Country Lyceums.
The country lyceum is sometimes
made the subject.of ridicule. Its would
be poets and orators are laughed at , am
the subjects its members discuss arc
sometimes absurd and not well-timed.
3Jut great things have often come from
these laughed at speakers in country
literary societies or lyceums. Men who
have made their first speeches in these
lyceums have sometimes made their las
in the halls of congress. Writers who
have come timidly and tremblingly for
ward to read their first essays in little
country school-rooms have had the
world for their stage and its delightec
people for their hearers in after years.
Every school district should have a
literary society for the long winter even
ings. It is a never failing source of en
joyment and good is sure to come from
it.
Almost every neighborhood has read
ers and thinkers who can discuss clearly
and intelligently all topics of genera"
interest.
Every neighborhood has an organ anc
singers , and if the music is not very
goodtmd the singing not good at all , a
desire may at least be awakened for
something better.
A taste for good reading , good music ,
good stories , good singing and for good
an all things has been created in coun
try lyceums.
.Ridiculous things may be said and
done , but a very wise man once wrote.
"He who hath not a dram of folly in his
mixture hath pounds of much worse
matter in his composition. "
The amusing things of life play a
most important part in bringing about
fneral happiness and general good.
rery man and every woman is better
for a hearty laugh once in a while.
A literary society for young people ,
and particularly for youug people living
in quiet , rural districts should have an
element of fun in it ; and happily this
element is seldom missing in such so
cieties. Youth's Companion.
The Pope and Music.
Pope Leo XTTT. has issued a series oj
regulations for sacred music which wil ]
have a marked effect when they are ex
tended to Catholic churches of this coun
try , where the organist has exercised
considerable latitude in adaptations and
selections. For instance , one rule-for
bids the playing of "polkas , waltzes ,
quadrilles and galops. " Such music is
undoubtedly improper in church , but
there have been times during the cele
bration of some special feast when it
appeared to me that the organ was peal
ing forth strains less solemn in charac-
acter than anthems , and not altogether
unlike .certain dance music. Another
rule prohibits "love and comic songs.
There seems to be no necessity for in
junction against the latter class of songs ,
but has it never struck any of my read
ers that they have heard the choir tenor
singing to sacred words a hymn that
was reminiscent of Claribel or Millards.
Then , too , "Dreamy eyes that haunt me
still , " and the waltz songfrom jNanon , '
make beautiful hymns. National airs
are also forbidden by the pope , and all
vocal music composed upon theatrical
or profane themes. This closes the
organ to selections from the operas , and
WU1 affect the organist at St. Xavier's
church. Another rule forbids music of
such inordinate length that mass is pro
longed beyond the prescribed limit of
noon. This comes as a relief to the con
gregation , and if the pope would add a
like injunction in regard to sermons ,
there would be more pleasure in attend
ing high mass. Finally , big drums ,
cymbals , pianos and instniments used
by street musicians are ruled out of
church. A grateful people will also
give thanks for the coarollary , which
discountenances the improvisation of
voluntaries by the organists , for it is a
fatal habit on their part to turn their
fingers loose on the keys and set the sen
sitive hearing wild witli note races and
the wild screaming of the treble. St.
Louis Spectator.
Instances of Business Ambition.
It is a matter of greatpride with many
'that when they die their houses will go
= on under the same name they gave to
4hem. It was a frequent boast of the
ilate James' Gordon Bennett that when
&e died it would not be necessary to
change the name of the proprietor at
the head of the editorial page of the
Heralti , as kis son and successor bore
the same name. Years before , while
still in the old Nassau and Fulton street
building , he liad given orders that the
door of the office should never be closed
nor the publication of the paper sus
pended for any cause.
The original Harper Brothers had
this same desire in the later years of
then : lives. I have heard Fletcher Har
per say with evident gratification that
the business of the house was such that
it would not be possible to suspend
work entirely on the death of cither
member , and that there were song
enough of the original four to perpetuate
the firm title ot Harper & Brothers
almost indefinitely.
I am told that JJobert Bonner is en
gaged in making a curious provision for
continuing the Sew York Ledger after
his death in the same style in which he
has been conducting it for about thirty
years. He holds , so I understand , that
it will take his successor fully three
years to learn his methods so as to se
lect the class of literary material which
has given the Ledger its peculiar suc
cess. He has , therefore , begun to col
lect extra material with the design of
securing enough to last three years
after his death. Already about enough
copy for one year , or fifty-two numbers ,
has been accumulated. New York Trib
une.
A Well-Known Judge.
One of the Judges of the Supreme
Court of Texas happened to be Travel
ing in England. In London he made
the acquaintance of one of the most in
telligent lawyers of that city. After
the man from Texas had answered
several questions the Englishman
asked :
"Where do you reside ? "
"In Texas. ' *
"And what is your occupation ? "
"I am one of the Supreme Court
Judges. "
"Oh , yes ; I've read a great deal about
jou. Your name is Lynch , is it not ? "
Texas Sif tings.
. He that would cat the kernel must crack the
nut
Uncertainty of Literature.
Why is it that young writers harp so
persistently on minor chords ? Where
there is one poem on home and sun
shine and happy life , there are a dozen
which moan over blasted hopes ( at 22) ) ,
twilight by the moaning sea , withered
leaves , ana other subjects of a more or
less melancholly nature. Very few
wholesome , cheery , religious verses are
offered , nearly all expressing the writer's
praiseworthy resignation under calami
ties which never happened , and his ex
treme anxiety to turn back upon the
earth , which he designates as a "vale"
or a "desert. " The same is apt to be
true of prose offerings.
All editors will unite in saying that
the rarest and most difficult short sketch
to procure is a racy , well-written ,
Thanksgiving or Christmas story , while
the themes of hopeless love and early
death are dwelt upon with avidity. By
far the most numerous class of short
stories offered to magazines and week
lies is that of juvenile sketches. . It is a
popular fallacy that while it takes a
genius to write a society novel , anybody
can tell stories to children. While this
delusion , for such it certainly is , ha's
been productive of a great deal of good
juvenile work , by drawing efforts of
writers to that field , it also overloads
the mail-bags with a vast amount of in
anity intended , to nourish the youthful
imagination and appease its pangs for
intellectual entertainment. Try to read
one of these stories aloud to half a
dozen mischievous boys and girls and
see whether it holds them. There's the
real taste.
At the bottom of all , the real fact is
that the literary market is overcrowded ,
the surplusage being largely composed
of those who , as Holmes says , mistake
laziness for inspiration. Half a century
ago the case was different. In the first
place , literary work was then poorly
paid , as may be seen by the 85 checks
Hawthorne and Longfellow received for
some of their finest productions , and
secondly , the natural consequence was
that there was but little really good
writing. Again , many of the fields
which were then open to writers have
been since trampled over until their
flowers are all plucked , and their turf
plowed up for corn and beans.
Altogether literature is , as has been
well said , a most uncertain staff. While ,
however , there is much in the present
condition of things to discourage those
who are preparing themselves for this
work , it is to bo remembered that there
is a constant demand , even in the edito
rial offices of our largest magazines
and papers , for bright , wholesome ,
earnest articles , stories and poems on
subjects that tend to cheer and amuse
as well as elevate. Of such the market
is never full. Boston Globe.
Ugly Girls.
No woman likes to be homely , and
she who is born a beauty is fortunate
indeed. But let not the plain , or even
the ugly girl despair of acquiring a
sufficient amount of beauty to render
lier attractive. When a woman loses a
desire to please she loses half her
charms. Nothing is more conducive to
beauty than cheerfulness and good hu
mor , and no sickly or unhappy woman
can be good natured or cheerful. Every
woman ought to understand that noth
ing short of positive deformity can
make her utterly unattractive , provided
she will study her points ; and
points of attractiveness every wo
man has. A thoroughly graceful
manner can be acquired by any
woman , and is a powerful charm. The
best grace is perfect naturalness. Still
you must study yourself and form your
manners by the rule of that art , which
is but the carrying out of the rules of
nature. But if it is nature to be forev
er assuming some unpicturesque , un
graceful art , pray help nature with a
ittle art. If you are stout , avoid the
smallest chair in the rcom ; if you are
; hin , do not carry yourself with your
chin protruding "and your spinal
column curving like the bowl of a
spoon. Do not wear flimsey materials
made up with a ruffle or flounce to fill
up the hard outlines of your bad figure
so cruelly defined by the tightly pulled
> ack draperies. Study the art of dress.
Hie plainest woman can dress so taste-
ully as to make it an absolute pleasure -
o look at her. If you have been mop-
ng until you are sick with the wretched
icresy that you are cruelly ill-favored
and hopelessly homely , cast the idea to
lie winds , gird yourself with courage
and determination , be up and doing , lay
iege to possibilities , go forth valiantly ,
and conquer. California Maverick.
Third-Class Matter.
"Ef it ain't writtin' an' it ain't print-
in' , wat kinder stamps do you put on ? "
queried an urchin , whose head barely
reached to the window ledge , at the
postoffice yesterday.
The clerk at the stamp window smiled
at the youngster's question and winked
in evident enjoyment at the bystanders.
Then he said :
"Sonny , I suppose you've got third-
class matter ? "
"I dunno , " was the dubious reply.
The clerk laughed and repeated his
winks at the interested spectators who
had overheard the dialogue.
"Well , " he said finally , and mimick
ing the boy's manner , "ef it ain't writ-
tin' an' it ain't printin' , I guess we'll
have to call it third-class matter and
send it along for you pretty cheap.
What does it weigh ? "
"Nuthin' , " said the boy , and his
mouth stretched into a grin that threat
ened to fracture his ears.
"Nothing ? " repeated the clerk.
"Yump , muttered the boy , reefing
his smile slightly.
"In that case , then , sonny , " said the
clerk , with hilarious amination , "we'll
send your package through for noth-
ing. "
"Sure pop ? ' questioned the boy , as
he edged back a little from the window.
"Sure pop , " repeated the clerk. "I
S'edge the honor of the government ,
and over the matter that weighs noth-
ing. "
"Here it is , mister , " and the boy
pushed an inflated toy balloon through
the window opening. "Mind yer , I'll
hold the gov'ment 'sponsiblc yer said
so. " And then the boy and the spec
tators , did the laughing and the wink
ing and the clerk devoted himself to
chunks of language which weighed
more than the mailable four pounds al
lowed bj ISLW. Philadelphia Press.
TAILOR TOPICS.
"Will Tliero Bo a 2few Generation of
Clotlies-SIalters ?
So much time and attention have been
given of late to the all-absorbing topic
of fashionable attire for the male s"ex
that it would seem eminently proper
eventually for some enterprising pub
lisher to launch forth a magazine'espe
cially devoted to their whimsical wants
and ideas. The magazine would have
to be conducted upon the same plan oi
those designed for the fairer sex , and
this of itself would be a novelty , if noth
ing more. Columns are devoted to the
matter in almost every paper in the
country , and at this rate woman , who
has unquestionably held the fashiona
ble field , stands' chance of being
crowded out to make room for the other
darlings.
There is a class , however , who smile
complacently at this probable turn in
affairs , and who chuckle to themselves
in delightful anticipation. They are
the tailors those squatty figures , who
perch on a bench after the manner of a
Turk , deep in the mystery of shaping
coats and pants for aspiring youth.
"I tell you , what , though , " said a pop
ular tailor ; "there is going to be an
alarming scarcity of clothes-makers
pretty soon. At the present day , no
one wants to be a tailor. Nobody wants
to learn the trade. It's almost'impos
sible to get an apprentice , and I .ven
ture to say that when the present gener
ation of tailors dies off there'll proba
bly be no one left to undertake the
business. Did you ever see a youns
man making a pair of breeches ? I don .
think you have. Nearly all are old
hands with no successors when they
shuffle off. A great many applicants
don't want to do anything "but cutting ,
and most of them are botches. There
has been quite a falling off , too , in the
number of tailors recently. Do others
take their places ? Not often , and when
they do soon quit in disgust. There is
only one alternative , as far as lean see ,
and that is for women to take the mat
ter in hand when no men are left. This
event may be long distant. But it is
extremely probable , nevertheless. "
"Can a woman equal a tailor in mak
ing clothes for men ? "
"I never heard of any. If they're in
existence they must be very scarce.
Some wo'men can make shirts and pants
for youngsters , but I never knew one to
tackle a coat or vest. And I'll bet you
that a man or boy couldn't be persuad
ed to wear them after they were made.
However , men should accustom them
selves to women-made garments , for
I think it will only be a few years when
the task will devolve upon them entire
ly. "
"Heretofore , " he continued , "it has
been regarded as a distinction between
tailor-made and manufactured clothes
that the pants of the former were press
ed out round and smooth , without any
crease down the leg. But it seems that
the manufacturers have caught on to
this , and now their pants are also press
ed smooth by tailors employed for that
purpose. If , upon reaching their desti
nation , they still retain a crease caused
from packing , the dealer to whom they
are consigned makes any alteration that
may be necessary to suit the purchaser.
What must then be done ? I see that in
New York all the tailors purposely make
a crease down the legs of pantaloons in
order to again distinguish them from
store clothes. The whole thing natur
ally looks absurd , but there must be a
distinction. What other follies did you
say ? They arc too numerous to men
tion. If he simply gave his order and
chose the cloth and style there would be
no trouble. But he wants the breeches
to fit just so and so around th'e leg and
to delicately fall over the feet. And
the coat must not have a wrinkle. The
shoulders , however , receive more at
tention than the whole business. They
must be systematically padded , and to
do this well requires great skill. This
feature of the coat has the greatest
charm imaginable to the happy possessor.
Many hollow-chested persons , with
stooping shoulders , have the shoulders
padded to make them square and give
tho body an upright position. This will
account for some of the finely formed
men you encounter daily , and if you
took their co"ats off you would find about
an inch and a half of padding on each
shoulder. It is perfectly reasonable to
wish to improve a defective form by
artificial methods. But the matter of
padding is carried to such an extreme
that it becomes disgusting. What
about skin tight pants ? I think their
day is almost over , though it is hard to
say what will take their place. Yes ,
sir , " repeated the tailor man , as he re
sumed his squatting position , "our race
is almost run , anil unless more men
learn the business there'll be a panic for
pants one of these days. " Galveston
News.
"Pressed Every Week.
Full many a hat upon a woman's Lead ,
Looms up quite like a tower , as you see.
But many a man has naughty cuss words said
Behind that tall hat at a matinee.
QoodaWs Daily Sun.
Full many a feather on a woman's hat ,
Once loomed up on a rooster's keel ,
Full many a seal skin covered once a cat ,
Good gracious , sakes ! How big us women
feeL
Gorham's Mountaineer.
Full many a woman has no hat ,
Nor yet a feather or gew-gaw ,
But she could mop the floors , mind that ,
\Vith jokers about mother-in-law.
Albert Maple Leaf.
Kb Time to Bead.
"My dear , you haven't cut out the
leaves of the magazine I brought home
last week. "
"Fred , I haven't time to read. See
how I am getting along with my rick-
rack. "
"Yes , dear. You've worked steadily
at it every evening this week , haven't
you ? "
"Yes. "
"There's about five yards of it , isn't
there ? "
"Yes. "
"You can buy it in the store for
about two cents a yard , can't you ? "
"Yes. "
"That would be ten cents , wouldn't
it ? I regard it as a wonderful freak of
economy. The gas , the tax on you eyes ,
the superiority of rick-rack over a well
stored mind , the- "
"Fred , you're just too mean for any
thing. " Philadelphia Call.
MLICENT'S PUPIL.
What a summer that was at Scalp
Level , when we all had the art fever ,
and. organized our sketching club !
Despite our lof tly aspirations , it was
a very jolly affair , and we managed to
have a good time generally. But one
afternoon stands out with peculiar dis
tinctness in my memory.
We were off to the woods on a kind
of aesthetic picnic. , or what Jule called a
"sketching janibovee. " Our party was
a large one , bur , though there was
always more or less of a scattering
out of doors , Milicent Leigh was the
only one who had a trick of slipping off
by herself in quest of beauties which no
one else could discover.
On this particular afternoon she was
seated alone on a rustic bridge , making
a sketch of a prostrate tree that lay
just at the water's edge.
"There ! " she murmured , laying
down her book.'That's the prettiest
I've done this season. "
fc The words had scarcely left her lips
ere she gave a low cry and started to
her feet in alarm.
A cold nose had just been impudently
thurst into her face , and the same
moment she confronted a big brown
dog , whose mate was dashing through
the underbrush not fifty yards away.
Milicent stood for a moment
in the most abject terror ,
and her apprehensions hardly
lessened when she saw the owner
of the dogs emerge from the brush with
a gun over his shoulder.
He had a big bushy brown beard , and
with his gray slouch hat pulled over his
eyes , he might easily have passed for
a villain.
As he caught sight of the dogs he put
a silver whistle to his lips and called
them.
Still he advanced toward Milicent ,
and she took a backward step with half
a mind to run away. '
The same instant she glanced around ,
and was conscious that her hat was
gone.
"Oh ! " she exclaimed , starting for
ward again , for she saw it bobbing up
and down on the surface of the water.
lady to go there , " the gentleman said
"I guess we had better go , " Milicen
observed , turning to Jule , and makm ;
a motion to lay aside the gossamer.
"Keep it on , " said the gentleman
"You will need it , and I am going to
walk over to the farm house myself. "
So they started all three together.
Mrs. Pointdextcr and the rest of us
were already seated on the broad old
fashioned piazza when they came hurry
ing up out of the rain.
Not being a prey to alarm , we coul (
judge dispassionately of the gentle
man's appearance , and all of us though
him decidedly good-looking in short
quite "sketchable. "
"Ask him if he'd mind posing , Mrs
Pointdexter , " Mabel Waring said in
French , when the stranger had seatec
himself like the rest of us to wait for
the passage of the storm. "Dear knows
how long we may have to stay here
and I'm sure he'd make a fine sketch
he and his dogs. "
The moment she had spoken she hat
regretted it , for she saw the stranger
understood French. Ho turned with
perfect ease of manner , and said :
"I shall be happy to do so. Shall I
stand or sit ? "
Mabel was so confused that she could
not answer.
"Sit " Jule
, replied good-naturedly
"if it is not too much of a bore. "
"Not at all , " he said , glancing to
ward our chaperon. "I could move
mountains in the name of Pointdex
ter. "
"You know the name , then ? " queried
Jule as he set us the example of getting
out our pencils and books.
"It is the name of my best friend ,
Anthon Pointdexter of Boston. "
Jule jumped up and grasped the
stranger's hand.
' Do you know him ? " he cried eager
ly"As
"As well as myself. "
"Mother ! " Jule exclaimed turning to
Mrs. Pointdexte-r. "This gentleman is
a friend of Anthon's. Are you from
Boston , sir ? "
The stranger drew out a card and
handed it to Jule , and while he was
reading the name , "NeilHallcck , " and
passing it to his mother , the stranger
"DON'T BE FOOLISH JIILICEXT. "
The owner of the dogs saw it , too. '
"After it , Czar ! " he cried. "Quick ,
sir ! For shame ! Don't you know bet
ter than to startle a lady so ? "
The moment he spoke Milicent breath
ed more freely , for the tone of his voice
was reassuring.
"I am very sorry the dogs frightened
7011 , " he saitl , lifting his hat politely.
"They don't understand the courtesies. "
Milicent made some faint reply as she
watched the big brown setter swim out
into the middle of the stream after her
hat.
hat."I
"I hope it's not hurt , " said the strang
er , anxiously , as he restored it to her.
"I fniess not , " Milicent answered.
"Thanks ! "
"I am afraid it will be more thorough
ly drenched than it is before you get
home , " he said. "It is going to rain. "
She glanced up at the little patches
of sky visiblebetween the trees , saw
that there was a thunderstorm brewing.
"I had not noticed it , " she said in
dismay.
"Have you far to go ? "
"Yes indeed , I don't know. I have
some friends somewhere in the woods. "
"That is rather an indefinite loca
tion , " said the stranger smiling.
"I left them at the waterfall , " Mili-
3ent explained , beginning to feel that
the man was not positively dangerous.
A few drops splashed down on their
faces.
"I wouldn't advise you to go back-
there , we are going to have a heavy
storm , and youhad better go at once to
the nearest farmhouse. Allow me. "
He drew forth his gossamer coat from
his game-bag and threw it around her
shoulders.
"I dont know the way , " she. stam
mered , making'a futile effort to decline
his protection.
"If you will come with me " he
Began , and then Jule came dashing
through the brush crying :
"Miss Milicent ! Miss Milicent ! I've
been hunting for you everywhere.
Come ! It's going to rain , and they
have all gone off to the farm house. "
Then he stopped in astonishment at
the sight of tfce broad-shouldered
stranger and his two dogs.
"I have just been advising the young
drew forth a letter addressed to himself
in a fine scholarly hand.
" 1 had a letter from Anthon this
very morning , " he said , handing it to
Jule , who read it with much pleasure.
It proved to be in the warmest terms
of familiar friendship , and was so
strong an evidence of the stranger's
good character , that ho was at once re
ceived with open arms.
The posing was forgotten in the cozy
chat which ensued.
"Are you going to stay at Scalp
Level all the summer ? " Mrs. Pointdex
ter asked ; and when Mr. Hallcck as
sented , she added : "Then , of course
you must join our sketching club. Per
haps you object to dabbling in art ? But
you must draw a little , or we won't ad
mit you. "
"But what if I can't ? " Mr. Hallcck
queried.
"Miss Leigh will teach you , " Julo
hastened to say ; she sketches much
better than any "of the rest of us. In
deed she is not altogether an amateur.
She has had two pictures at the Acad
emy. "
Mr. Halleck glanced half quizzically
at Miliccnt's fair face , which was cov
ered with blushes at this praise. It
seemed to him that he would rather
like to be the pupil of such a percep-
tress.
"If Miss Leigh would only undertake
my tuition , " he said humbly ; "I sup
pose a man can be a hunter and an art
ist , too ? "
"You don't look as though you had a
very rcsthetic temperament , " she said ,
looking up with a laugh , and then down
again as she remembered how he had
frightened her at first ; "but perhaps I
can give 3011 some idea of perspective. "
"I'm sure you can give me a great
many ideas , * ' he said , taking off his hat
with so profound a reverence that
every one laughed.
It rained all the afternoon , and we
couldn't go out again ; but the next
morninjr'we started out bright and ear
ly and Mr. Halleck went with us.
After that Milicent was not so free to
wander off by herself.
She had a pupil who seemed bent
on exacting her full tune and atten
tion.
It was four weeks after we had had
this addition to our club , and Mr. Hal
leck was now a familiar friend.
He was one of the brightest , most con *
vival spirits I evermotjbutalas ! itseem-
ed quite impossible for him to draw
straight line.
His trees-seemed to bo all toppling
over , his bridges were bowed , and lu
had no more perspective in his land
scapes than a born Japanese. '
"I'm afraid vou will never be a
Raphael or a Titian , Mr. Halleck , "
Milicent said one afternoon as she Sat
looking over some of his recent dijor-
tions. f
He was lying full length on the grass ,
apparently "indifferent to his future , ex
cept as it was connected with the fate of
tho girl before him.
Obviously if he was not learning
to draw"he was learning something
else.
else.Milicent
Milicent fluttered tho leaves of the
sketch book , and glanced ruefully "at its
contents. As she did so a piece of paper
fell out on the grass.
Mr. Hallcck reached out his hand
for it ; but Milicent had picked it up
and was looking at it in astonishment.
It was a leaf of water-color tablet ,
and contained an exquisite little sketch
of herself.
"Did you do it ? " she asked in sur
prise. " * '
"Yes no ! " he answered hastily. "Let
me see it ? "
"No , you can't have it ! " she cried ,
holding it high above , her head. It
doesn't belong to you , I am sure.
You never could have done it. It is
perfect in its way ; but it is entirely too
llattering. Who painted it Mr. Hal
leck ? "
"I did , " he said , snatching tho hand K , (
that held it. "I painted it under an in I ,
spiration. You know such things hap
pen occasionally. Give it to me , Mili
cent ; I waut both the sketch and the
original. "
"You can't have it "
, she said saucily ,
but looking away to hid what shone in
her eyes.
"I must , " he said , in a low tone.
"I cannot live without you. Dar
lingBut
But then Jule's voice was heard near
calling :
"Miss Milicent , Miss Milicent ! Here-
mother said you were to read this right - * v * " ' 'I '
-
" - I
away.
He came up with a letter in his hand ,
but like a sensible fellow he grasped the
situation and left as soon as he had exe
cuted his commission.
Mr. Halleck was naturally provoked
at the interruption to his wooing.
He looked away with a vexed ex '
f'\
pression while Milicent glanced over
the letter Mrs. Pointdexter had sent
her.
her.It was signed , "Your son , Anthon , " i
and began :
"Mr DEAR MOTHER I have just re
turned to Boston after a three weeks'
absence at Mount Desert. Hence my
delay in answering yours from Scalp
Level. I am delighted to learn that you
have met Halleck. He is one of the
best fellows I know , and is considered
by the Boston Society of Artists one of
the rising stars of this country. He has
exhibited in Paris and London , and car
ried off a medal in the latter place. Tho \
Athenccum says he he is destined to
found a distinct school of art in Amer
ica. He is only a beginner'as yet , but
his first attempts have been uniformly
brilliant , " and so on over several page
of eulogy. , 'n
The letter dropped from Milicent's
hand.
"You you deceived us ! " she cried in
a choking voice. "You allowed me to
to attempt to teach you. Oh , what a
fool I've made of myself ! "
She burst into tears of vexation , and
covered her face with her hands.
"Don't be angry , darling , " he whis
pered , gathering her in his arms. "I did
not mean "
"Lot me go ! " she cried passion
ately ; "I cannot endure the sight of
you. "
His face paled for an instant , and ho
would have released her , buthe changed
his mind , and drawing her closely to him , y J'
ho said gravely : >
"Don't be foolish , Milicent. I had
no thought of deceiving you at first. It
was only when it was suggested that
you should teach me that 1 snatched at
an excuse for being always near you.
Surely you can forgive such a subter
fuge. 1 love you , Milicent. Tell me
that you are not angry with me. I cuu-
not bear your displeasure. "
For a few moments Milicent strug
gled feebly in his arms , but his elo
quence quieted her at last.
It was more self-shame than any
other feeling that overpowered her.
She had told him that he had not tho
temperament of an artist ; that he never
could learn to draw well ; that he had
no eye for color , etc. , etc.
Never once had it entered her head
that he was the young Bostonion about
whom the art world was in ecstasies. .
"Forgive mo , darling ! " he bended.
"What a silly thinjr you must think
me ! " she sobbed.
"I think you're an angel ! " ho an
swered warmly. "And as for talent ,
dearest , you have quite as much as I
have. It only needs cultivation. "
Perhaps this mollified her , for she
dried her eyes or allowed him to and
smiled as she said :
"To think you were making all thos <
absurdly crooked trees on purpose. It's
too ridiculous. "
He laughed.
"But you haven't told me , ' ' said ho
"Will you marry me , Milicent ? "
What she said then is not known ;
but he must finally have won her con
sent , for in the Boston papers there ap
peared the following winter a number
of squibs to this effect :
"Mr. Neil Halleck , the distinguished
young artist of this city , was married
last Wednesday to Miss Milicent Leigh
of Pittsburg. It is understood that
Mr. Halleck's bride has Considerable
artistic talent , and the young couple
will start on Saturday for Italy , where
they propose to study art together. "
Sweet Kevenge.
It is all very well for New York cdi-
: ors to poke fuss at country men whoblow
out the gas when they go to bed , but
the countryman has a terrible revenge
when the city editor visits him in the
summer and wants to find how celery
> lants are grafted. Fall Hiver JLd-
; ance.
