Year: 1875




sessed of such an unreasoning horror
of all the fieece-bearing, mutton-pro-
ducing species, was, perhaps, fami-
ly mystery. But, if like the heredi-
tary ghost of our MEDIEVAL ancestors,
its secret vested in the head Of the
house, my jovial and matter-of-fact
uncle kept it sacredly concealed, and,
indeed, never gave sign of having
any oppressive weight on his mind.
Since those days have often sought
to account for it according to philos-
ophy and science. l have attributed
it to perhaps some ante-natal impress
sion, calling to mind the case Of King
James, who would shiver at the sight
Of Il drawn sword, and who, on at
least one memorable occasion, poked
a kneeling subject in the eye while
delivering the knightly accolade.-
l have even INDUCED in wider flights
of theory, and traced, i'll imagination,
the lineage of my gentle kinswomm
to the prehistoric wolf Of sophistical
and sanguinary character, concerning
that perhaps she, in the development
of the race, found herself carrying
the burden of expiation for that SUI
premely illogical crime against the
lamb that did not trouble the water.
Not that we ever worried ourselves
in that happy time with such specu-
lations. Far from it. 1t was enough
that Mamie Stuart had a peculiar un-
reasoning aversion that was all her
own. Whereas, other girls, in this
age Of universal diffusion of knowl-
edge, considered the mouse venom
Gus and carnivorous animal, from
whose attacks it behooved all wom-
ankind to flee to the heights of sofa
and piano stool with shrieks and dis
hevelment, my cousin was moved to
similar demonstrations by the prox-
unity of the no less harmless sheep.
Indeed, as femanine logic goes, she
had certain amount Of reason on
her side, inasmuch as the sheep is
larger animal, and i'll that way truly
more forcible. 1t was simply a blind
physical or moral horror rather than
fright OF terror which seemed to take
possession of the girl whenever she
happened to come near one of these
animals. There was no sense in it,
Of course. But repulsion existed
as evident as that between the two
opposing poles of the magnet. l had
seen Mamie affected in that way only
once; and although l joked her m-
mercifully about it, soon saw it was
no subject for joking.


We had forgotten all about it, in
fact, and but for the concurrence of
several accidents, whose happening l
shall endeavor to relate in their prop
er connection, we might have passed
through life without recalling this
strange idiosyncrasy.


The first was an exhibition which
Mamie made when we were all on a
visit of inspection at John Lamson's
farm. John was very good sort of
fellow, I suppose. ought to say
SO now, at any rate, after what has
happened, for he behaved like man
through it all day. And even in
those days the only sin l could lay
to bis charge, when brought squarely
to the point, was his great fondness
for Mamie, or, what was yet worse
her equally great fondness for John.
They were accepted and acknowledge
ed lovers; and while I should have
considered 1t a personal insult had
John shown less devotion OF failed
in any of those demonstrations Of re-
gard, voluntary or involuntary, which
accompany the tender passion, it was
quite another matter to see my pet
cousin give herself up to love and
worship any man-except it had been
myself-in such very unreserved
way. Moreover, uncle Stuart approv
ed the match. If he was rich, so was
John. Nor was the model farm "a
hobby, on which John wasted enough
substance to support two tamilies)
sufficiently absorbing to deter the
complacent lover from agreeing to
settle down, when married, in the
city house around the corner, on the
next block, which was to be the pa
ternal wedding gift. His farm, with
its costly and thoroughbred live
stock, was the only object in life
which seemed to interest him enough
to find any place in his thoughts
along with Mamie. If he had any
particular strength of character, it ap-
peared to sleep in the easy existence
he was leading, taking everything
comfortably, not to say easily. He
was a tolerably good-looking man,
tall, big and blonde, and if any criti-
cism were to be made of a face that
seemed hardly worth the trouble, it
would be to the effect that the fore
head was slightly retreating, and the
features Of the lower part of the face
some what bent or huddled together.
But with his long mustache, and his
glowing, curly hair, these defects if
they were such, passed notice entire
ly. | should probably have never
noticed them but for what happen
ed.