF his