THE HESPERIAN.
IS
I was about to tell her to toss the little imp overboard when
she-howled out "Sing to me Dora." All joined in the cho
rus, Do, Dora, do sing to the child" &c. She looked at me
aud shook her head and tried to soothe the child. But no
she yelled and shrieked all the more. Well, whining omnia
vincif and Dora sang that pretty thing of Sullivan's, but she
beat Miss Ellis all to pieces. It was the sweetest thing I ever
heard. I pulled up the horses and heard it all.
After that we got acquainted. At'first she was shy, would
n't speak unless she had to, used to run away if she saw me
comiug. Then she changed and got a little braver, and we
became excellent friends. We used to take rambles and ridcs
together when she didn't have anything to do. Mrs. 1$ was
not very hard on her, used to give her whole mornings and
afternoons, cjust to make it pleasant for yon,' she said. We
talked about the birds, the flowers and the mountains. She
never said much, only asked questions and listened attentive,
ly while I sported my knowledge in botany and chemistry. Of
course wc never talked about books, because I thought she
was ignorant and I thought it might hurt her feelings. Once
I mentioned college and she opened her big black eyes and
asked in such a childish way to 'tell all about it.' I did so,
grandiloquently, explaining minutely all about class motives,
examinations, cxhibitions,ctc. She listened as if in awe and
admiration, then asked if they taught us how to sing at col
lege. She seemed not so very young, but so innocent. I
thought she had always lived among the mountains and
had had no chance for gaining knowledge. And so it was a
very pleasant task to teach such a docile pupil. I explained
all about our conservatory, Anally telling her I thought her
voice real good, and if she could only study somewhere a few
terms, it would be nearly as good as Miss Ellis'. She blush
ed and smiled, and said 'Oh, would it? Hut then Montana is
so far away.'
I went home at night feeling quite pleased with her as well
as with myself. Here was a girl who would not deceive,
smile or flirt with, then ridicule a fellow behind his back,
who agreed with everythidg he said, especially in his esti
mate of himself, his vast abilities and mportancc. This con
elusion was slightly shaken several times. Once while Ben
ton and I were discussing socialism Dora was sitting near
sewing. I had given an elaborate statement of my views on
the subject, and in the midst of a sentence more rhetorical
than true made for her especial benefit she dropped her
work in astonishment and broke in as if in contradiction,
"Why, I thought " then as suddenly stopped and apologiz
ed Then once we were return ing from a long tramp, going
quietly up stairs to my room, I heard merry peals of laugh
ter, and looking quietly down saw Dora shy, sweet Dora
and Mrs. B. shaking with laughter, while Dora gasped out,
Isn't it the best scheme imaginable! Hush,' cried Mrs. B.,
in warning, pointing towards the door, where Mr. B. was
just entering.
The summer was waning. Our rambles had changed to
moonlight strolls, and I was honestly sorry I was going back.
I had mentally compared Dora with all the college girls and
Hiked her best, even if she wasn't so well posted. She was
real pretty now, since her cheeks had grown rosy, and if she
had only dressed like other girls she'd have been a trump.
I came to a conclusion, and that night out in the hammock,
I spoke. She answered just as I knew she would, and when
we said goodbye the next morning I promised to come for her
right after Commencement. Well, since Miss Ellis' resigna
tion last Christmas, you know the regents have been looking
for some one to fill her place in the Conservatory. At their
lastmeeting a Miss Endora Aymer of NcwTYork was selected.
I got a letter several weeks ago from New York, written in
a beautiful round hand, yet suggestive of the chirograph)
of the tiny missives that used to come to me regularly from
Montana, but which had failed since Christmas. I opened the
letter and what was my suqirisc to find it was from my little
Dora! 1 reread it several times before I could get that fact
through my head. She said she was not Dora Brooke but
Endora Aymer; that having graduated at Vassar and spent a
year in New York, studying music, she was tired and went to
visit her cousin, Mrs. Benton, for a change of air. Learning
that a college student was coming to spend the summer, she
had resort in this little ruse, to escape the tedium of a flirta
tion. This was very pleasant until she became aware that she
had fallen in love with me. Yes, she said that, old fellow
and I'm not ashamed to say 1 was dead gone even while
I thought she was an ignorant country 'gal. Did you ever?
I shall just hate myself for my stupidity. Well I wrote back
telling her to come and she should keep her place just three
months, then, as soon as I bid farewell to dear old Alma
.Wafer, she shall bo Mrs. Fcnnimorc. Got a letter from her
this morning and all is O. K. Hurrah! She's coming on
the 4:30 train. Givo me your hand, old chum!" c. K.
ONLY!
Only a tutor so trim andjsmall,
Quite calm and learned, that's all.
Only some glasses, on a nose so tall,
Dignified and golden, that's all.
Only a window unej 'emtre salt,
A room warmly heated, that's all.
Only some feet on a sill too small,
A fight with gravitation, that's all.
Only a tumble an ignominious fall,
In the laps of some ladies, that's all.
A TRUE STORY.
My home is in one of those New England towns about
twenty miles from the coast, and which arc chiefly remarka
ble for the prosaic character of their inhabitants. Ever since
I can remember I was always counted an exceedingly shy and
awkward youth, and I regret to say that time has done very
little for me in assisting me to overcome these defects. So
when the time came for me to prepare for my departure to
college, my parents were somewhat in doubt as to what kind
of a reception I might receive thcrc,cspccially at the hands of
the hazing clement of the school. There was no help for it
however, so my few effects were soon got together, and after
many admonitory injunctions from my- parents and relations
who had assembled to see me off, I boarded the train and was
whirled ofl towards my future home.
The novel sensational of being carried along at the rate of
thirty-five miles an hour (for I had never been on a train be
fore) and the many new faces that I saw, kept my mind busy
for a while and prevented me from brooding over my present
lonely condition and from thinking on the experience which
would probably be mine on my arrival at college. I had al
most been led to think that the students were a terrible lot,
and that nothing afforded them so much genuine satisfaction
as an opportunity of bullying, and what is termed hazing, a
poor, unsophisticated Freshman. The thought of this latter
ordeal filled my soul with dreadful forebodings; for I knew
that my appearanac and general deportment would no doubt
cause me to be fixed upon as a rare subject for practice in
