The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-17

which the history of Sanford and Mer-
ton Is strewn.
And now the time came when, grown
into "young gentlemen" but still of a
| rather tender age, the two friends were
| to go on visit to the home of Tommys
father. Mrs Merton mad invited to the
| mansion house large company OF
friends. who brought with them sons and
daughters, all young ladies and young
gentlemen" of suitable age to be com
panions for Harry and Tommy. Inc
company belonged to the little gentry
and you may be sure were mighty gen
teel" proud, adoring society" above all
things and abhorring all that was "vul-
gar" and common" Several of the Ia
dies took to their smelling salts when
they found that Harry was the son OF
mere farmer" and wondered much, open
ly and to her face. as well as behind her
back that Mrs. Merton should suffer her
son to have for a companion and FRIEND
a bow born In such a lowly position In life.
AS to the young masters and young
misses. they resolved to make things
warm for poor Harry-all except one girl
Miss Simmons, who treated him with
especial kindness and regard when she
saw the daily, almost hourly, snuos and
nettv prosecutions to which Harry was
subjected.
Miss Simmons had been brought up in
manner wholly original In her class OF So
ciety-a manner which the ladies' ala not
scruple to call at least eccentric. Her
father and mother had been two OF the
most respectable people In the country
according to the old style of English gen.
try, but having lost her father when she
was young the care Of her mad devolveo
upon her uncle, who was a man OF sense
and benevolence, hut a great humorist
This gentleman had such peculiar notions
of female character that he waged war
with most of the polite modern accom-
nlishments As one of the first blessings
in life. according to his idea, was health,
he endeavored to prevent that sickly del
icacy which is SO great an ornament In
fashionable life by more ROBUST ana
hardy education. His niece had been ac-
customed from her earliest years to
plunge into the cold bath at every sea-
son of the year; to rise by candiengnt IN
winter; to ride dozen miles upon
trotttne horse or to walk as many even
with the hazard Of being splashed or OF
soiling her clothes.
With this mode Of education Miss Sukey
flor so she had the misfortune to be
called, acquired an excellent character,
ACCOMPANIED, however, by some pecpliari-
ties which disqualified her, almost as
much as Harry, for fashionable life. She
was acquainted with all the best authors,
and her uncle had. besides, instructed her
In several kinds of knowledge which rare
Nv fall to the lot of ladies-such as the
established laws of nature and the rudi-
rnents of geometry. She was also thor
oughly initiated in every sort OF house
hold employment which Is now regarded
bv ladies in every rank and station as
mean and vulgar and taught to believe
that domestic economy is a point of the
utmost consequence to very woman who
expects to be wife and mother. AS to
music. though Miss Simmons had a very
agreeable voice and could sing several
simple songs in a very pleasing manner,
she was entirely unacquainted with 1t as
an art. Her uncle used to say that human
life is not long enough to throw away so
much time upon the science of making
noise
Such was the education of Miss Sim
mons, who became the friend Of the
..ploughboy," as the others contemptu-
ously called him, at once. Harry had an
understanding naturally strong, and Mr..
Barlow, while carefully preserving him
from all false impressions, had taken
great pains to cultivate the faculties of
his mind. While he never said any of
those brilliant things which make boys
the darlings OF the ladies, yet he listened
carefully to what was said to him and
made the most judicious observations