Year: 1869


tasted half as good, especially if Cyrus
had had to make one himself


In order to understand why this young
man cooked his own eggs it must be known
that he was a medical student in Philadel-
phia, and the son of a very respectable
and by no means ungenerous physician in
MARYLAND, who allowed him for his ex-
pcnses quite enough to keep him very
comfortably, even in a large city. But
Cyrus, who always had table board on
Walnut street for about the first half OF
every month, had generally been accus-
toned from necessity to live in "bache-
lor-halr' style for the remaining portion
of the month in his rooms on SAMSON
street. He was very nicely situated in
these rooms and the high rent he paid for
them contributed not a little to his slim
ness of purse during those days which i'm
mediately preceded the arrival of his
monthly remittaEces. His study" was
on the second floor of what is known in
the city of Brotherly Love as the "back
buildings" and was approached from the
long entry by asingle short flight of stairs.
This room looked out at the side on a
pleasant yard, was very well furnished,
and was altogether quite too good for a
young fellow who ought to have been sat
isfied with any garret where he could
study unmolested Back of the large
room was small bedchamber, generally
tenanted not only by Cyrus himself, but
by any one Of his companions who might
stay too late studying anatomy-or eu-
chre.


Cyrus was bending over his little wood
stove stirring his eggs rapidly lest they
should burn, and keeping an eye at the
same time on his coffee-pot, which, how
ever, had given no signs of boiling. 1t
was only four o'clock, but Cyrus had had
but slight lunch, and SO wanted an early
supper This power of having his meals
when he chose was another advantage of
this mode of living. His table was set
with small linen cloth (the clean side
up) q cup and saucer, and plate. The
"omelet" was just done, and Cyrus had
given it the last scrape around the pan,
when there was a knock at the door,


"Come in y said he, and the door open
ed and the knOcker entered. Cyrus look
ed around, and dropped on the top of the
stove the frying-pa which he was just
lifting off by the long handle. In the
doorway stood a young lady, dressed in
the loyeliest possible travelling suit, with
roses in her cheeks far more glowing than
the pink lining of her parasol.


"Mr. Durham" said she.


"Why, Miss Birch" cried Cyrus, with
his face redder than any silk lady would
dare use to line her parasoD. Il had no
idea-I am very glad to see you; take a
seat. You must excuse me-bachelor s
hall, you know. When did you come on ?"


Miss Fanny Birch was by no means I'M
embarrassed, She had hesitated about
calling on Mr.. Durham, and would GER
tainly have postponed her visit had she
thought she would have found him cook
ing his dinner, supper, or whatever it was.
But she took a seat which Cyrus placed
for her (as far as possible from the stove,
but unluckily facing it), and with little
laugh, which was intended to restore her
selfpossession, and which had partial
success, asked him where he supposed she
had come on" from; and then, without
waiting for an answer, proceeded TO in
form him that she had not come from
home. but was just going there (she lived
about half mile from DR.. Durham's
place. from her uncle Williams, where she
had been for near'y a month.


"You know" said she, THAT he lives
in New Jersey, Just a little way out of
Trenton"


Cyrus didn't know it, but he did not say
so, but asked her if she had a pleasant
time. She answered that it was at fifst,
but she got tired as sooh as her cousin
Emily had heen obliged to go back to
boarding school; and, he knew, those
Connecticut schools always commence
their terms right in the middle of the
finest weather; and did all the students
keep bachelors hall this wayf


81 - - -
any rate those Who liked better and fresh
er food than they generally got at the
boarding houses. Then Miss Fanny re-
marked that she thought it was a very
good way if you only knew lpw to cook
and didn't he think that whatever was in
that pan was all burning upp Cyrus
turned round and said he thought It was
and so he took the frying -Itaf, full ol
blackened and smoking eggs, off the fire
and moved the coffee-pot little back
When he sat down again there was a
little silence. He knew she had not come
10 see him simply because they were old
friends and neighbors, and he thought it
very probable that she had something par
ticular to say, and was wondering how
she should say it. He was right, After
looking out of the window, and remark;
ing that she should think the people in
the next house could look right iii hefe
she saids


"Mr, Durham, l guess you wonder why
] came to see you. Oh yes of course you
are glad; but, you see, left uncle's this
morning by the boat, and sent my trunks
on home by express, and coming off the
boat at Arch Street wharf, or somewhere
i haven't the slightest idea where-l
had my pocket picked, or lost my porte
monnaie; and l didn't know a soul in
Philadelphia who could lend me enough
to pay my fare in the cars, except you
and L thought I'd borrow some of you.
knew you lived in SAMSON Street. but
had TO ring at ever so many houses before
l found you"


Now as Cyrus had exactly forty-eigh
cents in his pocket, this was rather hare
on the young man.


"You see," she continued, "that if
take the six o'clock train for Baltimore,
will get there about ten, and l can stay
with Mrs. Sinclair tonight. The passen
ger cars will take me right past her door
and father will send you the money"


"Oh, don't mention that" said Cyrus
who looked exactly as if he was returnin.
from the grave of pair of twins "Bu
Il haven't think not, at least-but tina
need make no difference-I'll just step ou
and get it. Oh, I'm very glad indeed-nt
trouble at all-very glad you came to me
Just make yourself comfortable here for ;
few minutes. There's pipe-I mean there
scme books perhaps you would like t.
look at. I'll be back directly. otroubl'
at all"


So off went Cyrus, with his hat on hint
part before As for Miss Fanny Birch
She first wished she hadn't come. Blu
then she thought that she couldn't help 1t
for she had no other place to 60 to. Blu
she thought of course he'd have none.
enough for that. "What a pity abou
those eggs-just as black as crisp! Wha
funny way of livingI l wonder if h'
calls these things clean. He ought to hav'
somebody to wash his cups and plates TO
him but suppose it wouldn't be bache
lor's hall if he didn't do it himself
All those books are full of horrit
bones, L expect; I'm sure don't want t
look at them. | should think he di,
nothing but smoke; pipes every where.
wish he'd hurry back. Why, it's sil
o'clock now! Oh, that clock don't go
declare, it quite frightened me. VIII.
don't he have his clock wound up?"


With thoughts like these Miss Fam,
beguiled a part of the time that she wa
Obliged to wait for Cyrus; but at length
firing of examining the room, she venturet
to take up a book, which fortunatel,
proved to be an odd volume of Macaulay
and so she forgot the world in the fortune
of William of Orange until Cyrus re
turned.