Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-09-06
She Had the
Habit

friend on the opposite side of the
little table. Il don't know whether
can explain it to you because 1t Is
kind of involved
"I'll have to go back to the time
when l was fourteen and Willie had
just looked upon my horizon.
thought he was the handsomest boy
the benefcent powers above had ever
permitted to glorify the earth Etle
Snow who was in love with the boy
who delivered groceries, and l used
to quarrel for hours at time, each
trying to convince the other of the
superior attractions of her beloved.
II remember pointing out to Ellie
the glorious sweep of Willie's raven
hair above his noble brow and the
falcon fire of his flashing black eye.
IT said it showed that he was hero
destined to do noble deeds and that
she was a horrid thing to say he was
homely. 1t was just because she was
jealous.
Years later I came across pic
ture Of a Sunday school picnic with
Willie in the front row and I took a
good look at him. He was boy who
was exaggerated at all points. His
bristly hair stood straight up like a
shoe brush nd he had pop eyes. He
just queer looking and it seems to
me that I have heard rumors from
some one that he IS running a livery
stable In his home town.
"Well, when I was seventeen my
heart belonged to Richard. I thought
that of all the grand men on earth he
was the grandest and used to sit at
my window at night when l should
have been getting my beauty sleep and
look at the moon and dream of him. ;
"Noble' was the adjective l ap-
piled to Richard. | meditated upon
his serene brow, his poetic face and
his wonderful profile. I likened 1t
to a cameo and sighed to think that
all the men in the world could not
be like him and so redeem it from
its prosaic ugliness. I said that just
to look at him one would know he
was filled with splendid aspirations
and was far, far above sordid thoughts
Of gain that made most men selfish
and grasping. 1 rember mother sigh
ing at the time and murmuring that
sordid gain was mighty nice thing
to have around when the grocery and
milk bills came due.
"I saw Richard not long ago, and
Of all the lank, slipshod, weak raced
no account creatures he Is the Worst!'
7 think he sells woodenware and takes
his meals at a fifteen-cent restaurant.
There wasn't single, solitary thing
about him to admire or look up to
and how had raved about him once"
when I was eighteen thought the
sun rose and set in Mr.. Judkins, who
was q friend of fathers and bache.
lor. I said his face showed that he
had fought with the world and had
been a victor in his battles and the
marks of his struggles only added TO
the strength of his countenance. l
said that after knowing him the
Younger men bored me with their
greenness and inexperience and that
It was such a comfort to be able to
rest on Mr.. Judkins' superior judg-
ment and know whatever he said was
right.
"My family were terribly wrought
I'D about the matter and father used
regularly to explode when I spoke OF
Mr.. Judkins' wisdom and stability.
Mother would dissolve into tears and
beg me not to ruin my life by marry
ing an old man. Well, that's five
years ago-and today Mr.. Judkins
looks to me like a fat, weatherbeaten,
elderly man and If there was a law
compelling me to marry him I'd never
obey the law If they put me into
prison for life. >
"There were several after Mr.. JUDI
l1ins. And every one at the time l
considered the best looking man on
earth. The attractive features could
dig up in those men would have been
sufficient to make perpetual beauty
show of the masculine population Of
this big town we live in.
"And after we had our falling out
every time I blipked my eyes and
took another look I saw their thin
hair and watery eyes, their crooked
noses and awful ears.
"It never failed.
"Now what is worrying me" the
girl in white serge made marks on
the doilies with her spoon, 'is wheth-
err
"You see, Of course, I don't mean
there Is anything serious between
Harry and myself, but-well, am I
going to wake up and find out that
he Is homely and commonplace, too?
That would be awful after I was mar
ried and-yet, I might as well tell
you that I'm engaged to him! What
do you Think"
"My DEAR" said her friend in a tone
of awe, "if you can think for min
ute that man with snub nose, red
hair, small eyes and walk like a
kangaroo such as Harry has is the
least bit good looking 1t is proof that
you are 80 deeply in love with him
that you'll never come to your senses!
Go ahead and marry himt"
'T intend to-" said the girl in white
serge, stifly. "And I must say it's
only jealousy on your part that makes
you run down handsome young man
like Harry"
anyhow, you're consistent" said
her friend.-Chicago Daily News.