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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1877)
llECirHOCATKD MAXIMS. 1G1 too constantly surrounded by his 11111113' friends, to think much of Nellie lliy mond, or of his rejected suit. A d:iy, too, in which Nellie drys her tears, and resolves as best she 111113 to trouble herself no further about the matter. It is not al ways that our greatest griof follows inline diutely behind the cause of it. Some little thing, tin merest straw, so to speak, nia3' 'bm3' up our sinking, despondent hopes for a time, but as soon as this Utile thing glides from our grasp, our full loss is real, ized, and our full sorrow felt. So Nellie Raymond ma3' have found it not a very hard matter to compose her feelings on this particular du3 because she was hour I3' expecting that Howard MeKeo would so far relent in his apparent determina tion not to sec her again before he went awa3T, as to call and pay her the respect due n? a friend. In this, however, she was disappointed, for ho did not come. The gas had been lighted in (lie parlor, and Mr. Raymond had taken a paper from his pocket and commenced to rend, when Miss Nellie entered the room and playfully requested the "pleasure of Ii is company to the entertainment at tiie col lege." 31 r. Raymond looked up from his paper, and surveyed his daughter for a moment witli mingled surprise and pleas ure. Then in a bantering sort of wa3' he said: "WI13, Miss Raymond, where jo your chevalier to-night? Methinks 1113' old a'o ought to excuse me from being gallant upon such an important occasion." Mr. Raymond did not seem to observe that his daughter was pale, nor that she started and flushed somewhat as lie made this jesting response to her request. With a little inward struggle, she calmed her turbulent feelings, and replied to her fath er in the same playful way as before. "Now did ever a fair J:id3' make such a request before of a gentleman, and he re. fuse to grant it?" "So, so-o, inademoisclle, then Iniust ac cept your prett3' invitation if 1 would be reckoned n gentleman ?" "N", papa, you know I didn't mean that! But 3ou will not refuse, so I'll get your hat and cane." And with this Miss Nellie retired from the room, but soon aft erwards returned with the necessary ac coutrements for the walk (lint and cane), and father and daughter set out for the college. When U1C3' arrived at the college chapel in which the entertainment was to be held, they found a large audience al ready assembled. Mr. Raymond and his daughter were shown into a seat at the lower end of the room, ilircclly under the gallciy. Being now comfortably sealed they found that they still had a few 1110 meats preceding the commencement of the exercises iu which to observe the dec orations about the room, and stud3' the Latiu mottoes on the walls decorations which had cost the membcis of the socie ty as many hours work, as they would amuse the audience minutes. The walls were decked with evergreen and grape vines, and pots of flowers and bouquets were tastily arranged in different parts of the room. Over the rostrum, in large ever green letters, was the motto of the societ3', "Tenttox Propsilum Omnia Vincit." On one side of the room, almost hidden in a wreath of grape vines, were these words: " Scqui SajUcniiam Melius Sain'cn tia Ipsa Est;" and on the opposite wall with similar decking "Per Ardua ad Astra." At the lower end of the room, beautifully wrought in evergreen letters on a back ground of gilt, was the motto of the nceptio Literata Socictas " For ma Mentis Aetcma Ed,u The cares and active duties attendant upon a business life, had crowded from Mr. Raymond's mind much of his carl3 knowledge ol Latin; and after studying for some time the motto over the rostrum, he turned to his daughter to inquire the meaning of " Propositum." Then for the first time he observed that she was very pale. " Nellie," said he alarmed, " 3'ou are sick, had we not better go home?" " Oh, no!" she replied, aflccting a smile, " it is only a slight headache that I have had since supper. I couldn't think of