Tempo. HUGGING TO MUSIC. A STORY FROM LIFE. AN AMERICAN OBSERVER. ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR. UNIVERSITY PUBLISHING COMPANY, FRANKLIN SQUARE, NEW YORK. 1890, ENTERED ACCORDING TO ACT OF CONGRESS, BY THE AUTHOR, Jl'NE. ISS'.i. IN THE OFFICE OF THE LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS AT WASHIXQTON. All Rights Reserved. FULLY PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT IN GREAT BRITAIN AND ALL BRITISH PROVINCES. ALSO IN EIGHT OTHER PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENTS. Translations and All Right H Reserved. INTRODUCTION. The characters in my story ai'e evolved from life. Joe Jungle and little Hank are studies made in a mining district of Califor- nia. As with the sketches of others, I trust the public will find interest, and if, amidst pernicious winds of modern thought, a stray seed of the " Wayback's " experience should fall on fertile soil, where hope in that home beyond has been cruelly blasted, let us trust it may spring forth into sweet blossoms, which shall waft back perfumes of regenerating faith in a Divine Creator. THE AUTHOR, 2072269 CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE JOE JUNGLE, THE WAYBACK INFIDEL, . . 9 CHAPTER II. ONE VICTIM, ...... 34 CHAPTER III. DISCUSSING THE WALTZ, . . . .36 CHAPTER IV. THE BALL, ...... 51 CHAPTER V. THE LAST WALTZ, . . . . .64 CHAPTER VI. THE HUSBAND'S RETURN, ... 71 CHAPTER VII. A THIRD VICTIM, . . . . .75 CHAPTER Vin. FIRE AT SEA, ... . . .90 CHAPTER IX. SAVED, ..... .100 v CHAPTER x. PAGE No NEWS 10? CHAPTER XI. THE BURIAL AT SEA, ..... 135 CHAPTER XII. THE PRODIGAL, CHAPTER XHI. LONDON, . . 1 - 49 CHAPTER XIV. THE NEW JOE JUNGLE, .... 159 CHAPTER XV. JOE JUNGLE ADOPTS A DAUGHTER, t .173 CHAPTER XVI. THE RECTOR, . .196 CHAPTER XVII. THE TRAGIC MEETING, . .202 CHAPTER XVHI. UNFORGIVING, CHAPTER XIX. RUBY'S INSTINCT, . .233 PROLOGUE. Victoria Lennox entered the conserva- tory on the arm of Deluth, as the latter ex- claimed : " Deny it ! deny it if you can !" The dreamy, waltz-intoxicated Victoria was speechless. A grasp on the portiere at her side re- laxed, and Jack Lennox fell senseless at the feet of his terrified wife. HUGGING TO MUSIC. CHAPTER I. JOE JUNGLE, THE WAYBACK INFIDEL. A N eastbound train was whizzing over -^- the Rocky Mountains at such ve- locity it seemed miraculous it should not be swept from the dizzy pinnacles to death- yawning arms below. Gentlemen tourists were gazing upward at the Devil's Slide, and commenting on Satan's tobogganing shoot, when they retired to the smoking- room to play cards. There they encoun- tered an ally in the queerest specimen of a "Wayback American," as he took pride in terming himself, whose favorite game was draw poker. He was such an example of the early West, all were alert, lest he unsheathe a 10 HUGGING TO MUSIC. bowie knife or draw his revolver. He, how- ever, evidently felt the influence of civilized surroundings too strongly to indulge in such playfully wild habits. His conversation was highly flavored with slang and profanity. His manners were as uncouth as his appearance was startling. His voice was an admixture of nasal twang and brutal grunt. Although he seemed the embodiment of a rough, dangerous element, sometimes found in distant mining territories, where savage habits had long since obliterated all traces of early parental teaching and civi- lized custom, yet, with his flowing locks thrown back from an intellectual forehead, his classic features, an athletic figure and a costume which might be copied for its effect by the star stage brigand, Joe Jungle was, in his mining home, a picture not easily for- gotten. His partners had gradually dropped out, leaving only two quiet gentlemen, Lord Fitzgerald, an Irishman, and Lord Oakdale, an Englishman. Nevertheless, the Way- HUGGIKG $0 back never ceased to curse the British and in the same manner consign the Irish to the bottom of Hades. Lord Oakdale and his companion were amused beyond measure. To them this in- digenous plant of the primitive West far exceeded anything ever witnessed in Bar- num's " Consolidated Circus " or Buffalo Bill's " Wild West/' They were so delighted with the rara avis, they not only smiled at his rude say- ings, but egged him on at the slightest suspicion of the conversation terminating. Although not an expert at poker, Lord Fitz- gerald won a game. "Gol dummy pictur','' said Jungle, "I don't care a cuss fur the dust, but I'm bleowed ef I want a durned Irishman to beat a' Ameri- can from wayback." After awhile the Way- back won every game, no one seemed to have the slightest chance against him. Finally Lord Fitzgerald withdrew, leaving Lord Oakdale to again be finished by the proficient Westerner. "I tell you," hawhawed Wayback, "it 12 HUGGING TO MUSIC. does me good to wollop a' Englisher. I hate the impodunt Irish, but I'll be bleowed ef I don't b'lieve I'd jine 'em to lick the stuckup English. They think they're the only ones top o' earth fit ter live ; keowards all of um. They'd run from a hen-fight ef they heard a wing flap." "Where," questioned Lord Oakdale, striv- ing to suppress a smile, "did you meet my countrymen ? " " Never see many on um 'fore you, but I've heard of um, an' I never want to see 'nother. Ef I had a' American steamer to shoot me over th' Atlantic Ocean next week, I wouldn't ride in no English Cullard steamer, you bet ; but neow I've got tew, I s'pose, to git ter Glasgow, as thar' ain't no b'loons I ken take passage in 'stead of a British gol durned salt water express. Hope I won't meet no English lords on the ship, anyway. "I'll play ye 'nother game ef ye like to be wolloped," and the Wayback opened a jackpot containing $500. Lord Oakdale squeezed down his hand, and raised the opener with aces and kings. HUGGING TO MUSIC. 13 Another raise came from Wayback, who held three queens, and who was again raised by Lord Oakdale. Then cards were drawn, Lord Oakdale drawing one and the Way- back drawing two. Betting now went fast and furious. Noth- ing could be heard but the click of the chips, and the excitement rose to fever heat, until the pot reached $5,000. Lord Oakdale called, the hands were exposed. Lord Oakdale had an ace full on kings, and the Wayback four queens. As Joe Jungle raked in the money and added to his wad of bills, he chuckled : " Wall, I've bed some fun anyheow, lickin' the English an' Irish. Gol durn um, they ain't fit ter live, anyway. Keowards all of um," and again he expectorated tobacco juice, like a fall of rain, over and around the cuspidor. At this point a young rector leisurely entered. In a moment the Wayback seemed ready to challenge the newcomer to mortal combat, but finally lay back in his chair and sneered: 14 HUGGING TO MUSIC. " A gosh durned parson on the train, I'll be bleowed ! Say, boys, we'll have a smash-up ! Parson, what's yer name and whar' do you come from, anyheow ? " The rector caught a peculiar look from his friends Oakdale and Fitzgerald, and con- cluded to reply to the insolent Wayback. "My name, sir," responded the rector, with most amiable politeness, "is Royal Wadsworth, and my place of birth Irela "Git out!" interrupted Wayback. "I might o' knowed it, nothin' reound me ever sence this car left Deadwood but gol durned English an' Irish tourists An' then a par- son aboard ! We'll roll over a Rocky Moun- tain precipice. Parsons!" he disgustingly repeated. "No good on airth, keo wards all of um. Goin' reound tellin' 'beout a God somewhar', as ef folks didn't know better'n ter believe anything they ken't see, nur han- dle, nur git tew. "That's what that 'ere feller says that writ the 'Mistakes uv the Almighty,' an' I'd rather b'lieve him a durned sight, fer I have seen Wongersol, en' shook hands with him, an' HUGGING TO MUSIC. 15 laffed, an' laffed hearin' him tell his Bible jokes, but I ain't onct see th' Almighty. " Jess ez Wongersol says, we've been gulled tew long, talkin' to a God who per- tends He knows morn we du. Good 'nuff pap fur women an' childurn, but fur men to b'lieve in a God shew ! Its played eout ! "As Wongersollsays, says he, "Ef thar was a God he'd tell us everything, an' not go sneakin' 'reound buildin' a heavenly home for us in some country we don't know nothin' 'beout, whether its swampy or rocky, an' maybe wouldn't agree with us if we got thar. May be full of malary, an' then per- posin' to never let us see the inside on't till arter we're dead like a dog. What's the good of it then, I'd like to know i " De ye s'pose ef thar' wuz a God he would- n't let us live allers ? 'Taint likely neow He'd put us miserable roosters here jess ter stay a few fleetin' years an' then let us die. No, He'd never be so cussed mean as that, so I've i concluded with Wongersol, of York, that thar' ain't no God 'tall, ur He'd told us all that was goin' on, every 'tarnal thing He intended 16 HUGGING TO MUSIC. doin' fur us and let us know jess ez much ez He does. " Why, instead of killin' us and puttin' us in the ground ter rot, He'd take us to t'other home in a balloon and at half th' expense. Ez fur me, I'll be gol durned ef I wouldn't a good sight ruther go that way," and he again expectorated tobacco rain. " Naw, sir-ee, ye ken't tell me that He'd chuck our bodies in the greound ter rot an' take our speerit er our soul a-soarin' away on a picnic inter heaven to git' a new body fit ter 'sociate with stuckup angels. " That may du fur crowned heads, who allers want great paradin' over themselves, but I b'long to a free Republic, an' my old, sarviceable body, that's been yanked 'reound with me through thick and thin, ain't goin' to be throwed away fur no newfangled ghost apparatus arter I'm dead. " Ef thar wuz a God he'd see that jess as well ez me an' Wongersoll an' other sharp- eyed inf erdels see it. " A parson ! Jess guess human natur' ken paddle her own canoe without no parson. HUGGING TO MtTSlC. 17 "Most on 'em come 'reound a commoonity a-sticken' their noses inter everybody's pri- vate business, a-tryiu' to reform drunkards an' sich like, an objectin' to people gittin' a liviii' by runniif games of draw pcker that's a good place fur fellars without brains to lose their money in, but what stuckups call gamblin'. " I knowed one decent parson, though. He come around tew camp 'bout year ago. Wanted ter sprinkle water on Hank's head. I told him ter keep off. I didn't want no baptizin' reound him, nur no gosh durned parson's hand to tech him nuther. " Then the parson tried ter tell me what baptizin' meant, and sponsor. Sez he, ' Ye know, Meester Jungle, ef yewuzgoin' to die, ye'd want some good friend afore it was te\v late a' honest man tew promise he'd look after yer children and see that they was brought up honest and edicatecl, a guardian jess ez execeters is left fur estates. " ' No\v, then, 't wouldn't be 'miff ter satis- fy ye fur th^ execeter ter send ye word he'd kerry out yer wishes an' do ever'thing squar'. lg HUGGING TO MUSlG). He'd have ter go through a form o' laW eil give bonds, tew. " 'Now, a sponsor does jess the same by takin' a vow that a child shell be brought up in the religion of his parents, reverence a divine Father, and not be raised in infer- delity.' 11 ' Now, then,' says I, ' that's jess what I don't want 1'arned him no life beyond the grave and sich stuff. 11 ' Hank's goin' to be a' eout an' eout in- ferclel, like me an' Wongersol, of York. No foolin' 'beout it nuther. " ' So git yer baptizin' tools, Bible, water an' all, eouter this ranch quick ez lightnin', er the fust thing ye know ye'll be orna- mentin' the limb uv a tree that I keep growed fur that purpose. I give ye ten minutes afore I come back.' " Well, what d'ye think the gol durned fool done, but flopped right deown an' went to talkin' to God 'beout me, an' I left him prayin'. Jess then Hank come by the door an' listened. Hank never see a circus afore, so I thought I'd let him an' HUGGING TO MUSIC. 19 the Chinaman have a free ticket ter see th' elephant. ' * Arter awhile I sneaked back, an' ef thar.wa'n't Hank kneelin' with the parson, an* the parson was larniii' him the Lord's prayer. An' thar was Hank goiii' it fer all he was wo'th jess as ef he wa'n't a' infer- del an' finished up with what Jennie, his dead mother, 1'arned him, ' Neow I lay me deown ter sleep." Here the Wayback coughed and his voice did not seem quite so boisterous, not quite, but he continued: ''Then Hank said suthin' 'beout, 'Lord bless pop, an' all the miners an' their fam'- lies. May pop live ter take care o' me and see me grow up a good man.' The parson said, 'Amen, my boy,' an' put his religi's hand, lovin'-like, right on Hank's head. "Afore I knowed it I had yanked off my hat jess ez ef I wuz in a meetin'-house. ' "I wuz so mad, a tear jess dropped on my cheek. Suthin' kind o' swelled up in my throat till I felt ez if I had the mumps, but I coughed it away. 20 HUGGING TO MUSIC. "I was so mad I went in kind o' soft like, en I says, ' Parson, the tree I hang parsons on ez cut deown, an' I hain't got no time to hunt 'nother, an' I guess yer feet is wet. I wish you'd take this tew hundurd dollars wo'th o' gold eagles, an' git away quick fur a new pa'r o' boots. "I'm awful mad, fur ye know I'm a' in- ferdel, an' wet feet is a dangerous thing this weather. What a fool I wuz, parson, not ter notice yer boots afore ; that kind o' leather allers soaks water, 'specially ef it's worn till holes git in.' " Then I shook hands with him, an' says, 1 Good-bye.' I wuz so mad. " The parson's eyes looked kind o ? red an' weak, and ez he took the money an' shook hands ag'in, he trembled all over an' couldn't speak. I s'pose he wuz mad tew. " Then he took Hank in his arms an' kissed him, an' I let him do it. Then he said suthin' 'beout meetin' me in our Father's house, after this brief life wuz over. An' I shook hands ag'in with him, an' stood with my hat off. I wuz so thunderin' mad. HUGGING TO MUSIC. 21 " Arterhe started, Hank called arter him to ' come ag'in,' an' he called back, ' I will, my boy, Providence permitting in tew Weeks.' I didn't say nuthin' ag'in it; I thought I'd jess as soon he'd come back ez not. "Arter he'd gone, I wuz so mad somehow, I couldn't go ter work, So I jess took Hank right in my arms an' got onter a high rock an' watched that poor, foolish, good- nater'd parson clean out o' sight. " Poor fellar, he took cold by them bust- out old boots, durn 'em, jess ez I wuz 'fraid of, an' died in one week at the next ranch. " The two hundurd he divided 'twixt his family in the East and a little church he was a-tryin' to build in the miniif deestrick. "I sent his poor body home to his wife with a ten thousand check pinned on the parson's coat collar fur funeral 'xpenses, an' writ her she'd never want fur nothiu' while Joe Jungle lived. " I allers feel kind o' glad to know I give the parson that tew hundurd fur noo boots, 22 HUGGING TO MUSIC. though the poor parson never lived to wear um. " The boots wuz like the very last words he talked ter me, they come ' tew late.' ' Joe Jungle stared into vacancy, while those present looked at the Wayback with a new and kindly interest. Lord Oakdale was the first to break the silence. " Mr. Jungle, may I beg to know to whom you refer as ' Hank ' C In a moment the face of the Wayback was radiant, his voice dropped to a tender cadence, and pointing to a chair he softly replied, "Thar's my Hank." A sweet boy of about seven years lay asleep in a chair, his little chu 1 by hands clasping a woolly horse, which was hugged to his bosom. His dimpled cheeks were rosy with health's fresh beauty. The long dark lashes swept his lovely face as though vying for admiration, while from the wearily reclining head fell fluffy curls of silken gold. No monarch ever gazed upon his first- born heir with such proud rapture as did HUGGING TO MUSIC. 23 this idolizing father at his darling boy. The rector quietly looked, while the other gentle- men expressed their admiration of the beau- tiful child. Pen could not picture the pride, the depth of love which shone in the face of the in- fidel Joe Jungle, as he unconsciously, rev- erently whispered, "My Hank, God bless him !" The rector grasped the hand of the Way- back, and feelingly responded, "Amen! And may the child lead the parent !" CHAPTER II. ONE VICTIM. 4i ~OUT, darling, why use the coarsest -*-^ mode of expression ? " "My dear," responded Mrs. Eodney's hus- band, "I believe in calling things by their proper names. "I did not study medicine two years and not know that the subcutaneous pene- tralia, which penetrates the precipitous in- fundibuliform of the culdesac, causes belly- a " "Don't say that again!" screamingly in- terrupted Aunt Sophronie. " The Rodney intellect always overtops just a 'leetle,' but, Nell, that wretch" (looking good-naturedly at her nephew) "only drew you into this silly argument to air his JEsculapian knowledge. He knows perfectly that stomach-ache is more euphonious than" (hesitating) "than HUGGING TO MUSIC. 25 the other word, and sufficiently expressive for anyone not a student of materia medica" "Oh, certainly, aunt," smiled Mr. Rod- ney, "only this straining a point in mock modesty was suggested by Miss Pinkley, who told us last evening of the terrible ac- cident to her uncle's 'limb,' which had been amputated. ''Without further inquiry, we were in a perfect state of ignorance as to whether it was a leg or an arm which had been sur- geonized, and when that girl had to ad- mit it was a leg she looked as though she had committed all the crimes in the calendar. "I thought what delicious inconsistency, when the mother of this same girl, who teaches her daughter such absurd nonsense, which no doubt she religiously believes the acme of modesty, will deck her child, whom I have seen in a dress exposing nearly all her upper body, and allow her to spin^ around a ball-room, hugged up to a mere acquaintance, w r hose money or family has 23 HUGGING TO MUSIC. probably saved his expulsion from decent society. " Or, she may wnirl in the arms of an utter stranger immediately after he is pre- sented to her. "It is but a short time since fashionable mothers of our own country generally began to appreciate the fact that it was, to say the least, in extremely bad taste to send off a daughter to balls with an escort, who, after dancing to enchanting music, takes her to supper, where she partakes of wine, which flies to her head, and drives home again with the man, who probably has now much more of the intoxicant in his brain than the charming creature by his side. And this is still practiced by some women who call it ' independence of character.' ' "Well," replied Mrs. Rodney, "though the man's reputation were immaculate, I should consider such habits, with that of hugging to music, to say the least, not cal- culated to enhance the delicacy of a prop- erly brought up woman." " You have it, my dear," said Mr. Rodney. HUGGING TO MUSIC. 27 " ' Hugging to music 1 is a correct name for the waltz, a dance which, as conducted even in our best society, is only fitted for unmen- tionable places. " Relegate the waltz to relatives or most intimate friends only, and it would speedily lose its fascination. "We piously refer to the degradation of woman in Mohammedan countries, believ- ing that they veil their faces from men only to hide a shame. We send missionaries to convert them to Christianity, to whom one of their first women read this lesson : " ' See ! Is this a real picture of your waltz, where mothers, wives, daughters, throw themselves into the arms of different men ( ' "The missionary was compelled to admit its truth. Then said she : "'Return to your respectable waltzers, tell them they are the heathen not we. Nor dare insult us by comparison with your females. May Allah curse your mothers and their offspring, for such vulgar, degrad- ing habits.' 28 HUGGING TO MUSIC. "Imagine the feelings of our Christian missionary. " Bah ! " A mere speaking acquaintance taking your mother, wife, daughter or sweetheart in his arms, and making several hugging tours of a ball-room, accompanied by strains of entrancing music, the music, of course, supposed to sanctify the hugging ! "Fiji Islanders could not be guilty of more immodesty. Even the Shah, when first visiting England, could not under- stand our waltz for refined society, and of- fered to buy several of the women thus engaged. When told they were the wives and daughters of those who had assembled to honor him, the Shah laughingly replied: " 'You think that is a very good joke 011 me. No, no ; the women are professional dancers, and strong too, very strong. I have noticed some of them whirl with a dozen different men to-night, and seem ready to embrace as many more. See ! see ! Yes, I will buy twenty. They shall amuse my soldiers with that amazingly refined RUGGING TO MtSlC. 20 ball-room exercise, from the country of the Christian.' And the Shah leered a subtle sneer. " " As a little girl," responded Mrs. Rodney, "I was wild to waltz. Aside from being a clergyman, my father was strictly opposed to all dancing, while my mother objected only to waltzing. One day she told me of Miss Sherman, daughter of General Sher- man, a Roman Catholic, who, being hon- ored by the Prince of Wales' request for a waltz, at the reception of welcome to him here, sweetly declined by replying, ' Waltz- ing is against the rules of my Church.' "The Prince bowed', admiringly, and courteously stood by her side until the close of the objectionable measure, when Miss Sherman, with unaffected pleasure, accept- ed the arm of the Prince and glided into the graceful quadrille . "Happy mother! proud Church to have such a daughter ! I was so charmed with Miss Sherman's act, it caused me to consider my mother's objections, and checked all further desire for waltzing." 30 HUGGING TO MUSIC. "Nell, dear, if you had been a waltzer I never would have done myself the honor of asking you to become Mrs. Kodney. I vowed I would not marry a woman who was in the habit of being publicly hugged." " Well, my dear nephew," exclaimed Aunt Sophronie, " how about men ?" " My dear aunt, it is true men declare themselves privileged in doing what they will not grant your sex. But I admit that women have the right to expect and demand the same purity in men that we expect and demand in women, and until society takes this stand it will continue to be what it is a rotten composition. "Very bitter doses were those adminis- tered from our best pulpits lately, and the great nausea they occasioned clearly showed the unmistakable need of the cleansing pur- gative." "Amen to them," responded Aunt So- phronie. " I will go to my room at once and attack a poem on the subject of waltz- ing. I feel the inspiration now, the real divine afflatus," and away she sped. HUGGING TO MUSIC. 31 Will Darrow, an intimate friend of Ned Rodney's, now appeared at the library door looking deathly pale. Mr. Rodney sprang toward him. "What is it, Will! Anything the matter ? Sit down, you look ready to faint." "I called to say," replied young Darrow, " that I could not keep my engagement with you to-day. A great sorrow has fallen upon our home. Sister Bess has eloped with John Walton." The Rodneys looked aghast. "Ned," said Darrow, "I always made light of your objection to waltzing, but that degrading familiarity has stolen the senses of my only sister. Last night 1 called to bring her from the subscription ball, when I learned she had disappeared with Walton, to whom I had forbidden her to speak, but he managed to have her waltz with him, and this is the result. I fear my mother will die. I must go to her. Good-bye," and Darrow rushed out, looking the picture of insanity. 32 HUGGING TO MUSIC. Mr, Rodney drew a long breath and indig- nantly remarked : " So much for society's respectable meas- ure, 'the hugging waltz.' Poor Bess is henceforth an outcast. " But mark the villain. Before a twelve- month society will open its arms to him, and he will be considered the more charming to have had so exciting a romance as the de- grading of a respectable woman. The higher she stands the more valuable the conquest for this fascinating roue." Mrs. Rodney's face looked her indignation. "Never will any respectable family allow that monster to enter their home again." " Ah, my dear," said Mr. Rodney, "you are not aware that the ' monster ' has an in- come of thirty or forty thousand per annum, with additional prospects from his old uncle. He is considered one of the best catches. " The first time Walton enters church, after his return, you will see half the women glance from their prayer-books to get a look at the ' splendid man who so foolishly per- mitted himself to be ensnared (?).' ' HUGGING TO MUSIC. 33 Mrs. Rodney moaned : " Oh, poor girl ! How could she crush her family and ruin her life C ''Simply because there is poison in the at- mosphere of the modern ball-room," replied Mr. Rodney. "Like deathly contagion it may not inoculate all ; through some phleg- matic natures it may never penetrate ; but I challenge any man who has had experience as a waltzer to truthfully deny that, in- dulged in to any extent, it does not finally turn the tide between friends, sweethearts, husbands and wives, until they are swept to the seething whirlpool, from which the voice of affection is powerless to recall. " Here is an article I noticed this morn- ing," and Mr. Rodney produced one of the dailies. " WALTZING. "THE SEN ATE OF GEORGIA SAYS THAT THE CHRISTIAN PULPIT IS AGAINST IT, AND THE CITIZENS OF THE STATE LIKEWISE. " Senator McCarty arose to speak. " 'I agree with the amendment (in the celebra- tion at the completion of the State Capitol). Every church in the land stands up against it. The issue was tried in a church in Atlanta years ago, and 34 HUGGING TO MUSIC. great confusion resulted from it. Many good people dance, but few waltz, and when you go down to the solid, cultured people of Georgia, they protest against this use of the Capitol. The churches endeavor to keep up to what the3 r con- ceive to be a standard of purest sentiment, and here we are invited by resolution to turn the Capi- tol over to that which every pulpit, whenever oc- casion offers, is speaking against, and sincerely against. " ' I do not believe it is right to turn the Capitol of Georgia into a modern ball-room. How many ministers of Atlanta, who are striving to support the principles of religion, would come here and take part in waltzing. Their standard and the senti- ments cherished by them are better than any amendment the world has made so far. Our best people, the Christian churches have spoken against this all over Georgia, and it is time the Senate should speak now.' "The amendment was adopted." "I think it quite time to draw halt, when dancing, from its primitive, beautiful sim- plicity, has reached a point where we can calmly gaze upon mothers, wives, daughters in a debasing waltz ! now lolling in a man's arms, of the most formal acquaintance; anon, hugged to his breast. "It is the strangest enactment counte- nanced by a respectable people." TO MUSIC. 35 Mr. Eodney stopped short, and sighed, " Poor Bess !" Mrs. Rodney clasped her hands, and with tears in her voice, muttered, u Dear girl! Lost ! lost ! Heaven pity her !" CHAPTER III. DISCUSSING THE WALTZ. "A /TR. RODNEY, going toward the win- -L-*-l- dow, remarked : " Who is that coming up the walk ? Mrs. Vaintone. She comes to save a trip to my office. A client I should not regret to lose. She was once very friendly with Walton, in fact gossip had it they were ' engaged,' but she suddenly married Jim Vaintone." "May I come in?" beseeched a female voice at the library door, a moment later, and a sallow, unpleasant face peeped in. "Come in," said Mrs. Rodney. "Delight- ful weather." "Charming!" responded Mrs. Vaintone. " The weather has lent some of its loveli- ness to one of its adorers," said Mr. Rodney. " I suppose you desire to attest those papers, but they are not ready." HUGGING TO MUSIC. 3V " Oh, well, it is no matter," replied Mrs. Vaintone. " How are the twins ?" " Well, and mischievous as squirrels," re- sponded Mrs. Eodney. " Roby is here one moment and in the top of a tree the next. Ruby is almost his equal in climbing. She doesn't care for dolls, and seems to enjoy only her brother's boyish sports. I despair of ever refining her." "Never mind, my dear," suggested Mr. Rodney ; " time enough for that process. If you would have perfect loveliness in the in- ceptive flower, give it air, light, freedom. Sweet, short-lived bud too soon to blossom. Her romps, my dear, will never generate seeds of weakness, rest assured." "Papa, this dawg wont haave hisself," said Roby, dragging his dog Rover by a chain ; "him keeps pullin' and pullin'." As Roby stood in the room Mr. Rodney took the chain, saying, "'My son, you are very rude ; you have not spoken to Mrs. Vaintone. " " Well," replied Roby, curtly, "I seed her when I corned in." 38 HUGGING TO ILIUSIC. "But, my dear," rebuked his mother, " seeing a lady or gentleman is not sufficient. Be polite and speak to Mrs. Vaintone." Roby reluctantly pulled off his hat, and looking very downcast, approached the re- pugnant visitor. " Good morning, Roby," said Mrs. Vain- tone ; " when are you coming to visit us ?" Roby looked her straight in the face and answered, " I don't comin' ober to youm houth any mo'." "Why not?" asked Mrs. Vaintone, with most wounded emphasis. "Goth why," replied Roby, working his mouth to get around the big words, "I licked youm boy lath time I went to youm houth." " Oh ! " exclaimed Roby's parents. " How shocking ; why did you commit such a dreadful act ?" "Well," drawled out Roby, "Jim kicked my dawg, and Ruby tole him not to do so no more. Den him called her twom-bwoy, and she cwied ; then I strucked him gude." Ruby, who had been at the door, peeking HUGGING TO MUSIC. 39 through, rushed in to defend her brother's courageous act. " Yeth, and brover tole Jim if he eber call me twom-bwoy agin, he would lick him worther." And both children danced, in high glee at the remembrance of the justly inflicted pun- ishment meted out to the child of the lady before them. " Son," said Mrs. Rodney, striving to look serious, u this is something too dreadful. Strike a playfellow ? Apologize to Mrs. Vaintone at once, and tell her you will never be guilty of such an outrageous act again. " Eoby shrugged his shoulders, as though non-inclined to make concession, but si- dling up, began : " I is sowy I licked Jim, an' I won't do it agin, leth he kicks my dawg, or calls sister 'twom-bwoy/ Then if him do, I'll lick him worther. " Delivering the last sentence with clenched fists and flashing eye, he grasped Ruby's hand and before his astounded auditors 40 HUGGING TO MUSIC. could recover their equipoise had cleared the house. " Oh, no, don't call him back," laughed Mrs. Vain tone. " I would give anything to see so much spirit in Jim, but he never did take after me." Mr. Rodney, who had been enjoying the scene, now offered an apology for his son by referring to his very tender affection for his sister and his dog Rover. "There, again, he is unlike Jim," said Mrs. Vaintone. "The boys might exhaust their vocabulary of epithets on his sister, and he would never move a muscle in her defense. "The same difference in children as in men and women. "By the way, did you know that foolish Walton had gone off with Bess Darrow ? " " ' Foolish Walton ! ' " savagely remarked Mr. Rodney ; " devilish Walton, you mean. He had better forever keep out of Will Dar- row's path or that brother will resent his sis- ter's outrage with death ! " "I very much fear so," responded Mrs. Rodney. HUGGLVG TO MtfSlC. 41 "What nonsense," said Mrs. Vaintone, "to attempt to defend that young hussy, or visit her crime on the temporarily infatuated man whom she inveigled ! " "Ah, 1 ' observed Mrs. Rodney, "then you are one of those who deny forgiveness to your own sex, but uphold and pet a profli- gate, whose chief occupation of his man- hood, or malehood, has been to destroy homes and blast the lives of his betrayed victims. " "He is utterly harmless if checked in time," smilingly responded Mrs. Vaintone. ' ' The great fascination for Bess Darrow seemed to rest in Walton's exquisite waltz- ing." " Ha ! " sneered Mr. Rodney ; " a respect- able woman lolling and spinning around a ball-room, to music, in the arms of a mere acquaintance ; or, in other words, submit- ting to being publicly hugged by a variety of men "Oh ! " interrupted Mrs. Vaintone. " We art- not hugged we are only steadied by the man's arm/' 42 HUGGING TO MUSIC. " Steadied ! " repeated Mr. Rodney, sav- agely. " Pardon me. Before I married, I was ten years in society ; danced at all the fashionable houses ; attended every swell ball ; and no matter how dignifiedly my partner started out in the round dances, nine cases out of ten she became so dizzy that long before we finished her head, of neces- sity, reclined on my bosom. "I have a friend who will not invite a certain man to his own home because of his character, yet at any fashionable reception his wife and daughters may be found hug- ging to music the same roue. "You smile," continued Mr. Rodney, as a peculiar acknowledgment broke over the face of Mrs. Vaintone, who was indolently eyeing him from under her drooping lashes, "because you know that I speak simple /oete." "Oh, dear," said Mrs. Vaintone, "some men fancy the whole world revolves around their ideal of womanhood, which is, of course, at first, their wives, and whatever they do must be perfect. Mrs. Rodney does HUGGIXG TO MUSIC. 43 not waltz, but she dresses decollete. I won- der you do not object to that." "On the contrary, I very much favor a lady's modest evening toilet ; and I consider it woman's duty to adorn herself most be- comingly, but I believe the beautiful neck and arms should be admired as something of our Creator's most perfect work, and as sacred from vulgar, public hugging as a de- fenseless Venus would be from the profane dragging off her pedestal." " You must admit," said Mrs. Vaintone, "that waltzing has been made a great suc- cess." "Success!" sneeringly repeated Mr. Rod- ney. "Well, I will not question your in- telligence, while that word is so misap- plied. " Is the play a ' success ' ? is a work of art a t success ' ? is the politician a i success ' ? money or the vulgar majority homogene- ously now decide. "The dramatic representative who N rants, strides, outrages every artistic feeling, may ride roughshod over the intensely real, na- 44 HUGGING TO MUSIC. tural, conscientious artist, because a vulgar majority gawpingly cries ' Success ! ' " The author who insinuates the greatest amount of defiling filth sails peacefully and wealthily over those whose heart and soul shine through their work, in striving to lift mankind to purer atmosphere, because the majority make it a 'success.' " Our critics, who may be born Euskins, sensitively refined, acutely appreciative, who have devoted a lifetime* to delving in the richest bejeweled literary and artistic mines, are ' poohpoohed ' against the opinion of il- literate jackanapes, who are usually in the majority, and applaudingly scream ' Suc- cess !' "Here in New York I heard an atheist declare to thousands of listeners, in ridicule of simple history, that he did not 'believe such a man as Jesus Christ ever lived.' "This speaker possessed exceptional tal- ents, and for these gifts expressed his grati- tude by sneering at the existence of a Su- preme Creator. " Hearts of hundreds were palsied HUGGING TO MUSIC. 45 fancied themselves at their mother's knee, devoutly lisping their first innocent thanks- giving, 'Our Father who art in heaven,' yet the laugh, stamp and screech of the ma- jority echoed ' Success !' ' ' We have had ages given over to religious worship, hero worship, art worship ; but this age must certainly be transmitted to posterity as the worship of ' success,' most of the success being defined by quantity versus quality. " Thus, also, is the debasing waltz a ' suc- cess.' " Nine-tenths," continued Mr. Rodney, "of our girl debutantes are now, by their parents, given a "hugging to music" ball as the proper thing in which to launch their modest, uninitiated daughter on the sea of fashionable society, thus teaching her, as the sequel proves, to forget as speedily as possible the good she may have learned, as being of no earthly value in comparison to the latest step in dancing and the perfec- tion of the ' enchanting waltz,' which latter means being promiscuously pressed to the 46 HUGGING TO MUSIC. bosoms of men, even as an affectionate hus- band would take his beloved wife in his arms for a welcome embrace. " Does not one-half the blame belong to women who thus stimulate men's baser pas- sions by enfolding them in the waltz ? " We are like you, flesh and blood, but lack woman's spirituality, which curbs the inborn sensuousness. " I am not shielding my own sex, but this very predominating animalism will, under alluring circumstances, cause many an hon orable man to forget that he should stand toward womanhood in the same light as the family physician who attended her first earthly cry, or her pastor, who held her in his arms at the baptismal font and blessed her. "Does it belong to the mission of a good woman to inflame with her ravishing in- cense, to basely intoxicate with her angelic form pulsating in a man's arms, with only the excuse of ' music ' for this mutual hug- ging? " We hear of ballet girls who modestly shrink from their first short waists and skirts HUGGING TO MUSIC. 47 in which they are decked to complete a pic- ture, and to that end are compelled to submit. "Fashionable mothers and daughters in the audience gasp a little 'Oh !' of shocked (?) vision, while they peek through the gauze of their fans to obtain a better view. "The next night finds the latter in a ball- room with their upper bodies exposed to a degree w r hich would be reprimanded by the stage manager of any respectable theater, and in which aforesaid indelicate garb they are, as usual, promiscuously hugging men to music. " The warm season comes. A public beach this time is used to advertise the lower portion of their bodies and for the edi- fication of the multitude. " These are not compulsory exhibitions for a weekly salary, which often to the bal- let girl means the sole support of an invalid mother or dependent family. Oh, no ! theirs is a nobler (?) ambition. " They are seeking bids for vanity's ad- miration or a golden husband, whose home 48 HUGGING TO with them in the future will be a society hotel, managed solely for the entertainment of this same class, wherein to discuss the latest german and arrange anew for their enchanting waltz, " If the husband* s business goes wrong, let him bear his burden alone, nor dare to expect that his wife will dispense 'with an- other new toilet for the next ball, nor in his longing heart dare to wish from her one sympathizing word, one encouraging caress. "If children whom she unwillingly bore are ill, they have nurses. Would you ask such a woman to sacrifice a 'hugging to music ' evening for the sick room ? "No ! no ! The maddening whirl is the life she craves, and will have, even at the cost of wifely or motherhood's most sacred duties." " Well," sing-songed Mrs. Vaintone, "sup- pose the husband is the waltzer. " " If the husband is the ' hugger to music,' then the wife is left at home to bear the bur- dens of life alone. "And when both husband and wife are HUGGING TO Music. 49 carried away with this base passion, their life declines to a give-and-take sort of part- nership, where affection between them be- comes a thing to sneer at as ' too tame ' for home indulgence.'' Mrs. Vaintone winced, but recalling her- self, lazily drawled out the worn and sense- less apothegm: ' ' To the pure all things are pure. " " Which, in this sense," scathingly re- plied Mr. Rodney, "is like the man in the Western restaurant who remarked to the waiter : ' ' ' This glass of water smells as though it had seeped through a graveyard. ' "'Yas, sah,' said the waiter, 'it do run through a graveyard, sah, but it is de most respectablest cemintary in de city, sah, and de richest corpses is buried dar. ' "So, if respectable people decide to in- dulge in immodesty, the act must be con- sidered modest. Pure impurity is indeed no more an anomaly than thai fashion rectifies immorality, or that coarsest vulgarity, once entered in the kaleidoscope of society, is 56 HUGGING TO MUSIC. metamorphosed into the most chaste refine- ment. " " Then you," said Mrs. Vain tone, lan- guidly moving, "hold waltzing responsible for all the misfortunes which blur our fash- ionable escutcheon ? " "There are other extremes which cause misery beside waltzing ; but what I mean is briefly this, and in which I am supported by the clergy and cultured people of the Chris- tian world : "Be she wife, mother or maid, decked out in fashionable array, which means, at the present time, half her upper body exposed, lolling in the arms of strangers or men who are mere acquaintances, her partially nude, throbbing bosoms pressed to her partner, and hugging to music around a ball-room, is the most indecent, barbarous inconsist- ency for a civilized, respectable people of the nineteenth century." CHAPTER IV. THE BALL. r I ^HE night of the Asvanterlet reception had arrived. Aunt Sophronie, with paper and pencil in hand, sat in a conserva- tory just off the ball-room, occasionally con- descending to look, in utter disgust, at the modern, fashionable measures. She was folding a long manuscript as Charles De- luth, one of the worst roues , whose money alone had saved his expulsion from decent society, entered, evidently in quest of some one beside Miss Sophronie Rodney. "Ah,'' thought he, "Miss Rodney, a rela- tive of the charming Mrs. Lennox. I must flatter the spinster some way, but haven't an idea what her little weakness is. Well, first I will ask her to waltz. It will be a dreadful penance, but here goes," as he strode up to her, and waited until the blue 52 HUGGING TO MUSIC. spectacles turned full upon him. Deluth bowed low and with his most winning smile exchanged the compliments of the evening, after which he most graciously asked : "Miss Rodney, will you honor me with the next waltz ? " Aunt Sophronie Rodney grew inches tall er in a moment, as she replied: "Waltz with you ? Did I understand you asked me to waltz 2 " Deluth smiled despite himself as he replied: " Yes, Miss Rodney, I beg that pleasure." "Well, now," said Aunt Sophronie as she tipped back with indignation, "why don't you speak plain English and ask me to hug you ? " Deluth looked ready to faint. " Yes," continued she, " hug you to music, that's what it is, pure and simple. A potato is a potato, and calling it a peach can't alter its shape or change its flavor. There, look at 'em," as several couples waltzed by the door. "What would you call that if you had me in your arms fifteen or twenty min- utes without the music '$" HUGGING TO MUSIC. 53 " Oh, dreadful ! " exclaimed'Deluth, so sus- piciously quick that Aunt Sophronie looked up, but he regained his composure and ven- tured a reply. "My dear Miss Rodney, there are some situations, though ever so carefully con- sidered and arranged, which will appear, you see, to certain eyes and minds, not in unison with its poetic tendency, and thus involve a contact inharmonious to the uninitiated." "Poetic tendency," repeated Aunt Sophro- nie, who seemed willing to tolerate even De- luth if he was poetically inclined. " I won- der now if you write poetry ?" Deluth had discovered her weakness, and hastily replied : " Oh, a very little, but I am very fond of those gifted in that direction. I have heard you spoken of as a poetic genius. I trust you will sometime grant me the happiness of hearing a selection of your celebrated effusions." " Why, if you wouldn't mind," said she, " taking one in your pocket on 'Waltzing,' you can have this one," and she proceeded to draw forth a fearful manuscript from her 54 HUGGING TO MUSIC. huge pocket, much to the consternation of Deluth. "You see, I write whenever the inspiration seizes me, and I was seized that way to-night while waiting for my niece, Vic Lennox. Wonder she is not here yet. " A poet, like school teaching or any other art, requires a great deal of practice. "I know I possess talent for poetry from the reams of it I used to write at school ; but I seemed to have always lacked inspiration for just what I wished to say at the par- ticular moment. "I sometimes miss, as my teacher used to tell me, the 'divine afflatus.' She always insisted that was all I lacked to make a re- nowned poetess ; otherwise, I could write reams and reams of matter." Anxious for the good opinion of Mrs. Lennox's relative, Deluth quickly replied : " Do let me hear what you have written," and he endeavored to return the objection- able roll of manuscript. " Oh, no," said Aunt Sophronie, " you can keep that one on hugging to music; in re- spectable society it is termed waltzing. HUGGING TO MUSIC. 55 " I have another here just begun, to my dear nephew and niece. To-morrow will be the darlings' birthday ; so I thought it ap- propriate to write a little poem in com- memoration. I don't seem to get along very rapidly, though." "Ah," replied Deluth. "those charming little twins merit a place in poetic history. Something descriptive will be delightful for them to have in later years. Proceed, dear Miss Rodney." Aunt Sophronie, now thoroughly conscious of her poetic importance, began : " To my darling nephew and niece, the twins " ROBY and RUBY, " By their loving aunt, Sophronie Rodney. "Each little twin, Tucked in a bin, oid of all sin " I haven't got very far. Now you will kind o' help me out, won't you ? I wish this a surprise to their parents." "It will indeed be a surprise. As to help- ing you, my dear Miss Rodney, your genius 56 HUGGING TO MUSIC. is altogether too deep for me to be of the slightest assistance." Aunt Sophronie was radiant. " Ah, how lovely of you to see that I pos- sess talent for poetry, although it is latent." ''Yes," replied Deluth, "some talents are always 'latent.' And I would advise you not to weary yourself just now. Too pro- found, you see. Something lighter would be better ; not so wearing on the intellect. "To think," responded Aunt Sophronie, "how, in future years, those two cherubs will prize this poem of their childhood, writ- ten by their aunt of course with a little as- sistance from you ' k No, no, dear Miss Eodney. I would not rob you of such merited fame. That your poem is entirely and absolutely your own will be apparent to all. ' Poeta nascitar non fit,' you know; 'Nature, not study, forms the poet.' " You see, my life has been wasted in the dry confines of business. Genius, in me, never had time to develop. An average rationality carried me through college. I HUGGING TO MUSIC. 5Y even won distinction in that dry laboratory. But to think of poetry never entered my wildest projects. " Talent and wit such as yours, dear Miss Rodney, hath been denied me. I am only a poor plodder, utterly void of that transcen- dental exercitation for the immense delibera- tion, deep consideration, quick speculation and thoughtful cogitation necessary to the gifted cerebration which holds consultation and turns the wheel of the imagination." <% Ah, that is so like my dear nephew, Ned Rodney," exclaimed Aunt Sophronie, while paper and pencil flew east and west. "I always said he had the clearest judgment and appreciation the only one of the Rod- neys who takes after me. The dull brain of my other relatives could never understand why I always so strongly took to him. " 'There,' said I, 'is a man with a pene- tration worthy of an Aristotle; an Herculean mind, possessing heaven-given power of ex- pressing his sentiments in language befitting the most learned mon of the dark ages. ' " 'Was I wrong in making my will in 58 HUGGING TO MUSIC. favor of my dearest nephew ? No; and when I am laid to rest, the weeping willow wav- ing o'er my grassy mound, as it were, then will he know that his Aunt Sophronie appre- ciated his mammoth intellect, even though heaven hath denied him, as he regrettingly admits, the genius of a Byronic poet;" and gathering up her scattered utensils Aunt Sophronie resumed the reading. "Two little twins, Tucked in their bins, Free from all sins Of our flesh and fins " " Ah !" gasped Deluth, "too fishy for the human family. Fins, Miss Eodney, will never do." "Well, give me some word for fins the 'flesh 'is all right, isn't it?" Deluth was compelled to admit that the Rodney twins were presumably of the Rod- ney flesh. "Ah! I have it," soliloquized Aunt So- phronie ; ' kins kins of our flesh and kins." " Well," suggested Deluth, " do you think HUGGING TO MUSIC. 59 the plural ' kins ' quite correct or euphoni- ous ? and, coming after our flesh, is it not somewhat superlative, even in the singular <" "I think you are quite right," sweetly re- sponded Aunt Sophronie. "I have it !" and her eyes rolled heaven- ward as she read the corrected stanza. " Each little twin, Tucked in a bin, Free from all sin, Is our beautiful kin. " Ah, that's it, and in the singular, too, dear Mr. Deluth, as you suggested. " What a grand thing is inspiration to the poet ! " Now, for the second verse." "Oh, no," pleaded Deluth, quite alarmed. " You are not going to paralyze your brain with another verse !" " Paralysis don't run in the Rodneys," ex- claimed Aunt Sophronie; "and who ever heard of a poem in one poor little four-lined verse for twins ? Now, then, the first line of 60 HUGGING TO MUSIC. verse second This is it !" twirling her fLi gers again, and the poetess wrote: " As they sleep in their crib " "Why, my dear Miss Rodney," inter- rupted Deluth, striving to look very serious, " in the first verse you. put the twins asleep in their bin; now you are lifting them into a crib; that will never do." Aunt Sophronie looked supremely wise, and elevating her chin, replied: "It is quite evident you never tried your hand at poetry. "Poetry is not law or selling dry goods, neither am I making out a brief or a dun- ning bill, therefore I must tell you concern- ing this, that lifting the children from a bin in the first verse to a crib in the second verse is poetic license, pure and simple." Deluth closed his lips tightly, and looking intently at the shine on his boot toe, ac- quiesced. "Ah! I knew you would see it in its proper light; " she triumphantly replied. HUGGING TO MUSIC. Cl " Which, the bin or the crib ?" "The poetry," and she played a tattoc> with her pencil, evidently striving for in- spiration to attack another line, while she slowly and quietly repeated "As they sleep in their crib Minus shoes, hat or bib." " Isn't that simplicity itself 3" "Miss Rodney," exclaimed Deluth, as though awakening to the importance of this eventful birthday poem, " why not make them minus their hose and underclothing also r " Oh, dear !" drawled Aunt Sophronie, "if you were a poet you could understand that it is not at all necessary to mention the lack of one's entire garments to give an idea of nudity ; or, in other words, stripped of everything save, for instance, their snow- white night-gowns hold on ! ' snow-white gown ' ; can't I get that in ? it is beautifully poetic. " Here it is ! '' touching her forehead with 62 HUGGING TO MUSIC. the sweep of a great genius, and she proudly repeated " As they sleep in their crib, Minus shoes, hat or bib, Rolled in snow-white night-gowns " * Rolled,' repeated Deluth. " Why not have them laid in their gowns ? " "Why, "she replied, instructively, "one can see ' rolled ' is much more poetic than simply 'laid' in their gowns. Anyone could say 'laid,' but everyone would not think of 'rolled.' " Now the last line don't move " Rolled in snow-white night-gown, Pure and soft as swan's down " " Which are soft and pure ?" asked Deluth, " the children, the gown or the down ?" "Why, the children, of course, are pure, and soft the gown and down. "Just mentally transpose 'soft,' 'gown' and k down,' and you will appreciate its sense eventually. You know we are obliged HUGGING TO MUSIC. 63 to dwell on modern poetry to fully enjoy its beauty. Let me read it all through. " Each little twin, Tucked in a bin, Free from all sin, Is our beautiful kin. "As they sleep in their crib, Minus hat, shoes or bib, Rolled in snow-white night-gown, Pure and soft as swan's down." "It lacks finish oh, yes, it does," as DR- luth was about to interpose. " I have a very acute ear, keen perception and fullest appre- ciation, and I can see this lacks finish Wait ! " as she waived his objection with a grand flourish, and wrote " May the twins ever be Fruit of old Rodney tree." Deluth felt a convulsion which must soon betray him, but looking up suddenly saw a figure which give him the longed for excuse to escape. "Pardon me, Miss Rodney, a friend," and he flew toward Victoria Lennox, who w r as just leaving a room adjoining. CHAPTER V. THE LAST WALTZ. "TAELUTH hastily approached the object -*-^ of his pursuit, who had just left the hostess, and exclaimed in a low voice, " Oh, Mrs. Lennox, I feared you would not come." " Well," smilingly answered Victoria Len- nox, " I am sure no one would have missed me. I only came because I promised Aunt Sophronie I would meet some members of a charity committee here, and so save an after- noon meeting, later." " How can I thank you ? " whispered De- luth, trembling with excitement. " Why, Mr. Deluth," innocently replied Mrs. Lennox, " one would imagine my com- ing conferred on you some special honor." " Honor," repeated Deluth, "is an empty word to express the pleasure your presence gives me." HUGGING TO MUSIC. 65 " I do not understand you/' said Mrs. Len- nox, coldly, turning her eyes from him and preparing to leave his side. " Xo, certainly you do not," answered De- luth. " I fail to understand myself . The next number is a waltz, may I have the pleasure?" "I have decided,'' unconcernedly replied Victoria, "never to waltz again." " Ah," gasped Deluth, as though a knife had pierced his heart. ' ' Do not say that ! For weeks I have lived on the anticipation of waltzing with you to-night." " How very remarkable, not to say fool- ish," lightly returned Victoria, wishing to leave him. "Foolish," repeated Deluth, " to those who cannot appreciate that sentiment which has absorbed me since first I met you." "Mr. Deluth, you forget yourself," indig- nantly rejoined Victoria. " Mr. Lennox would scarcely relish such remarks to his wife. I must decline to further listen to your folly," and Victoria reached for her fan, which he held. Deluth was baffled, but not discouraged. 66 HUGGING TO MUSIC. His knowledge of human nature told him Victoria Lennox was far beyond the shal- low women he had flattered, won, and as quickly tossed aside for new conquests. He rapidly solved his next move, as he thought, "I will appeal to her pity the strongest weakness of a good woman." Victoria, noticing Deluth' s bowed head, little imagined his devilish thoughts, and judging she had spoken harshly, innocently remarked : "Mr. Deluth, you must pardon me if I have wounded you. I I really did not mean, but you know you should not speak to your friend's wife as you have just spoken to me. However, you meant no harm, I am sure. We will forget it has oc- curred." Deluth here gave a sigh of relief, which to unsophisticated Victoria sounded like suddenly opened flood-gates of deepest grief . " Oh, Mrs. Lennox ! " exclaimed he, " how can I apologize for the foolish betrayal of myself. After to-night I promise never again to intrude my feelings upon you, no matter how I suffer." HUGGING TO MUSIC. 67 Victoria's honest brown eyes now looked at this demon with as much pity as though her words had consigned him to the executioner. Seeing the effect he had produced, Deluth followed up his vantage. "I have but one last favor to ask of you, " said he. Believing his " favor " was not to " expose his conversation to her husband," and feel- ing that course would only cause needless trouble, Victoria quickly replied, " Oh ! I will grant anything I can, certainly, with pleasure." "It is," rejoined he, " for one waltz "No, no, not that!" impulsively burst from Victoria. " You promised," pointedly added Deluth, " anything; you will keep your word. Your husband is not here to forbid you." "Mr. Lennox has not forbidden me," de- fiantly responded Victoria; " but he does not waltz and I believe does not like me to waltz." "Oh," sneered Deluth, wholly off his guard, "he is another of the jealous hus- TO bands who never wish a wife to have any pleasure which is pot centered in them- selves." " That is not true of Mr. Lennox," indig nantly replied Victoria. "He is kindness and goodness itself, and contributes in every way possible to my happiness. I do not fear my husband, but it is my greatest pleasure to respect his very reasonable wishes. " "Will you give me this waltz ?" insisted Deluth. Victoria hesitated, tapped her slipper nervously, looked at Deluth, whom she saw would hold her to her promise, then answered coldly and with measured precision, " Sim- ply to keep my word, then, since you de- mand it, but that shall be my last. I shall never waltz again." Ah, how much misery would be spared, did the erring heed the voice of conscience, which silently protests against that fateful " only once more ! " Mrs. Lennox expected that her husband, who had been absent some weeks, might arrive shortly after midnight, therefore had HUGGING TO MUSIC. 6$ only gone to the reception to meet the com- mittee, according to her aunt Sophronie's request. She had not, in consequence, re- moved an extra wrap, being anxious to get home to welcome Jack Lennox, who was worthy of all the love of his fond wife. She now accepted Deluth's arm and was escort- ed to the ladies' dressing room, where she left him to eagerly await her return. No sooner was Victoria rid of Deluth's presence than she became terrified with her- self. " I am going to waltz again with that man, he, who from the first time his arms en-- circled me in that familiar dance, has exer- cised the most fearful spell over me. Thank heaven ! he does not suspect it. "How I loathe him! Why did I not rudely leave him ? Well, it is only to re- deem my word. I shall never waltz again !'* This good resolve drove away all sadness from her face, and when she reappeared De- luth thought she had never looked so beau- tiful. Although Victoria was grace itself, she 70 HUGGING TO MUSIC. had danced but little, and a few turns of the waltz left her helplessly dizzy in the arms of the unscrupulous Deluth. Closer he drew her to him. Closer he pressed her to his throbbing breast. Closer he bent his face to hers, until in a burst of passionate eloquence he poured forth a story of undying love. Victoria was in an enchanted dream. The music, the flowers, the beautiful figures glid- ing around her had intoxicated this pure woman, whose only remaining senses told her she was floating in air, and no longer of the earth earthy. On, on they went in the maddening waltz, the devil still sending forth his poisonous whispers. On, on they went, his hot breath burning his dastardly appeals for sympathy into her very brain. She could now no longer hear anything but the seductive music, and with her blind- ed vision could only think, "I am floating in air floating in air in air. " CHAPTER VI. THE HUSBAND'S RETURN. TACK LENNOX had reached the depot wild with delight that he was so near home and in a few moments more would clasp in his arms the woman whom he loved w r ith the strongest feelings of his great and noble nature. It was near midnight. He had not tele- graphed his expected arrival, preferring to steal in upon his idol, encircle her in his arms and smother her with love-kisses be- fore she discovered the intruder of her cham- ber. " Drive quickly," and he handed the cab- man twice his fare to speed him to his home. The lights in his house were turned low, and as he inserted his night-key cautiously, he smiled like a boy planning a great sur- prise. Silently he closed the doors, and cau- 72 HUGGING TO MUSIC. tiously mounted the stairway ; breathlessly he entered his wife's sleeping apartments, until his ecstatic lips touched her very pillow. " Not here !'" he gasped. Hastily he shot up the light, fiercely he rang a bell, and quickly learned where Mrs. Lennox had gone, with the additional comforting infor- mation that she had told her maid she would remain but a short time. 11 Ah, then she thought I might come to- night/' soliloquized the relieved husband, and quickly donning an evening suit, de- parted for the Asvanderlets'. A few words with the hostess, who added much to his pleasure by remarking : " Mrs. Lennox told me she would remain but a few moments, as she would not for worlds be absent when you might arrive home. There is devotion for you." Jack Lennox speedily singled out his beautiful wife, but his happiness was some- what dimmed when he saw her waltzing, and with Deluth. "Oh," sighed the momentarily unhappy husband, ' ' why have I never requested Vic- HUGGING TO MUSIC. 73 toria to desist from that immodest dance ? To stand here and see my loved one hugged to the breast of another man, even though he were not the worst of roues, is horrifying. I will tell her my feelings to-night con- cerning this hugging to music, and I know she will forever spare me another such pain- ful sight." Satisfied with this decision, and seeing Mrs. Lennox approaching, he stepped into the dimly-lighted conservatory and slipped behind a portiere, still bent on giving Vic- toria a little surprise. A moment more, instead of passing, she entered the conservatory on the arm of Deluth, who, still pouring forth the poison, was saying : " And you cannot deny that my influence over you is the same. I read it in your liquid eyes, I feel it in your quivering body, I know it in your unconscious creeping to my breast, your throbbing heart beating against my own. Deny it ! Deny it if you can, while I imprint my love !" Until now the dreamy, waltz-intoxicated 74 HUGGING TO MUSIC. woman was speechless, but the profane touch of that demon's lips instantly recalled her scattered senses. Like a tigress she sprang back from him, but too late. A grasp on the curtain at her side relaxed, and Jack Lennox fell senseless at the feet of his terrified wife. CHAPTER VII. A THIRD VICTIM. TpUXICE FENDERS, a bride of two win- *~* ters, appeared at the Rodney home. "Why, Eunice, I am so glad to see you," said Mrs. Rodney. " We missed you from church two Sabbaths, and fearing you were ill, I was about to run over. Mr. Fenders is well, I trust." Mrs. Fenders felt as if her heart was in her throat, and as she attempted to reply, an avalanche of tears answered for her. " Why, my dear, what is it? do tell me," sympathetically entreated Mrs. Rodney, as she drew near her friend. Mrs. Fenders strove to resist sobbing, and tremblingly asked : "You haven't heard?" Mrs. Rodney, thoroughly alarmed, replied: " I have heard nothing." 7 HUGGING* * 'Well," hesitatingly began Mrs. Fenders, 4< it was the night of the orphans' ball. Mr. Fenders is very fond of dancing, or rather waltzing, in fact he never does any but the round dances. He was waltzing with Mrs. Hayes, when suddenly Mr. Hayes stood by me, looking very much excited. As Mr. Fenders came up to seat Mrs. Hayes, her husband said to her : " 'I forbade you to waltz again with that man ! ' pointing to Mr. Fenders, who, as ex- citedly, inquired the meaning of such public insult. " Mr. Hayes replied : " ' You may call it public insult, since your frequent waltzing this entire season with my wife, from being privately commented upon, is now publicly spoken of. " 'Mrs. Hayes has been told of this also. I first requested her to silence gossip by de- clining to appear again with you, and she refused. " ' She now defies me ; therefore, I warn both of you : if this is repeated she must seek protection elsewhere than from the HUGGKfG TO MUSIC. ?7 hian whom her justly-censured conduct dis- honors ! ' "At this Mrs. Hayes told her husband that she would waltz with Mr. Fenders wherever and whenever he asked her, de- spite all the gossipings in the universe. " ' Then,' said Mr. Fenders to Mrs. Hayes, 'you have my protection at any time Mr. Hayes sees fit to withdraw his.' "Mr. Hayes was about to strike Tom, when I quickly stepped between them, and told Mrs. Hayes that I, also, objected to such inseparable companionship as they had evinced, and declined emphatically to consent to any further monopoly of Mr. Fenders. "The result of it all was, Mr. Fenders left town the next day, and Mrs. Hayes the day after. No one seems to know anything of either of them." "Oh. that waltzing again! wretched woman and wretched man, though he is your husband." "Husband!" scornfully repeated Mrs. Fenders; " he is my husband no longer ! " and burst into tears. 78 HUGGING TO MUSIC. "By-bye, mamma," said the twins, Roby and Ruby, as they ran in and held up their pink lips to be kissed by their mother, who gave this parting injunction to Roby: "Darling, you will meet your playfellow, Jimmie Vaintone, whom you struck when you last played with him. You never will commit such a shocking act again." Roby's eyes flashed as he replied : "Yeth, he will 'member to haave hissef, too, and not call sister twomboy ag'in." "Yeth, he did, mamma," said Ruby, "and brover just struck him good. Ha ! ha ! ha ! " and both children laughed at therec ollection of Roby's resolute courage. "My daughter," exclaimed Mrs. Rodney, " I am shocked at you. Do you not know it is dreadful for little boys and girls to quar- rel ? Nurse must inform me if you do any- thing naughty at play this afternoon, and if so, you shall not visit again in a long time." " Oh, we'll be dood, mamma," spoke up Ruby for herself and brother, as Roby, with his little pursed-up mouth and erect head, HUGGING TO MUSIC. 79 seemed rather doubtful about never striking a boy again. The twins for the first time noticed " Auntie Fenders," as they called her, whose eyes, they saw, were red with weeping. They gazed at her in wonderment, until Ruby cautiously approached her and softly volunteered the information, "Aunty Fen- ders, did you know you was cwyin' ? " Before Eunice could reply between her smiles and tears, Roby strode up and majes- tically demanded: ' ' Auntie, you tell me who made you cwy, and I'll lick him so him never make you cwy ag'in." The childishs ympathy relieved Mrs. Fen- ders, who smilingly consoled the little ones. "Now, run along, dears. Nurse, return in two hours," said Mrs. Rodney, while sweet little voices echoed : "Mamma, by-bye," and they were gone to play with eight or ten others, including the aforesaid belabored Jim. Mr. Rodney, who had just arrived, peeped in. 80 HUGGING TO MUSIC. "I thought I heard voices," said he. " Mrs. Fenders, I hope you are quite well." As Mrs. Fenders replied she stole a look at his face, which told her he knew all. "I see you have heard of Mr. Fenders," said she. ' ' Yes !" indignantly answered Mr. Rod- ney ; " I learned of it to-day. I cannot un- derstand my friend Tom's disgraceful con- duct. He was apparently so devoted. We have often remarked how happy you always seemed together. How did this occur ? How did it begin ?" " By waltzing with Mrs. Hayes," flashed Mrs. Fenders. ' ' And Mrs. Hayes waltzing with Mr. Pen ders," said Mr. Rodney. "Nothing very remarkable about that, except that this is the third waltzing scandal which has come to light of late ; how many victims not known, we can imagine. This waltzing, I believe, is responsible for a big ratio of mis- ery in polite society." "I never knew Tom so wild for dancing as in the past year," remarked Mrs. Fenders. HUGGING TO MtSIC. 81 " Twice he left a sick-bed to attend parties, where he did every round dance and with Sibyl Hayes." "Why did you permit it ?" inquired Mrs. Rodney. " What could I do ?" helplessly asked Mrs. Fenders. "Do !" said Nell Rodney, her eyes flash- ing. "My husband would cease such pub- lic offense to me, or I would place myself on the defensive." "Bravo! my dear," applauded Mr. Rod- ney ; "but failing to recall such a husband to his natural senses, what then ?" " Yes, what then '?" seconded Mrs. Fen- ders, vvho saw that Mrs. Rodney had reached the brink of argument. "What, then?" repeated Mrs. Rodney. "Well, if I could not touch his pride, I would at least establish the fact that he could not wound my feelings without prop- er resentment." " Ah, my dear," said Eunice Fenders, " it is so easy to suggest what others should do ; but once become the victim, you would see 82 HUGGING TO MUSIC. things somewhat different than as a specta- tor." " Well, I would do something," replied Mrs. Rodney, emphatically, as though that mysterious " something" was the most fear- ful punishment ever meted out to unfortu- nate humanity. " And now you are striv- ing to break your heart over that wretch I see it. "Just go home, get a few things you will need your servants can look after the house and you remain here until that mis- creant comes to his senses. No, no ! You shall not remain alone while we can make your misery a little lighter by sharing it with you ! "My dear, every house has its skeleton, which will sometime stalk forth. But the wary lock it tightly in, so that listeners can only occasionally hear the rattling of its tell- tale bones. Eeturn in twenty minutes ; no more crying ;" and kissing her affectionately, she literally bundled her off and watched Mr. Rodney close her in the coupe. "My dear," observed Mr. Rodney, "you HUGGING TO MUSIC. 83 have done a great kindness to Mrs. Fenders in asking her here ; and after noting your magnificent Susan-B.- Anthony spirit just now, I believe within the next twelve- month you will be offered the presidency of the ' Sorosis,' or the first woman's-rights club in New York. Ha ! ha ! What cos- tume will you adopt ?" 11 Ned, dear, if ever I should have so proud a distinction conferred on me, I do not think I should seek to improve on woman's present simple, graceful garment. " At all events, I would be too deeply en- grossed by striving to correct abuses engen- dered and overlooked by you wonderful ' lords of creation.' " "Speaking of costumes," remarked Aunt Sophronie, who had just entered, "in the Bishop's comparison, Centennial Day, to the ' Washingtoniaii manners, which,' as he said, ' we have banished,' don't you think he intended to include ceremonious dress, also?" "I could not say," replied Mrs. Rodney ; "perhaps I am unduly sensitive in the mat- 84: HUGGING TO MUSIC. ter, for I fear the most eloquent sermon would fail to impress me, if a clergyman stood in the pulpit outlined in inexcusable dress. I sometimes see persons of intelli- gence so inappropriately clothed that it starts the perspiration of disappointment oozing down my back like threads of unfeel- ing icicles. " Form and ceremony, certainly, in its proper place, is essential to a polite people. Those who seek to dispense with it are not of the most cultured. With God's great rule and order, He also teaches proper adorn- ment ; otherwise, why, after providing the' necessaries of life, did He shower upon us the beautiful in nature ? "He has surrounded us with richest speci- mens. Just think of twelve hundred varie- ties of the lily alone ; and out of the two hundred thousand species of insects, see the exquisite coloring and care the Divine Being has bestowed on a tiny beetle's wing. "Not a rock, plant, wave of sea or fleecy cloud has He overlooked, from the gorgeous-hued tropic to the aurora pf the HUGGING TO MUSIC. 85 arctic ; from the coral abyss of the ocean to the grandly towering snow-capped mountain. 'The blossom which lives but for a night is painted as exquisitely as if never to wither and die. The lightest vapor is as perfect as though not to sail away and disappear, even while we gaze in admiration at its spiritu- elle loveliness. "And with nature's constant rehabilitat- ing, does not each successive dressing, in a cultivated garden, come out more perfect than before ? " Can intelligence deny that all this is sent for our imitation, and to inspire us with a love of our Creator's grand, symmetrical, ex- quisite, delicate, enchanting, surpassingly beautiful workmanship, until its proper ap- preciation tends to ennoble and bring us nearer to our God ?" After a moment's silence Aunt Sophronie straightened herself and ejaculated : " I'd like to know what buffoon introduced a gentleman's evening dress for waiters. "I am always so annoyed when I see it, Nell, that if you will permit me, at your next 86 HUGGING TO MUSIC. reception, I will robe every female servant in the house just like yourself and while you are doing social honors, see if they look appropriately dressed for their respective duties ; then, perhaps, we could appreciate the absurdity of the 'waiter costume.' " Any wonder so many servants' heads get turned striving to ape their masters' and mis- tresses' dressing, in form, color and extrava- gance ?" " Pitch in, Aunt ; vote against it," said Mr. Rodney, encouragingly. "Why, I did not think it was so late. An office full of clients by this time;" and kissing his wife, while not forgetting his idolizing aunt, he stepped out with that smiling, light heart, so unmistakable in the contented and happy husband. About this time the children had ex- hausted nearly every other sport, when Roby was elected captain, to head a com- pany of soldiers. "Ip! I is goin' to be cap'in ; the mens must be sojers, marching wif their wifs," said Roby. HUGGING TO MUSIC. 87 "Dere ain't womens 'nuff," suggested lit- tle Vera Marshall, " for every mans to has a wife." "No, there ain't," acquiesced Florence Browning. Ruby proceeded to count, "One, two, free, four, fibe, tix, seben mens; one, two, free womens dats all." After serious consideration Captain Roby announced: " One mens must be a womans; den it will be jus' wight." Turning to Johnnie Goodall, who w T as a sort of lieutenant plenipotentiary, he com- missioned him to "git a boy to be a wom- ans." Johnnie proceeded to question the other five, beginning with Willie Rice. "You, Willie Withe, be the other wom- ans ?" "Naw," drawled Willie, looking the pic- ture of disgust. " Henny Drew, will you be the other womans ?" "Naw, thir !" savagely answered Henry. 88 MUGGING TO MUSIC. " Kirkie Loomith, will you be the " You nee'n' asthk me ; I won't be no womans," interrupted Kirkie. " Naw me naw me !" quickly chimed in little Walter Blakely, knowing his turn would come next. Now thoroughly discouraged, Johnnie waxed desperate, and made a final attack on the most and always disobliging of the boys. " Jim Vaintone, you got to be the other womans." "Naw, I won't," said Jim, sulkily. " Well," said Johnnie, who was beginning to lose all patience, " Willie won't be 'er, Henny won't be 'er, Kirkie won't be 'er, and Walter won't be 'er. You ith the latht one ; you got to be 'er, so we can have our p'rade." "I wouldn't be no womans, cos my pa says he hates womans ; cos womans is mean- guess he knows." At this interesting juncture Roby came up and informed Jim thuswise : "My mamma ith a womans her ain't ftUGGIXG TO MUSIC. 89 ftiean; sister ith a womans her ain't mean, ith her T " Yas, she isy" drawled Jim, while his nose looked as though sniffing an unpleasant odor, at which Roby's forbearance gave way, and the next moment found Jim, amidst tears and imprecations, sprawling on the ground. "Now, Roby Wodney, you'll see when I tell your ma." "I tole youm mover," said Roby, defi- antly, "that I wouldn't strucked you leth you 'bused sister. Youm did ? buse sister, callin' her mean, so I strucked you ag'in. I gueth you will 'haave youmthelf now." " Sojers, take youm wifs," and as the boys quickly fell in line with their ' wives ' Roby played a toodle de toot on an improvised cornet made from a fire shovel, and marched his men as valiantly around the garden as though equipped with fife and drum and every implement of deadliest battle-field. CHAPTER VIII. FIRE AT SEA. steamers Cullard and Inman, racing in mid-ocean in January, was a pleas- ant surprise to all the passengers except Vic- toria Lennox, who did not leave her state- room until the Inman dropped behind at nightfall. Robed in a disguise which fully accorded with her hopeless sadness, a wid- ow's outfit of deepest mourning, she then ascended the upper deck. As she looked into the dark waters she exclaimed, ''Not to-night; I have not the courage." She turned quickly and selected a sequestered seat. Although wrapped in fur, the piercing breeze passed through her delicate body as if she were dressed in phan- tom gauze. But she heeded not, her thoughts were no longer of herself, but of her beloved bus- HUGGING TO MUSIC. 91 band left far, far behind, with a broken heart as his only companion. "My love," she cried, ''I was mad, not guilty. Save me ! Save me before it is too late.-' But love's wings could not span the billowy distance to rescue her. She gazed across the receding waters in pathetic en- treaty. " See, how I am borne from you ! Reach forth your loving arms and bring me home to peace and love. "OGod! Reverse thy wheels of time! turn back my life one week ! " But the rushing of the ponderous steamer mockingly echoed her mental meanings : "Bearing me away ! further away ! ! for- ever away ! ! ! " The bells of the ship had just struck eight, and "All's well '' greeted the listeners' ears. The night was blackest darkness. Sharp winds played the most doleful misereres. Everything seemed weird, strange, ghastly. What a change from that of one week be- fore for the beloved and honored Mrs. Len- nox ; she bowed her head in an agony of grief and sobbed aloud. 92 HUGGING TO MUSIC. Suddenly a gentle voice recalled her. " Madam, can I do anything for you ? Victoria was startled into raising her beautiful face for one moment, then quickly turned her head as she recognized a young clergyman who had led the Sabbath service. Mrs. Lennox replied in a quiet way that she was not ill, only a "little homesick," and apologized for disturbing anyone, adding that she thought herself "quite alone." Her beautiful eyes had already won the rector's admiration, but when the sweet voice gave utterance, Cupid's darts penetrated his heart. " I trust you will pardon my foolishness," said Victoria. " I am hysterical sometimes, and to-night I seem to completely give way to sad thoughts, which make me, oh ! so homesick." Her quivering lips could say no more, and again she burst into convul- sive sobbings. The rector's eyes grew moist, in sympathy, and seating himself beside her he strove to soothe her sorrow. " Homesickness," said he, " was the first HUGGING TO MUSIC. 93 grief of my young life. When eight years of age I was visiting relatives only a few blocks distant ; about midnight I awakened with that deathlike feeling, homesickness. Bribery of the most fascinating description was resorted to, but every effort to pacify me was tutile. I still begged for home, to which I was finally taken ; when my tears ceased, and I was again happy with my parents. "My child," and he looked at the deep mourning of widowhood. "You are home- sick with longings for those you have lost in this world, but strive to think of our heavenly Parent, who will shortly take you to that everlasting home where you will be reunited with your loved ones. " What a comfort to know that after all our sorrows here such a home awaits us, where we will have no more separations, no more homesickness, and where we will know no more sorrow. Think of it, my child. Commune with your heavenly Fa- ther, and he will lighten your burdened heart." 94 HUGGING TO MUSIC. Victoria wiped her streaming eyes, and arose with a sense of peace she could not understand. She quietly thanked the rector, who opened the door of the companion-way. As she passed in she heard dancing music, and looking down observed a number of people trying to waltz. The sight, which too vividly recalled one week before, made her reel back to the deck, as she exclaimed, " That deadly waltz !" The rector caught the words and answered her. " I am glad to know that you abhor that immodest dance. Think of wives, mothers and daughters being embraced by a variety of men, sometimes utter strangers, with ' music ' as the only excuse for such mon- strous familiarity. The clergy can trace the misery of fashionable people more to the de- moralizing practice of waltzing than to any other cause. Yet the fashionable world seeks to shroud the immorality of this dan- ger, which destroys so many homes and wrecks so many lives. If estranged friends and the divorce courts chose to tell the be- HUGGING TO MUSIC. 95 ginning of the end, an appalling number could be traced to this curse of the modern ball-room, the hugging to music waltz." "Ah," sighed Victoria, as she thought, "to that curse I owe my misery." Every word of the rector was like a lancet driven into her heart. She longed to lay bare her grief and beg for sympathy, but she dared not, something held her back, till she could only think and tremble. The rector continued : "In a certain foreign society, and in remote apings of other countries, including our own, to per- mit an unmarried daughter to walk to church with a gentleman, or formally re- ceive him under the protective canopy of her parents' roof, which we are wont to feel breathes the benedictory atmosphere of sa- cred home, would be something shocking, if unattended by a chaperone ; yet this ex- treme surveillance of a properly brought up girl bounds to such an inconsistent, as- toundingly familiar antithesis, with ma fille, at a ball, thrown straight into the arms of the first social roues who think worth while 96 HUGGING TO MUSIC. to check off a waltzing number from her programme, and thus carve and serve up feminine modesty in a tenth, twentieth vul- gar embrace ; all decorously swallowed in ball-room flavoring, garnished only with symphony notes to excuse this disgraceful custom, hugging to music. " With members of my church, I both en- joy and encourage music, the drama, and all innocent, health-giving amusements. I am also pleased to witness the dancing of respectable, graceful, beautiful measures, and delight in a rollicking reel and jig of the pure-minded peasant ; but against the im- modest, vulgar, promiscuous hugging to music, I raise my voice in condemnation, and knowingly, I will not administer the sacrament to a communicant of my church who indulges in the habit of such appal- lingly indecent conduct." " Ah," exclaimed Victoria, " if all clergy- men took that stand, how much misery would be saved the innocent ! There is one life dear to me which would not now be for- ever blighted." HUGGING TO MUSIC. 97 " The waltz," replied the rector, " is like the candle which lures the unsuspicious in- sect to its fascinating light, unconscious that it nears the fire, until its wings are scorched and the death-heat penetrates its vitals." " God prosper you," said Victoria. " Your labor will not be in vain. Good-night," and Mrs. Lennox again turned to reach her state- room. As Dr. Wadsworth took her hand to steady her, the ship gave a tremendous lurch, which hurled Victoria into the very arms of the rector. Then came a terrific explosion as of a thousand cannon. In a moment the heav- ens seemed ablaze. A volume of fire shot forth like the bursting of a veritable hell. Voices arose in the most terrifying shrieks of "Fire! fire!! fire!!!" Before Victoria or the rector could recover their equipoise, men, women and children had flocked to the deck. The cries increased until the demoniac shrieks of the crew and the heartrending meanings of the passen- gers made the awful scene a pandemonium of the bottomless pit. 98 HUGGING TO MUSIC. *' Lower the boats ! Lower the hoats !" shouted and roared the captain. Just then the racing steamer hove in sight. p "The Inman, thank God ! " went up from every tongue. With savage greed the crim- son flames licked the deck, eager for its prey as the hungry tiger lapping the blood of its expiring victim. The rector had dragged Victoria to where the women and children were already being lowered into boats, but once there, Mrs. Lennox refused to stir until the mothers and helpless little ones had been let down. " Fur God's sake let me pass !" cried an appealing voice at Victoria's side. "Let me pass with my boy ! A million dollars fur a boat to save my boy ! " As though all instinctively felt the pres- ence of death, even midst the terrible ex- citement, a way was cleared for the frantic father, and a moment later Joe Jungle sprang down the ladder and into the life- boat carrying the lifeless form of litt'e Hank. HUGGING TO MUSIC. 99 The Wayback could not realize that the dark messenger had claimed his idol, and from the moment he was taken aboard wildly s trovo to revive the inanimate re- mains. " Hank ! Hank ! it's Pop ! On'y look at me jess once, Hank ! We're all right neow, percious boy ! Look at Pop ! Look at Pop! Ye needn't be frightened neow ! Thar' ain't no fire here, Hank! Oh, Hank, look at Pop! See the stars, Hank ! The big moon's shinin' tew! It's snowin', Hank ! Come on, we'll git yer sled, an' here's yer dog waitiii' ter draw ye. Open yer eyes an' see it's all right. Look at Pop ! Look at Pop, Hank ! Why you're cold, Hank ! You're cold ! You're sti My God ! he's dead ! " The Wayback's voice sounded like the plaintive moan of a mother suddenly robbed of her child. Infidelity was forgotten in Joe Jungle's appealing wail, " O God ! God ! Give me back my boy ! " CHAPTER IX. SAVED. "VTEARLY every woman and child had -*- ^ been safely placed in boats, when, as Victoria turned, she came upon Dr. Wads- worth, who was supporting the burned and almost senseless form of Lord Oakdale. "I cannot wait," said the rector to Mrs. Lennox. u Tell the men to take him next," but away the rector darted, seemingly into the very flames. Lord Oakdale, the son and petted heir to a dukedom, who had been reared in luxury, whose slightest wishes had always seemed commands to be obeyed, even by his equals ; but who, to the casual observer, was inane to a degree, had suddenly evinced a bravery composed of rarest metal. A few moments before he had listened in amusement to the sneers and intentional HUGGtXG TO MUSIC. 101 insults of Joe Jungle, and had then crushed through the fiery flames to save the Way- back's idolized child, at the almost certain loss of his own life. But heroism such as his never stops to count the cost ; like the soldier on the bat- tie-field he knows not cowardice, and feai* to him is as great a stranger as a tropical sun to the arctic, regions. He now lay perfectly helpless, and was suffering the most excruciating agony, but human power could do nothing for him there, and it was doubtful if his life could be saved even under the most favorable cir- cumstances. " Carry him down the ladder for the next boat," cried Victoria, who was supporting Lord Oakdale's head ; but the ugliest phase of human nature, which is termed self- preservation, but usually means cowardly selfishness, seemed to possess every creature to whom she appealed. She might as well have expected raving cattle, under a shower of fire, to heed her words. 102 HUGGING TO MUSIC. "Oh, men of strength, will you leave a hero-brother here to burn ? Have you no hearts T But no one came to her. The rector was still assisting some elderly people and faint- ing invalids, who would not otherwise have been saved. When Victoria looked at Lord Oakdale, whose sacrifice of self had , brought him so near death, and thought that he must lie there, food for the devouring flames, she be- came almost insane. She sprang to her feet and cried : "Fathers !" and her voice rose above the hiss of the flames mounted above moans echoed beyond shrieks. "Are there no fathers here, grateful to a fellow -being who has nearly given his life to save a little child? Will no grateful father carry this dying man to the life-boat 2" In a moment Mrs. Lennox was surround- ed by strong men, who in a twinkling had raised the now senseless burden, whose flesh was literally falling from his hands, and bore him down the ladder to the transfer boat. HUGGING TO MUSIC. 103 Brave Lord Oakdale ! Stout heart ! You prove we are not all animal, for God the Infinite shines through the finite in such sacrifice. Victoria had seen the last fainting woman passed over, when a terrible resolve she had already made took form. "No further will I go, Charles Deluth !" thought she. "While I am still innocent I will seek death before living under the stig- ma of shame you have purposely cast over me." As she was being put forward for the next boat, she slipped by the men. With a prayer on her lips for forgiveness, she com- mended her soul to her Maker and sprang into the sea. A sailor, who had witnessed her bravery in assisting the frantic women and children, saw her mad leap, and shouted, "Woman overboard !'' No one heeded even this startling infor- mation, at such a perilous moment, but the rector quickly ran to where Victoria had stood a moment before. She was gone! 104 HUGGING TO MUSIC. Nearer and nearer came the flames, the devouring demon now hissing its forked tongue into the very faces of those left on deck, but Dr. Wads worth cared not to save himself; in an instant he had torn off his outer coat and plunged into the watery deep. Victoria's body had risen for the second time when the rector caught her in his arms, which, though naturally powerful, were weakened by the terrible exertion and excitement on the ship. He now attempted to swim toward the Inman, but his strength was so far gone he could make but little headway. His weak voice could not be heard above the shriek - ings of men and women, and he at last felt he must resign himself to death. He could no longer see. The last flicker- ing rays of intelligence were fading away, but he clung all the more determinedly to his prrcious burden. Just then he felt some- thing strike his arm, which recalled his senses sufficiently to hear a voice, "Catch the rope ! Catch the rope !" Mechanically HUGGING TO MUSIC. 105 he caught it, was quickly dragged to a life- boat, and insensibly transferred, with his priceless treasure, to the Inman. The rector soon rallied and assisted the surgeons who were striving to revive Mrs. Lennox. After half an hour of untiring labor they ceased, and muttered, "No use, she's gone!" But Dr. Wadsworth still la- bored over the seemingly lifeless remains. After awhile a feeble pulsation was notice- able, Victoria's lips moved, her eyes opened, she was saved ! "She lives, thank heaven! she lives!" gasped the rector, whose devotion and crowning success brought tears to the eyes of every one present. Charles Deluth had managed, by assisting children, to get into the first boat, and was thus transferred to the haven of safety ; the strongest trait in his type of character cowardice evincing itself at the first sign of danger. He now walked around, ner- vously peering into rooms, sheepishly look- ing among groups. As he came upon one he started back like a criminal, when he 106 HUGGING TO MUSIC. saw the woman who was the object of at- tention. " Ah, " said one of the onlookers, who had noticed Deluth's dastardly conduct, "your friend, the beautiful widow, was nearly gone ; fell overboard, faint with fa- tigue by trying to save the helpless, while you were in the first boat, taking such good care of your mustache." Deluth, believing he had escaped unob- served, was stunned, but summoning all his habitual effrontery, stepped to Victoria's side, and with a show of great anxiety, whispered: " You are safe ! When I missed you I thought you had been taken in the first boat." Victoria closed her eyes to shut out the hateful vision. The surgeon called, ''Stand back ! " while he tenderly took Mi's. Len- nox in his arms and conveyed her to the captain's room, in which the kind-hearted commander had given orders to place her. Recording angels of ' ' noblest heroism " transcribed the supernal bravery of Eoyal Wadsworth. CHAPTER X. NO NEWS. "A /TRS. FENDERS was seated by the +&*- window in the Rodney library. The threatening sky was shooting forth its aii- gry darts, while the rolling heavens seemed ready to be dashed to earth by demon hands fit accompaniment to her turbulent thoughts. As she sat with folded arms and veiled eyes, living over the sorrowful past, which had worse than widowed the once adoring wife, a crash of thunder made her start and shudder. Just then her mail was handed her, over which she hurriedly glanced. "Another day passed and no news from him," she murmured in dejection. "Why did I ever marry him a fickle, Jbrainless creature, who has sacrificed me through a contemptible dance ? 108 HUGGING TO MUSIC. t " I am beginning to hate him more than I ever loved him. I will never look upon his face again, and were he to fall on his knees before me I would not forgive him." Mr. and Mrs. Rodney now entered, chat- ting upon events of the morning. Finally the former took up the papers for a cursory perusal. " Hear us question England, ' Why don't you give^up the little kingdom which lias grown tired of your dictation, and wishes to rule herself ? Your stubbornness is un- paralleled.' 11 To be sure, we are a recently steeped-in- blood family, who coolly butchered each other for an identical principle secession ; but then Americans could have no such nonsense as that here, you know. When we, a Republic, would not permit a sister State to secede, what laughable inconsist- ency to expect the most powerful monarchy to release one of her children ! ' ' If the naturally quick, brilliant Irish labored in their own country one-tenth they are forced to in America, for the barest com- HUGGING TO MUSIC. 109 petency ; devoted their energies to opening gold-repaying industries, instead of being longer fooled into supporting absorbing so- cieties, they could restore beautiful Ireland, regain business patronage and respect, and command the admiration of the world. " When a class began to languish in indo- lence, complaint naturally followed against the landlord who dared expect any returns from his property, even sufficient to pay his taxes, and this, in many cases, after years and years of indulgent waiting. There are exceptions to all generalities, but in the main the landlords of Ireland, anterior to the assassination era, were the most lenient in the civilized world. Their very mistaken kindness in postponing the collection of their dues gradually taught inactivity to the peas- antry and dulled their ambition against laboring for anything beyond the merest subsistence, until their wildly simple lives became a pastoral of easy existence, as they provided for themselves only the plainest necessities and those which required the least possible exertion. It is when they for- 110 HUGGING TO sake their pastoral ease for the American continent, their eyes are opened." "Yes," smiled Mrs. Rodney, "as in the case of our cook's cousin. Some time after Pat's arrival his friends found him a very reasonable boarding place, and mentioned the price. In indignant astonishment Pat asked, 'An' would they be chargin' in Amerikay for a bed, an' the bit a man ates ? An' me workin' like a horse, as I niver worked in Ireland ? ' "Innocent Pat has found that everyone must pay his way in America, and labor here means more than lying on a velvety greensward, talking to the sparrows. " Pat may be more surprised to learn that if men, women or children are found beg- ging in our streets for a crust of bread, they are arrested and imprisoned ; still, our gov- ernment, to its shame be it said, supplies no labor for the suffering honest, whereby they may earn bare food and heat, even during our fearful winters. "State labor, which should be ever ready for emergencies to the willing workman, is HUGGING TO MUSIC. Ill by our government turned over to prison labor contractors, whereas criminals could be colonized on some of our immense tracts of vacant, beautiful country, and so given opportunity to recommence lives which here, in the midst of their evil association and temptation, are worthless. "Released from prisons to sin anew, then back to their familiar death- chains, working to swell the purse of speculator, and thus robbing honest labor of its unquestionable right. Yet we wish to be known as a ' supe- rior nation.' 11 The destitute who would gladly labor, in preference to accepting compulsory charity, sometimes fall senseless, from cold or hun- ger, before the red-tape of our charity com- missions respond to their dire need ; no more common sense or humanity being dis- played toward them than though they ap- pealed for blue collars or purple fans, instead of sustaining food and sufficient warmth wherewith to drive from themselves and loved ones the blackest of death's messen- gers. 112 HUGGING TO MUSIC. " Were j not for our big-hearted people of wealth, who so generously provide homes, private hospitals and constant personal re- lief, God help the suffering poor, for our laws of charity are rendered, by some who so indolently and others who so infamously execute them, totally inadequate to meet urgent immediate necessities. "By three days' notice, a heartless land- lord, for a few days' overdue rent, may drive forth tenants, men, women and children, actually dying of hunger and disease, and put them on the street, in any weather, which brotherly kindness is performed every day in New York. Yet no delinquent ten- ant is expected to relegate the landlord to that bourne from which no rent-gatherer returns ; and the landlords justify their acts by saying, 'It is the law that we may evict for non-payment of our dues after three days.'' "The Northern Pacific Railroad, a short time since, evicted, within one week, over four hundred settlers and their families, as the commissioners of the Land Office de- HUGGING TO MUSIC. 113 cided that the land belonged to i^ie railroad belt. The ejected, in many cases, were left without means of subsistence. So suddenly and cruelly were these evictions made, that the city authorities of Brainard, Minnesota, were compelled to telegraph for aid to pre- vent starvation, yet no one seized a shot- gun with which to ventilate the domes of the railroad agents. "The railroad officials say it is lawful to take possession of their own property, and that the building of railroads opens new countries, extends civilization, and benefits millions, not only in commercial advan- tages, but by furnishing employment to hundreds of thousands. ' ' But had such a case, with minor ones of daily occurrence, taken place under a monarchical government, the civilized world would have been startled with tales of cruelty unparalleled, and we would have been the first to call public meetings to protest against such legalized ' man's inhu- manity to man.' "Strange how r a cable announcement to 114 HUGGING TO MUSIC. us magnifies some legal transaction of an- other country into a diabolical horror at the very moment we are unconcernedly justify- ing its counterpart, or worse, at home. A number of Americans had grown to term- ing 'anarchy' 'struggles for liberty,' until we had a little taste of the 'struggle' at a base (bomb) ball .rehearsal, which draped seven homes in mourning and enlightened our benighted understanding to the fact that anarchists were not loving supporters of a free Republic, unless the ' freedom ' permitted them to murder those who dis- agreed with their superior (?) ideas, where- upon the assassinating 'pitchers' were taken by twelve catchers and legally transferred to the 'shortstop,' 'Law.' " This quelled the bloodthirsty for a short time, but they are hot planning matches again, and in this civilized land and metrop- olis held a public meeting in a hall to rejoice on the ninth anniversary of the assassina- tion of the Czar. They applauded his mur- derers and cracked jokes over his sudden HUGGING TO MUSIC. 115 taking off ; made speeches in commendation of those who had sworn, or would swear, to send the present ruler to join his father be- fore another twelvemonth ; enthused the desperadoes in the audience, until they howled with delight, and expressed their eagerness to sniff the blood of the proposed victim, or of anyone who thwarted their diabolical plans. " We have a law occasionally obsolete clearly defining public speeches 'which in- cite to riot and bloodshed ' as criminal. Yet a notice of this monstrous meeting stole into a reputable journal, thus defiantly in- forming the public of its illegal proceedings. " Did the counterpart of such a gathering, to publicly applaud the assassination of our dearly beloved President, ever occur in any European country ? "Do the law-abiding of monarchical gov- ernments love their official heads less than, as a nation, we loved, as we can never love again, Abraham Lincoln ? The tears of childhood still spring to our eyes when 116 HUGGING TO MUSIC. we recall the mournful tidings, flashed over the wires, which caused our parents to weep and tremble with anguish. "We shudderingly remember the fearful events of that trying time, and now, when we are enjoying the blessings of peace, we should fully appreciate the position of other peoples who are defending their very lives against formidable conspiracies. "Anarchy and rebellion to-day go hand- in-hand, and are composed principally of that class who believe in being supported, even to luxuries, by the labor of anyone save themselves, and are steadily advancing their dangerous sentiments, which teach that where one spends his early manhood in pro- viding a competency for his children, de- pendent age, or to advance the general good, he must instead, under penalty of death, share his means with sluggards, who prefer indolence and contributory support to labor and independence. "Could such insane doctrines be encour- aged, ambition would be wiped out of every human being at one fell swoop, and we HUGGIXG TO MUSIC. 117 would degenerate to the indolence of the beast in the field. Progress, ambition to reach the goal by our own exertions alone, is the task set us by an all-wise Being, which extends even to fitting ourselves for a higher sphere in the life beyond." "Speaking of the poverty of other coun- tries," said Mrs. Fenders, "I think, if we opened our eyes a tiny bit to our own vast destitution, we would be less like the dea- con's little daughter who prayed, ' and, O God, bless the starving woman, with a sick babe, who fainted in the street to-day ; I might have given her some of my savings, but brother says ' our home poor can go drown ! ' so immediately, dear God, I con- tributed all I could spare to the neglected of foreign countries. Amen." "By the way, dear," questioned Mrs. Rodney, " what did your stenographer write for the coachman, O'Flanagan, in answer to his friends who asked his advice about coming to America T "Here is a copy of the letter," responded Mr. Rodney. "I must read it to you. 118 HUGGING TO MUSIC. " If you have a little money to go into our west- ern country, buy Government land and become an American farmer, with all the industry which that implies, come ; there is room for millions. But if you have the same ideas which I, with all the other foolish, had, before our experience, that the crowded populace of large cities are waiting to welcome you with overrunning gold in one hand and positions of ease in the other, remain where you are in full possession of at least the latter, for outside of politics which business is bad just now, every seat being labeled 'taken' but one thing succeeds in America, and that is labor, mental and physical, untiring, unceasing labor ; where every honest man, whose father did not do the drudgery before him, is compelled to carry out the biblical injunction, 'Thou shalt earn thy bread by the sweat of thy brow,' and rest assured not a slice more will you get than you pay for." " Well," exclaimed Mrs. Rodney, "I did not think O'Flanagan could dictate such a sensible letter. If his friends here would fol- low his example, there would be fewer suf- ferers of his countrymen in our large cities, who left comfortable little homes, in the vain imagination that they were coming to America to pick up gold in the streets." u Ah '."said Mrs. Fenders, "O'Flanagan lias learned from experience, something we HUGGING TO MUSIC. 119 must all pass through before we know the meaning of addition and subtraction. As a nation of only one hundred years old we are remarkable, yet we must not forget that we began with the full-fledged experience of our European ancestors as models, and we are not such marvelous children that we can- not still learn valuable lessons from our mo- narchical parents. Certainly in recompense to our public servants we are leagues behind the gratitude of European governments. "We are still blushing over a contention of political factions who would rob the sol- dier of the little which is legally his. If the hades of war must come, who is entitled to greater consideration than the veteran sol- diers heroes of such martyr patriotism as the private who, when wounded, cried to the relief, ' Don't mind me to the battle ! God save our country ! ' and expired ? The stars and stripes, preserved at the cost of two million human lives, now shelters gray and blue alike. Shall we ever upon its quivering breast write 'Ingrate,' and watch the criminal stain tearfully dripping from 120 HUGGING TO MUSIC. its folds, with the echo of its sobs wafting back to our ears ' Patriot Ingratitude ' ? For- bid it, God of all peoples ! " " And forgive us as a family," devoutly responded Mrs. Rodney, "for that fratrici- dal* war ! May civilized nations know wars no more, basest relic of basest barbarism ! " Mr. Rodney had resumed his paper when he excitedly read: " The White Star, which has just arrived, brings news of a burned passenger steamer at sea, the wreck being without a soul to tell the tale." " Oh, if Tom should have been on that steamer ! " said Mrs. Tenders, white with fear. " Or if poor Victoria should have been there," sadly repeated Nell Rodney. "But if that precious Deluth could have been there," viciously added Mr. Rodney, "and perished in the flames, what a just retribution for him ! But such as he always live to return to the outstretched arms of loving friends." " I do not believe he will dare show him- self here again," said Mrs. Fenders. HCGGtKd TO MUSIC. 121 ' ' Why not ? " sneered Mr. Rodney. ' ' Such little eccentricities usually serve to make such a demon as Deluth quite a hero in so- ciety.'' "But," indignantly remarked Mrs. Rod- ney, "let his poor victim, Victoria, appear, though in the most appealing penitence, she would be scorned even in her sack- cloth and ashes." " That is true," sadly replied Eunice. " I never before appreciated the partiality shown man, and the injustice which is in- evitably visited upon woman. Even Mrs. Hayes deserves some consideration for her defiant conduct, after being publicly insulted by her husband." "Yes," observed Mrs. Rodney, "you know Sibyl Hayes was a very high-spirited woman, one whom her husband should have known could be led but not driven. "But poor cousin Vic, I can never recon- cile intentional wrong with her. A more conscientious, loving girl I never knew, and she idolized her husband as surely as he did her. I could never believe her guilty, were 122 HUGGING TO MUSIC. every circumstance against her. I feel if she lives she will yet be able to clear her- self. Oh, if she would only communicate with me ! Surely she ought to trust me, and send me some news." "No news is good news, Nell. I believe with you that Victoria Lennox is guiltless as a babe, and all will yet be satisfactorily cleared away. Heaven grant, for Vic's sake, it will not then be too late ! "And to think that all this misery came through the waltz, the ball-room; not as the ball-rooms were in the days of the grace- fully gliding minuet; not as they could be still in the interesting and equally graceful lancers, with other decent and beautiful measures; but as the modern ball-room is a hotbed for nurturing vice. "Hugging to music through the seduc- tive waltz ; hugging to music through the maddening galop ; hugging to music, intro- duced in nearly every dance now set down in the programmes of our most respectable society no one can calculate the number of desolated homes, the parted friends, the HUGGING TO MUSIC. 123 broken hearts, the ruined lives which have occurred through this fashionable, respect- ably-made depravity. "Your experience, Mrs. Fenders, and that of Cousin Tom's are but two of the hun- dreds of similar cases constantly occurring through this astounding practice. Certainly there is suffering enough by unsuitable mar- riages, and the inevitable miseries which come to us unsought, without courting such temptation. "Imagine a man deliberately looking at his mother, wife, sister, daughter or sweet- heart in the arms of another man, possibly a stranger, hugging around a ball-room ! " That such familiarity is tolerated in de- cent society is truly appalling." "But," questioned Mrs. Fenders, "how can it and its attendant troubles be reme- died ? " " I would avert a portion of this unneces- sary misery by the ounce of prevention -do- ing away with the waltz and all hugging dances of the modern ball-room. "Like all reforms, it would take a little HUGGING TO MUSIC. time, be sneered at, frowned down by those who cling to it ; but finally, a few respectable leaders would relegate the hugging waltz to the class with whom it originated. "Retain just as much enjoyment, and exalt self-respect by returning to the nota- bly beautiful, graceful dances of our great grandparents, and our present numerous and equally graceful, beautiful, undulat- ing measures." As Mr. Rodney arose to leave for his office, he said: "The first woman who erases from her programme and excludes from her enter- tainment hugging dances will be looked upon as the much -needed reformer of re- spectable society." CHAPTER XL THE BURIAL AT SEA. TOE JUNGLE was so nearly insane that the human kindness of the captain prompted him to separate the father from the remains of the child as speedily as pos- sible, and therefore forced him to issue an order for its burial at sea. It was with trepidation the second mate of the ship approached the Wayback with the decision. The officer was then surprised to hear the Wayback's reply: " Ye couldn't have buried that body from this ship yes'day. I would o' paid millions, an' killed ye, if nusussary, but ter-day I agree to it. We'll burry the body my leetle Hank used ter live in." And the desolate father burst forth in an agony of grief. A small saloon had been set apart for that most mournful scene, a burial service at sea. 126 HUGGING TO MUSIC. At any time such an event casts the deep- est gloom, but results of the terrible calam- ity to the steamer Cullard had penetrated every heart. A few friends made so by the late catas- trophe had been notified to assemble. The quiet which pervaded the room was truly a death stillness. On a table lay the body of little Hank, at which one man stared with the vacant gaze of the insane. Dr. Wadsworth, who was really too ill to conduct the service, and could scarcely speak, turned to those assembled, and with deep emotion said : " Dear hearers, before the beginning of the service our bereaved friend, Mr. Jungle, will address you. I thought better you should hear his experience and new resolves from his own lips ; and I trust that in this presence of death his words will find way to your hearts and there remain." Was that the Joe Jungle of .yesterday who then arose, with pale face and gentle mien, and spoke in a mysteriously quiet tonej HUGGING TO MUSIC. 12? " I have begged parding of the bravest men I ever see. I know God Almighty ig proud of 'em. An' now I have ter say, that yes'day I wuz a big fellar. " I thought money, that I've spent my whole life in gittin', was ever'thing. I thought I wuz big ez any God, knowed jess as much, or a great sight more ; but when I felt the cold face of my boy my boy an' his beautiful eyes couldn't see me, an' his sweet, innercent voice couldn't say ' Pop ' no more, then I knowed it was all up with Joe Jungle. I didn't 'mount to nothin'. " All uv a sudden thar' was a great empty, achiiv hole in my heart that nothin' would fill. All the geold mines of the world couldn't give me one minit's happiness. The consolation uv these kind people 'reound here*' and the Wayback's voice grew un- certain '"specially that English lord that I hated, who saved my boy's dead body at the risk of his own life, an' the Irish parson I hated tew, an' laffed at, who jumped inter the sea ter rescue that brave woman thar','' HUGGING TO MUSIC. as he pointed to Mrs. Lennox ; " they've said all they could, she tew, but 'tain't no good. This airth will never be the same ag'in ter me. ''I Cud myself thinkin' uv some other country that I've never been tew. I feel neow that the sooner I git ter the land whar' my leetle Hank's gone, the better it'll be fur me." "'Tain't no use puttin' on airs ag'in the God who put us here, no more'n ef we wuz leetle childurn tryin' to be \viser'n our par- rents. "All parrents love their childurn, so I've been thinkin' ef our great Father thinks a thousandth part o' me w T hat I thinked o' my Hank, I kin trust Him that my speerit'll pan eout all right. Ef he throws this ole carcass in the ground ter rot, He'll be sure ter give me a bran' new body ter enter heaven in. "My wife Jinnie used ter try to tell me that, and tried ter soften me, but, bless her heart, I couldn't be softened, not even by that angel of airth. She was so fine an' so HUGGIXG TO MUSIC. 129 like a lady, why when we wuz havin' shin- digs in camp she wouldn't waltz with any one but me, she wuz so soft an' fine in her idees ; not a bit like t'other women. But I couldn't 'perciate her. Wonder she ever looked at sich a' outlandish barbarian critter ez me, that nothin' would soften till leetle Hank " tenderly pointing to the remains "come along. 11 Then thai*' begun ter grow in my heart a suthin' I never knowed afore. I might be madder'n blue blazes, but let them leetle arms stretch out ter me, an' his leetle voice sound in my ears callin' ' Pop,' and I wuz a baby in a minit. I didn't b'long to myself no more, that child could take mo anywhar', an' that's how I feel sence he come ter me last night in my dream. " I could see him thar', an' I know God sent him ter console me. Thar' he stood, holdin' out his dear leetle arms an' sayin', ' Come up here, Pop ; this way, this way, Pop. Mam' an' me ez waitin' fur ye, Pop. Mam's never sick no more, an' thar' ain't 110 poor people what starves an' cries up here. 130 HUGGING TO MUSIC. Everybody's happy an' waitin' fur somebody tew, jess ez me an' mam' ez waitin' fur you.' ' And tears rained down the face of the Wayback as he continued : " I tell ye what, it jess 'beout broke me up. I tried to be hard, ez I'd allers been, but 'twouldn't work no mo', an' the fust thing I knowed I wuz cryin' like a child, an' askin God, for my boy's sake, ter save a place in heaven fur me, whar' I might one day get ter jine Jiiinie and Hank. "Then all at onct my bustiii' heart got light, an' a calmin' peace come ter me that I ain't knowed afore, sence I kneeled at my mother's knee an' prayed, ' Eour Father who art in heaven.' "I tell ye what, it's the most wonderful relief anyone kin git ; when ye lose ah 1 yer loved ones, an' hain't a friend on airth that kin ease the awful, achin' pain in yer heart, ter think ye kin go any whar', even in the dark, all alone, an" find a Friend right thar', waitin' ter tell ye jess what ter du ; light- ens all yer burdens, promises ye shall meet yer loved ones in the beautiful home He has HUGGING TO MUSIC. 13l perpared, an' tells ye 'thar'll never be no more partin' up thar'.' " I wish I could see all the inferdels that's spendin' thar lives tryin' ter shat- ter b'lief in eour great Father. I'd ask um when they pull deown the strong walls uv faith, what do they build um up with ? What do they give in 'xchange fur the distruction they make? Anything? Nothin'! "We begin ter think 'beout God when we Tarn by sufferin' an' sorrow that our joys the leetle we do git here is fleetin'. We jess think we've got happiness furever, an' like a child with a 1100 toy, we furgit any- thing's to come arter. " 'Long comes sickness " and the Way- back's voice sank to a tragic whisper "or a tumble castastrophe, an' death swoops deown on us without no warnin'. Whar' be we then ? Be we so mighty big ? Kin we change it ? Did we know it all, or have we got ter own up that thar's a' Almighty Be- in' sti'onger'n we be, whose ways we don't know nuthin" 'beout, no more'ii leetle chil- 132 HOGGING TO MUSIC. durn don't know what thar lovin' parrents intend fur em ? "I hain't give this 'ere thing but a leetle study, but I kin see it all neow that I never see afore. Yes'day I thought I knowed it all, knowed more'n to b'lieve in any God ; but ter-day I feel like a leetle, helpless child, toddlin' 'reound, dependent on my heavenly Father ter lead me; ter wipe away my tears; ter soothe my sufferin', bustin' heart; ter take me in His lovin' arms and quiet me ter sleep, jess as I used to my percious leetle Hank." And a flood of grief burst from the Wayback, which was shared by every listener. When he could command his voice he continued : " Ter shatter human bein's faith in the Beyond that they've stuck ter all their life, that's upheld um like a stronger Peower ; ter have that hope swept away all at onct, an' leave um alone on a desolate shore, with no thought of a sail ever heavin' in sight, ter take um home my God ! that's awful ! Ev'n ter me 'twould be, an I've on'y had this faith a few heours ; jess sence my boy was took. HUGGING TO MUSIC. 133 " Thar' ain't no comfort in inferdelity fur me neow. Inferdelity will never point out the way ter them leetle arms stretched eout ter me ; ter that leetle voice that I kin hear sayin', ' I'm waitin' here in heaven fur ye, Pop.' "No! Inferdelity runs away an' hides its keoward head when death walks in ; but it's then our loviu' Parrent above stands right by us ; an' I neow ask Him ter save a corner inside the railin' uv heaven, any- whar, so I kin git in an' ag'in find my leetle Hank." The Wayback's tearful voice trembled, and with bursting sobs he sat down. Mrs. Lennox, who had always shrunk from the dead, now tenderly drew aside the white pall, when all present tearfully looked a farewell at the sweet little face and then stepped back to make room for the father. The little figure was swathed in wrap- pings for its watery grave, and as the fa- ther slowly approached it his staring eyes seemed ready to leap from their sockets ; he pressed his lips until the blood started 134 HUGGING TO MUSIC. and his body shook with anguish. He looked steadily at the little face and then spoke. "It's hard ter lose ye, my percious boy; it's hard, but I'd rather you went fust than leave ye alone if I wuz took." He kissed the lips while his tears rained on the little face. "Good-by! Good-by, Hank!" he sobbed, until he was tenderly led away by Mrs. Lennox. Dr. Wadsworth then announced that, ow- ing to his very weak condition, he would be compelled to omit a portion of the service, and began the Episcopal burial ritual. " ' I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord, he that belie veth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live ' ' here the Way back interrupted with, " Oh, if leetle Hank lives neow, an' kin see me !" The rector proceeded to the passage : " 'We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can take nothing out. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away.' ' The Way back again burst forth : " Oh, if HUGGING TO MUSIC. 135 He had took all my money an' left ine Hank!" Dr. Wads worth proceeded to the lesson : " ' For some have not the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. But some will say, How are the dead raised up i and with what body do they come ? " 'Thou fool, that which thou so west is not quickened, except it die: and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat or of some other grain : but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him, and to every seed his own body. " ' There are also celestial bodies and bodies terrestial : but the glory of the celes- tial is one, and the glory of the terrestial is another. " ' There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars ; for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. " ' It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory : it is sown in weakness, it is raised 136 HUGGING TO MUSIC. in power : it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body.' ' "That's it!" broke in the Wayback. "What a fool I wuz not to see it all afore." Again the rector took up the passage : "'The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy : and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.' ' "Ah!" sighed Joe Jungle, "how plain that is, anybody kin see it all." Dr. Wadsworth proceeded to the verse : " ' We shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump : for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. " 'For this corruptible must put on incor- ruption, and this mortal must put on im- mortality. HUGGING TO MUSIC. 137 " 'So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. " ' death, where is thy sting ? grave, where is thy victory ? " ' Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.'" As the little form was being lowered to its watery grave the heartbroken father sprang to the side of the ship and cried : " Wait fur Pop in heaven, Hank ! Pop will come ! God ! take me to my boy ! " And the brawny Joe Jungle swooned like a woman, in the arms of the tearful rector. CHAPTER xn. THE PRODIGAL. sky was so beautifully blue that one -*- could imagine a dark cloud had never veiled its brightness, nor that misery could exist in the midst of such enchanting na- ture, which seemed to hold for its children only beauty and love. Eunice Fenders and Nell Rodney were engaged in a most spirited conversation over the perfidy of men generally, Eunice protesting she would "never forgive" her "husband's unpardonable crime," when a servant entered with mail for Mrs. Fen- ders. As the latter recognized the famil- iar handwriting of her husband, she grew faint, and begged her friend to read the letter. Mrs. Rodney glanced through the con- tents to assure herself it contained nothing HUGGING tO MUSIC. very serious. Then, placing her arm affec- tionately around her friend, she said : " Eunice, good news 'for you. Now, dear, do cease trembling, or I can never read it." " Read it ! read it !'" gasped Mrs. Fenders, impatiently. " Well, dear, do control your feelings ; you are so nervous,' 1 urged Mrs. Rodney, as she began the letter. "MY DARLING WIFE.'' Here came a stifled sob from Mrs. Fen- ders. "Although you deem me unworthy to even write you, yet I am not what you imagine. I have only this day learned that I am supposed to be traveling with Mrs. Hayes, whom I have never seen since I left her by her husband's side that eventful night in the ball-room. " I was a coward to insult Will Hayes, and a still greater villain tc have treated you, my loved one, with disrespect. "Mrs. Hayts, I am sure, only defied her hus- band through wounded pride, and regretted her impulsive act, A letter from brother Will in- form* me she is now with her husband. " I have been very ill ever since I left you, and have had ample opportunity to reflect over 140 HUGGING TO MUSIC. the misery which has been brought upon me through a foolish dance. " I fully agree with. Ned Rodney concerning the waltz. It is a physical as well as moral death to more persons than respectable society ever imagined. "My first sickness, and one which planted in me the seeds of disease, was brought about by a severe cold taken in the ball-room. "Barbarous treatment of one's self ! From a mind-intoxicating atmosphere and burning tem- perature to a chilly conservatory or an icy win- dow for a reviving breath. " How many times have I seen a slender girl, clad only in gauze, but bedecked with glittering jewels, shndder, as the same fatal chill passed through her delicate body. "Though very ill, I hope to reach home by the 26th of this month." Here Mrs. Fenders, who had controlled her feelings, burst into convulsive sohs, and forgetting all her wrongs, realized hut one thought her husband was ill, and she could not reach him. Suddenly she remembered this very day was the 26th, and as she looked again at the letter, she said to her friend : " Why, Nell, this letter came on the de- layed steamer. To-day is the 26th, and HUGGING TO MUSIC. 141 Tom, my husband, may be here at home perhaps dead ! " She rushed to her room, seized a wrap and hat, and springing through the hall, called to her friend Nell that she was "go- ing home." Aunt Sophronie walked slowly into the library, and, removing her gloves, sat down very quietly, with the remark: "Nell, poor Bess Darrow is dead." "Dead !" exclaimed Mrs. Eodney, "where did you hear that ? " "I have just returned from her intimate friend, Sylvia Hawley, who received the last letter written by Bess from Paris. She had given orders to the concierge to forward it after her death. It is a most pathetic story; she blames waltzing for her ruin, and begs all her friends to renounce it. ' They may not follow my mad act,' she says, 'but their pure hearts will be stained by the poisonous contact of that alluring, hugging dance.' "In the saddest manner she relates how she desired to return home to seek pardon; so, sought sympathy and advice from Mrs. 142 HUGGING TO MUSIC. Vaintone and others, who, instead of for- giving encouragement, sneered at the poor girl's misery, denounced her as an outcast, utterly unfit to touch their own virtuous garments. Heaven help such virtue as that which permeates the robes of females like Kate Vaintone ! Poor Bess Darrow never fell to the depth of that class, who, the poor girl writes, ' immediately made a hero of Walton, until that dastardly wretch, who had ruined and deserted her, was the most feted and sought after in the Ameri- can colony.' Will Darrow will he released from the asylum in a few days." " Poor Bess ! poor girl ! " said Mrs. Rod- ney, and burst into tears. " Ah," sighed Aunt Sophronie, sinking into one of her rhythmical inspirations " By that waltz to the grave Po r Bess died alone, At last finding pardon at Th' Eternal's great throne. ' ' Heaven welcomes the erring, Scorn there is unknown. Were her foes pure and sinless Who cast hardest stone ? HUGGING TO MUSIC. 143 "Refused her slightest pardon, While he all forgave, And they still hug such heroes, In that waltz to the grave." Roby and Ruby, looking the pictures of health and merriment, breathlessly en- tered. " Oh, mamma," said Roby, " the Avain ith gone and I ith goin' to hath a big pway to-day. Billy Withe ith comin and de ozer boys, and we ith goin' to hathdwiven horth, an' Sthock Esthange, an' libery 'table, an gwocewy thore, an eberting.'' "Are you, dear ?" replied his mother "I am sure you will have a lovely time, dar- ling." Roby, continuing his plans for the after- noon, asked : " Mamma, muthent cook gib me eberting I want in 'e kitchen ?" "An' me, too ?" pleaded his sister. " My darlings, what do you wish from the kitchen T "Well," replied her son, with the most in- terestingly problematic air, " I wis' a board, 144 HUGGING TO MUSIC. an' a hook, an' a an' a oh loth o' thingths to pway wiv. " " Yat," sided Ruby, by way of urging her brother's request, " an' an' cook won't giv' uth noffin, herthays, leth our mamma thays tho." " That is correct, my dear. I will tell nurse to get what you wish from the large chest. " "All wight!" screamed Roby, as he joy- fully ran out, exclaiming, "Youm the shtuff, mamma!" Aunt Sophronie smiled despite herself, while astonished Mrs. Rodney called back her son to explain where he had learned such language. "I jus' heard Walty tell hith mamma." "What did his -mother say to such a naughty expression ?" "Hers didn't say noffin," spoke up Ruby, always ready to defend her brother ; "her on'y raffed." " Only laughed ! " repeated Mrs. Rodney, thoroughly horrified. " You must not play with Walter again if he uses such words ; HUGGING TO MUSIC. 145 remember, never repeat anything like that again." "No, mamma," promised Roby, and away sped the twins to the lawn, while gallant Roby, thinking it his duty to compliment his mother on her late generous granting of his numerous requests, confided to Ruby: " Our mamma is juth bully, ithent her ?" Ruby, as usual, seconded her brother's re- mark. " Yeth, mamma ith alwayth bully.'' Happy mother ! Ignorance of your cher- ubs' compliments on this occasion is bliss indeed. "Where," remarked Mrs. Rodney, "do well-bred children manage to learn such fearful expressions ?" " Roby told you," answered Aunt So- phronie, "that he learned his from Walter Blakely. Walter is certainly ingenious in his complimentary remarks. On the day of his mothers second marriage she confided to him that she was going to marry Dr. Blakely. Walter clapped his hands in high glee, as he whispered, confidentially: 146 HUGGING TO MUSIC. " ' Bully for you, mamma ! Do the D woe- tor know it ? " Eunice Fenders forgot, like many another woman, that she had firmly resolved never to forgive her husband, even were he to appeal for pardon on a suppliant's hended knee. Is it always self-interest which makes a woman forgive where a man seeks revenge ? Or is it because her heart and soul are so far above him in all nobility of character 2 However, she does it seventy times seven, and is then appreciated as "good nurse." The unforgiving (?) wife, Mrs. Fenders, scarcely let her feet touch the pavement, so swiftly did she fly, until she reached her handsome house, where she found only her servants. She glanced in the parlor, she looked in the library, and finally descended to her own room. There she peered into closets, and gazed from windows, but everything seemed to echo " Broken vows ! " " Bleeding hearts!' 1 HUGGING TO MUSIC. " Blighted lives !" The hollow silence unnerved her, and as she raised her hands to shut out the vision- ary remembrance, she fell in a chair, brood- ing over the unhappy past. In her bewilderment she was unconscious that a carriage stopped ; nor did she hear the butler open the door ; but starting sud- denly down stairs, she saw two attendants carrying in Mr. Fenders. "My wife! my wife!" broke from the feeble man's lips as he descried Eunice hur- riedly approaching him. She fell on her knees by his side, weeping: " Tom ! Tom ! my own loved husband.' The prodigal looked into the lustrous eyes of his forgiving wife, while tears fell on his pale cheeks. ' ' Darling, I am unworthy ; but your for- giveness will lead us to brighter, happier days." He clasped her to his heart, and inwardly breathed : " Thank Heaven ! I live to see my wife and home once more !" 148 HUGGING TO MUSIC. Mr. Fenders greeted Mrs. Rodney and Aunt Sophronie who had been speedily summoned with repentance, gratitude and tears, until the four friends formed a most rapturously happy weeping quartet, really pleasing to contemplate. Mrs. Eodney and Aunt Sophronie then left to look in on other friends who might be sinking in a quicksand of misery, but, with Spartan courage, would not show it. Aunt Sophronie ran back and peeped in, where she found the husband and wife coo- ing as though a cloud had never risen to mar their sunshine. " Eunice, I forgot to advise you that though the profligate I mean the prodigal, its all the same has returned, not to be fooled into killing any fatted veal, but to feed him on hard tack for awhile. How- ever, I need not have taken the trouble, for I see you are serving up the calf already. Good by " And away she sped. CHAPTER XIII. LONDON. ~T~T was a charming suburban villa of Lon- don, suiTOunde'd by a frosty landscape. Diamond-fringed icicles bordered the artis- tic roof-top and glittered in the dying sun- set ; while from within a soft light shed its thousand iridescent hues through exquisite conceptions of stained glass. Xo wonder the passer-by paused to gaze in admiration at the loveliness of the scene. A beautiful home, we are wont to feel, is the abode of happiness ; not so here. No joy pervaded this luxurious mansion. The perfume of rare exotics only breathed of a blasted life, which moaning sorrow pitifully echoed against the bars of despairing hope. Victoria Lennox awoke from her sad rev- erie and touched a bell on the table by her side. Henri, the French footman, re- sponded. 150 HUGGING TO MUSIC. " Henri, did you deliver the note to Dr. Wadsworth which you took to the rectory ? " "No, madame," replied Henri; "I left ze note, as madame tell me, ( eef Dr. Wads- worth, be he out.' He was ze out, so I leave ze lettaire." "That will do," said Mrs. Lennox, and Henri bowed and withdrew. "And now," sighed Victoria, "he know r s all my guilt no, not guilt, my madness, and all my suffering for the past year. lie who risked his valuable life to save mine, a worthless one. He who now begs me to become his wife. Oh, I did not mean to inspire such a feeling. I did not think it possible." A ring at the door, which was quickly opened, admitted Charles Deluth, who with- out further ceremony, as usual, entered the drawing-room. . Victoria's eyes were fixed on vacancy, but as Deluth's lips touched her head she re- coiled. "Ah, my angel, "said he, "dreaming again ?" HUGGING TO MUSIC. 151 "A fearful dream," responded Mrs. Len- nox, "from which I never waken." "Then I wouldn't dream/' heartlessly an- swered Deluth, "You know Shakespeare said : ' Things without remedy should be without regard ; what's done is done. ' ' "But why, why," exclaimed Victoria, "when I strove to return, knowing that I was guiltless of one wrong thought, did you prevent me, until, through my insane feel- ings of degradation which you pictured, you carried your plans to drag my name be- yond the pale of recognition ? You coward, fiend ! " "Well,"' replied Deluth, as he threw him- self into an easy chair with a cigar, "you wouldn't have me admit my failure, and be laughed at as an idiot ( I offered to marry you when Jack Lennox could get his di- vorce, but, by George, if you didn't majes- tically refuse my name." "Accept your name ! " loathingly repeated Victoria; "accept anything from you, the author of all my misery ! " Deluth linked his hands across his knees, 152 HUGGING TO MUSIC. and between the puffs of his cigar slowly answered : "But one thing, my dear, is the matter with you. You're too awfully chuck full of sentiment : that's what made you so gulli- ble. Superior woman in most ways, but a perfect weeping willow of sentiment. Thank heaven, I never inherited a leaf of it. I admit I deceived you, purposely deceived you, for after I once held you in my arms in the maddening waltz, I would have sold out to the very devil himself, as I would do still, to possess you. "I knew you avoided me, shrank from me, loathed me, as you still do, and I re- solved to take every advantage of that last waltz to conquer you. So far, you have vanquished me. My dear, you have not the intellectual appreciation I gave you credit for. I have been thinking all this time that you would eventually love me, if only in admiration of the diplomatic skill I evinced in winning you for that last hug- ging waltz. Now, instead of blaming me, you should praise me for such a coup d'etat, HUGGING TO MUSIC. 153 and smile over the ripple you caused on the placid sea of society. When I think of the final storm we raised, I have to laugh. Ha ! ha! ha! "By the way, I received an invitation in this morning's mail, through cousin Floo, for the Roseveer reception, on the 20th of next month. By Jove ! I've half a mind to go." "You would not dare," interrupted Vic- toria, "go so near my husband/' "Why not?" coolly demanded Deluth. "Your husband has forgotten you, long before this ; probably has another wife quite as charming as his formerly idolized Vic- toria. "As to social status: when a woman, guilty or innocent, advertises her foolish- ness as you, unfortunately, were persuaded by me to do, her value is henceforth worth- less ; she will not even be accepted as a penitent, for fear comparisons might be made between the robes of compassion and the sackcloth and ashes garment. "But with a man, little escapades of this 154 HUGGING TO MUSIC. kind serve only to enhance his worth, and send up his stock to the highest premium. Beside, you are no common person, whose association could degrade a fellow. I am really very proud of you, wherever I go people say such nice things of my friend, 'the charming widow.' Ah ! if you would only be my friend, deign to look upon me with kindness, since affection for me is im- possi " Charles Deluth," interrupted Victoria, " I will appeal to you once more. Will you write a truthful letter to my husband, stat- ing my innocence, even under the cloud of guilt which you purposely spread around me ? I do not care for myself ; to ever rreet him again were now hopeless, but I would ease his suffering, the depth of which I too well know." " Had you treated me with kindness, even friendliness," replied Deluth, "I would have sworn to your innocence and echoed your goodness to the world, though you had sunk to- blackest guilt ; but after your insolent treatment of me, to confess myself fooled, HUGGING TO MUSIC. 155 beaten, an idiot never ! And I am not con sidered such a monster. You were supposed to know the artifices of worldly men you were married." "And is marriage," flashed Victoria, "a door opening into the school-room of vice, which a woman enters to be instructed by a profligate in the perfidy of his own sex 2 Such a type of creature was not my hus- band!" "No?" interrogatively sneered Deluth. "You think him the goody-goody type, like your sleek rector, who is always dancing at- tendance upon you. First thing you did on the steamer was to attract the attention of that young clergyman. This is the secret of all your contemptuous conduct toward me, together with falling upon your knees in a church the moment you reached London." "Those who conscientiously keep the halo of their church around them," sadly re- plied Mrs. Lennox, "will never go astray. My folly was sufficient for a lifetime of re- pentance. In my madness, through your counsel, fleeing like a guilty thing from the 156 HUGGING TO MUSIC. arms of a great man and loving husband to the society of a self -boasted libertine ! Oh ! what a leap, from heights of such perfection to such depths of degradation ! " " Too bad," sneered Deluth, " and all be- cause of your weakness in granting me that last waltz "Do not remind me of that again," cried Victoria, "for I can still feel the encircling of your slimy arms, still feel your treacher- ous, beating heart, still feel your hot breath poisoning your prey, even as the reptile its helpless victim." " By Jove ! " exclaimed Deluth. " If soci- ety could hear you describe the horrible effect of its enchanting waltz, fresh laurels to some of us would be difficult. The harvest it now yields would grow beautifully less. But, my dear, console yourself, you are not the first innocent victim of the intoxicating waltz, and will not be the last ; many more will follow, but the fashionable world will never admit that lives are ruined through their cherished hugging dances." Deluth had finished his cigar, and sat gaz- HUGGING TO MUSIC. 15? ing at Victoria, now in hate, anon in admira- tion. At length he approached her. "You asked me to write a letter to your husband, so that he might come here and cany you from my sight ; when even to look at you occasionally is something, to me. I could write that letter, I would " and Vic- toria listened eagerly for him to finish; "I would," repeated he, "if you would but be a little kind to me, and so, perhaps, assist a good action. You could compel me to this, anything, for what was at first an unworthy passion for you has grown into a depth of love I have never known. Ah, listen,'' and he attempted to take her hand. U 0h!" gasped Victoria, as she shrank from his touch. The gleam of the devil shone in Deluth's eyes as he exclaimed, "Pah ! Al \vays your provoking sentiment. Remember, that which fascinates men of the world like me, pales on them very shortly. If you would not have me hate you, draw forth a poni- ard, nourish a revolver, become a very devil, but spare me sentiment." 158 HUGGING TO MUSIC. Victoria gave one haughty look, and touched the bell on the table. " Henri, are the horses at the door ? " " Oui, madame," ans-.vered Henri. " When the ladies of our church choir ar- rive, show them to the music-room, and say to them I wish to be excused to-day, but I in- sist that the}" continue their practice." And Victoria swept from the drawing-room with- out deigning a glance of adieu to Deluth. " Spirit, plenty of spirit. She is the very devil to bend, but I shall bend her finally. I was never yet beaten in my race for a woman. Death is the only thing which could make me give her up now. Ha ! ha ! Victoria; having waited so long, I can wait longer." He looked at his watch. "Still an hour before dressing for dinner. I will improve a portion of it listening to the ladies of the choir. Wonder if they've any pretty women among them ?" As he thought of going to tho music-room in advance of the ladies' arrival, he heard the voice of Joe Jungle speaking to Henri. ''Ah,'' thought Deluth, "I will talk to the Wayback." CHAPTER XIV. THE NEW JOE JUNGLE. ONE ridin' ? Wall, I'll jess wait till she comes back, ef she ain't gone more'n a' heour. 0, Meester D'luth, how dii yeou du ?" as he shook hands with Deluth. " I ain't seen you afore in quite a while. What business be ye in neow ? " And Joe Jungle sat down, quite at home. Deluth, amazed that anyone should not see that he was far above a profession or business of any sort, haughtily replied: "I am not building churches, at all events." "No, I guess not, that ain't in your line; nur writin' Bibles, uther." " I leave such occupations for fools, who haven't brains for anything sensible," quickly answered Deluth. " Oh, what, may I ask, do your sensible folksdu?" 1GO HUGGING TO MUSIC. "Well, they manage to get along without any of your foolery, believing in a future life and a God, sailing around somewhere, in- stead of relying on themselves. As though any being could exist greater than mortal man." And Deiuth assumed an attitude be- fitting an emperor of the universe. "Guess you must know Wongersol, of York. He's 'nuther big 'mortal man.' Las' time I heerd him he wuz makin' hun- durds uv people laff 'beout the Almighty. I couldn't help thinkin' Dan Rice, the circus clown, wuz nowhar' in comparison. Me an' my friends laff ed tew.- with t'other ones. I didn't know no better then, that's why I wuz thar'. I wuz goin' whar' thar' wuz any fun on hand, an' I usually managed in sich places as that ter strike a class that wuz 'beout ez ignurant ez I wuz, exceptin' some- times some people got in thar' by mistake. One night I see a man an' woman at the box office arter their money, said they didn't buy a ticket for a ' burlesque Artemus Ward performance. ' The inf erdel actor sums him- self up in 'beout these words : ' I deon't HUGGING TO MUSIC. 161 b'lieve nuthin' I ken't see, hear er grab onto. Thar' ain't no God, else He'd taken me Wongersol inter His confidence, told me all He'd ever done, an' ever intended doin', then I might o' told Him how to run things different.' "Ef some people hadn't 1'arned suthin', an' others got 'shamed goin ter hear him, the biggest inferdel egotist this world has ever produced would have ordered a' Eiffel Tower ladder, an' by this time been up in the cleouds, play actin' the Almighty hisself , an' advertisin' : ' Special performance ! A dollar a head.' ' Deluth was interested ; he thought, "This Wayback is a queer genius; I'll lead him on." ''Well, what do you think of the Bible racket ? " " What do ye mean by the Bible racket ? " repeated Joe Jungle. "Why, the nonconformity of its writers, the mistakes or lies of the history." " Wall, that makes me think uv a mine I had; it wuz named Joe Jungle, arter myself. I wanted it writ up in the papers, so I en- 162 - HUGGfNG TO MUSIC. gaged four newspaper men ter du it. They wuz from York, Chicago, St. Louis an' 'Frisco. They took a hasty look at the mine, and pitched in ; but some of um got East fur West, an' North fur South; some said it 'was gravel bed' whar' 'twas rock ; 'nother said 'it was red sand,' an 1 'nother said "twas all three.' Anyhow, each feller writ his description ez he understood it, an' some of um interduced a lot o' poet idees, jess like the al'gories uv the Bible, but it wuz writ good, an' I knowed it, an' I sold the mine fur sever'l million. " Then the paper men come fur their pay rs agreed on; I thought I'd have a little fun with um, an' sez I, ' But none o' you fellers described that mine alike, every one o' ye made meestakes,' an' I told whar'. Then they all runned down ter the mine ag'in, an' looked. Everyone on um admitted he wuz wrong in Jocatin' an' lots o' details got it kinder twisted reound, but one on um says, says he, ' Wall, neow, look o' here, Meester Jungle, gittin' the location a leetle wrong, er sayin' gravel fur rock, or flingin' in poet HUGGING TO MUSIC. ^ 1G3 pictur's, didn't hurt it, nur your chances; you sold the mine jess the same, an' ye know we all foul" writ it jess as we under^ stood it, and in the main we was right, wa'n't we ? ' ' Yes,' says I, ' an' by that I sold the mine, an' I didn't cheat nobody; it wuz wo'th every dollar I got fur it. Here's yer money, boys, an' a hundurd to boot; ye writ it good, fust rate, an' yer meestakes wa'n't nothin', fur ye all agreed in the main. Ef ye du everything as well an' honest in life, ye'll pan eout all right.' " Neow, so it wuz with the Bible writers : some uv um writ kind o' al'gories, that's the poetry writin' way some uv them paper men writ 'beout my mine. It's more natu- ral to some ter writ in the soarin' poetry kind, an' some others ken writ better'n the plain, hard-pan talk ; they're jess ez good, one as t'other, fur different people. Then agin, ye know, lots o' things have got changed in translatin', made the meanin' of some words very different from what they wuz just writ er intended ; but the inf erdels needn't be 'larmed their bible'll ever 164 HUGGING TO MUSIC. suffer by translating fur 'nuif uv it won't never live to meet with any sich flatterin' accident. " The poet writers make me think of peo- ple who must have fleowers on their eat- in' tables, ter give um a' appetite ; others ag'iii couldn't eat if thar' wuz a fleower 'round, less it wuz in the shape of boiled cabbage, an' had corned pork vines trailin' 'reound it. "I wuz almc-st ez bad ez that myself onct," and the Wayback heaved a sigh. "I'm deeferent neow. Don't kneow how it is, but I'm deeferent in every way since little Hank wuz took. Why, ter think uv Jos Jungle lookin' at fleowers ; didn't kneow one from t'other, an' neow I ken sit and talk ter the beautiful leetle blossoms our heavenly Father grows in this world fur the pleasure uv His childurn. "Who can look at .a leetle fleower, an' not thank the loving friend, the Great Artist, who paints um for us an' sends um to blossom right at eour feet ? " Tell ye what, it's on'y great heroes, er HUGGING TO MUSIC. 105 kings an queens, er weddin' pairs, who git fleowers strewed in their path. V\'e cculd never show such delicate thoughtfulness to eour children, even to the greatest favorite ; an' here God sends um to His sons and daughters, good air bad, all alike," as he looked at Deluth, " tew you tew r the wo'st in the world ken find a beautiful fleower at his feet, breathin' a message of love from its Maker. " I don't see how sich a' ignurant creetur' as a' inferdel lives in this beautiful world. It don't take no 1'arnin', an' but leetle under- standiif to see that there is a great Creator, who rules the mighty universe an' arranges ever'thing. Why, we need on'y look in the sky, at the sun, moon, an' stars, which the greatest scientists hev never reached, nur Wongersol hez ever jerked deown ; then come ter airth, an' examine a leetle butter- cup growing in a pasture ; one's jess as big a mystery as t'other ; we've never feound eout what either one was made from, an' have never seen the w r onderful Manufact- urer. Yet Wongersol'll tell ye thar' ain't no 166 HUGGING TO MUSIC. Being greater than mortal man, an' expects ye to blieve him, while he tells ye a good joke to make ye swaller it quick, without thinkin'. "Ef a man or woman 1'arns suthin' right well, they allers know they've got ter give a hull lifetime ter that one thing, whether its farmin', minin', manufacturing skeowl- teachin', paintin', er politics. "Jess think how leetle 'tis we ken du ; then compare our leetle imitation 'complish- ments with the Bein' who superintends all the machinery uv this great airth; who looks arter all the billions uv gardens, sends sun an' rain ter make the billions uv food stuff an" the beautiful things ter grow, fur our nus- cussities, an' happiness; feeds the billions uv fish in the sea, the billions uv cattle on the land, the billions uv birds in the sky, the bil- lions uv beasts uv the forest, the billions uv human bein's, His children, an' all conducted like the tickin' uv a clock, er a perfect reg'- lated household. "Then ter think a person ever lived who was so sick'nin' vain foolish as ter com par' HUGGING TO MUSIC. 167 his leetle minikin imitations to that uv our Creator. Why, they don't desarve ter live an' be rec'nized by thar brothers an' sis- ters, on'y that our heavenly Father don't make no deestinction, an' tells us ter 'love one 'nother.' Why, the biggest thing we ever done is on'y imitations of the Great Teacher. " Awhile ago, I wanted ter buy a fine Turner pictur' fur Mrs. Lennox's birthday, prusunt, but 'twas sold. The pictur' man told me he'd git me ' a copy painted fur twentieth the price, but uv course the name uv the great artist wouldn't be on it, as 'twould be on'y a copy.' So I told him I didn't want no copies. Then he said, 'Uv course the 'riginal would allers demand a big sum uv money, cuz the name of the artist would live furever.' "Last week I went tew a' artist show, an' ever'body was strainin' thur necks ter see some pansies that the artist Dupray painted. I ricollicted I hed some pansies in a paper fur Mrs. Lennox, so I jess slid um right up near the kenviss an' looked. The imitation 168 HUGGING TO MUSIC. wuz mighty good, but it fell short when compar'd to the iiateral fleower. "The next day I noticed all the papers I read spoke uv the great artist, said he wuz the 'greatest fleower painter ever lived.' The pictur' wuz sold fur big money; but no- body thought that, arter all, 'twa'n't o'ny a copy uv the pansies he had afore him to paint from. No one, not even the fleower painter, thinked of the wonderful Artist Teacher, who sent him all the beautiful colors ter use his heavenly Father who made the peal, 'riginal, nateral pansies grow." Deluth wished to hear the Wayback fur- ther, but Joe Jungle subsided into a deep, thoughtful mocd, to arouse him from which Deluth propounded another question, one which at that moment seemed to weigh upon him. "Mr Jungle, do you think a loving God would permit his children to suffer, as they do in this world, mentally and physically ? " Joe Jungle looked up quickly. " Would we 'predate health ef we were never sick; light, ef not darkness ; happiness, ef not sad- HUGGING TO MUSIC. 169 ness ; an' so on ? I guess God knows what He's 'beout. "Makes me think of a docter and his lit- tle son, that came to camp a few year sence. The boy in playin' Teound machinery got his leg mashed flat, so the father had ter cut it off ter save the boy's life. I tell ye it made the men feel queer ter hear that lit- tle feller beg his father not ter cut his leg off. ' Oh, father, ' he cried, ' I'd rother die than have my leg cut off ! Don't do it, I'd rother die.' I could never furgit that docter, ez he stood by his boy, with white face an' streamin' eyes, an' r says he, 'My son, I want ter save yer life; it will hurt, my boy, but 'twill save yer life, an' ye'll be dearer ter me than ye ever was afore. Let me save yer life, an' then I can take ye home. My per- cious boy, trust yer father that he'll see ye through all right.' There wa'n't no chloro- fo'm, ethur, or nuthin' the docter could get in time, so the little boy had ter submit, an' he done it like a sojier. " The great drops of sweat runned off his pale for'head like rain, while his father cut 170 . HUGGING TO MtfSlC. inter his flesh, an' sawed through his bones, but he stood it without a cry. The leg wuz burried in the greound an' left ter rot ; 'twa'ii't no good ter the boy no mor'n our bodies be when we put um in the greound fur a spiritual body in heaven. "In a few months, when the boy got well, he put his arms 'reound his father's neck, an' said, ' Father, I'm glad you cut my leg off, an' didn't let me die ; you knowed best, an' neow you're goin' ter take me home.' "His father pressed him to his heart, an' said, ' Yes, my brave boy, we are now goin' home.' That's the kind uv faith we need in eour Creator free from all inferdelety, from all distrust. Jess obey Him like obedi- ent children, an' leave all the rest to eour heavenly, lovin' Parrent, who'll see that we pan eout all right." "Don't you think," said Deluth, as he admiringly stroked his silken mustache, "it is too bad to destroy a beautiful body by putting it in the ground to decay ? Why could we not as well be translated, body and soul, as Elijah was ?" HUGGING TO MUSIC. 171 " Xeow, that makes me think," replied the Wayback, "uv the figur Mrs. Lennox made uv my leetle Hank. I see it fust in clay, an' yusterday I see it ag'in in bronze. I told her that I'd pay fur the clay 'riginal, as I wanted ter perserve it tew ; but she told me a' artist never kept the clay model, 'twa'n't good fur nothin' when the mould was made from it, 'cause the clay all fell ter pieces gittin' the noo figur'. " Thar' ag'in, I thought, that's like my leetle Hank's body, left in the sea; "twa'n't no good ter th' Almighty when he got through with it, 'cause He give him 'nother body. "I'm 1'arnin' suthin' ever' day, an' lookin' back, I wonder I couldn't see it afore; but then I wuz so ignurant. But what 'ston- ishes me is that people who have a chance uv seein' an' thinkin' sh'u'd ever git so con- ceited ez ter say they know it all, an' ruther than give up their 'tarnel vanity, an' own they don't know nuthin', they'll try ter make b'lieve thar' ain't no God. I pity sich pur- sens, 'cause that wuz the way with me. 172 HUGGING TO MUSIC. " I'm jess goin' to build a temple fur sick poor heathen, an' exhibit specimens of God's beautiful works; an' chuck in plenty of books of 1'arnin' fur the inferdels, an' give 'em a life ticket to come an' practice in a big laboratory, er eny other department, an' I'll give eny man er woman a million dollars who thinks thar' ain't any Being greater than they be, who'll tell me uv any manu- facturer who kin make a grain o' seed from which a tree will greow, er restore life to even a leetle dead bird. Guess they'll find that God give Himself a patent on all His works, an' the most He's ever 'lowed mor- tal man ter du is ter make a copy uv some uv um." CHAPTER XV. JOE JUNGLE ADOPTS A DAUGHTER. "T^vELUTH'S time was up, and being en- gaged to dine out, he departed for his hotel to dress. As Victoria had not returned from her drive, Joe Jungle decided to keep an ap- pointment with a mining camp friend and then return to the Lennox mansion. No sooner had he gone than Rev. Dr. Wadsworth appeared at the door, with beaming countenance, and nervously rang the bell. "Ah," thought the happy rector, "if it is heaven's will that I gain this blighted flower, I will transplant it to a garden of sunshine which shall never know shadow while I live. It seems but yesterday that I rescued her from ocean's grave. She re- ceived my letter, telling her all my hopes, and she has not forbidden me to come for 174: HUGGING TO MUSIC. her answer. It must be all my heart's de- sire ; moments are years until I call her mine." So wrapped in visions of happiness was the rector he did not observe that Henri, the footman, stood quietly holding open the door, and with the faintest suspicion of a concealed smile on his usually precise coun- tenance. Dr. Wadsworth, still in dreamland, took no notice of Henri, but sprang to the draw- ing-room. Henri's smile widened consider- ably, as he respectfully followed and waited until the rector had returned to earth suffi- ciently to ask for Mrs. Lennox. When in- formed she was not at home the rector grew ghastly pale. Henri, who understood the situation, thought he would depart from his usual course, and volunteered the infor- mation : " Monsieur le Pasteur, madame send to the rectore one lettaire to-day. I take him about four hours' time." ''You took a letter to the rectory four hours ago ?" questioned Dr. Wadsworth. HUGGING TO MUSIC. 175 " Oui, Monsieur le Pasteur," replied Henri. This did not comfort Dr. Wadsworth, but he hastily remarked : *'I left home about that time to officiate at the wedding of a parishioner living some distance in the country. I came direct from there here. Say to your mistress that is why I did not receive her letter." And away he darted, in the same wild manner he had entered, still hoping to receive welcome news through the little missive. Henri's situation in the household of Mrs. Lennox suited him too well to wish a change; he was therefore more pryingly watchful than servants generally are if that were possible of all which trans- pired within the Lennox domain. He now soliloquized. "Monsieur le Pasteur very nice, but he craze to teenk madame evair maree he. I see ze lettaire he send to she. Oh ! so mooch ze loav eet make my heart go zhumps way up. He nice, but I no like to go to ze rectore to leev, an' I no like to leaf ma- 176 HUGGING TO MUSIC. dame. But she no maree, I seenk she haf mooch trouble here," and he touched his hand to his heart, just as a ring at the door vibrated upon his sensitive ear. No sooner did Victoria learn that the rec- tor had called than she hastily questioned Henri, " Did Dr. Wadsvvorth leave any mes- sage ?" " Oui, madame. Monsieur le Pasteur, he say he leaf ze rectqre four hours' time to offecate at one of hes parish who die no, who maree " all same thought Henri, as he gave his shoulders a suggestive shrug ; ' ' zat ees why he no get ze lettaire madame send me to he." Mrs. Lennox gave a sigh of relief at not having seen the rector ; and had just dined when Mr. Jungle was announced. While the would-be groom sat in the drawing-room waiting the appearance of Mrs. Lennox, he mused: "I deon't know heow I'm goin' ter start in; wonder ef she see that I've been courtin' of her fur some time neow ? I ain't got but little edication but then she's got 'miff fur both on us; she HUGGING TO MUSIC. 177 deon't go much on money, but I've got slathers uv it, an' money talks neow'days, ez well in crowned-head deestricks ez in the United States of Amerikay, whar' b'ilin' soap hez sent many a man ter Congriss ; en eout here barrels o' money bottlin' steout hez made lords uv the bottlers. That shows progriss that's right ez long ez a man does some good with his dollars, instid uv devotin' his last breath to ceountin' an' huggin' um like a miser. In that way he deon't du no good, nur enjoy life. " The youngsters at scheool that eat thar kendy an' oranges without dividin' with th' others, got ever bit uv th' oranges an' ken- dy, sure 'nuff, right inter thar own leetle stomachs, but it didn't do um much good, fur they didn't smile an' look happy like the boys and gurrls who devided all 'reound. "Wall, I don't kneow how tew start in. The parson, uv course, would du the tyiii' uv the knot, right shinin', all dressed up in his geown an' best bib an' tucker. I'll kind o' git 'reound it, talkin' 'beout the par- son an' ." 178 HUGGING TO MUSIC. His meditation was checked by the en- trance of Mrs. Lennox, whom he welcomed most effusively, after which he gradually worked up to the desired point. "Mrs. Lennix, ye kneow you an' me an' the parson hez been 'quainted some time neow, an' we understan' one 'nuther purty well, I reckon. Neow, the rector is varry fond uv you, an' he'd only be tew happy to du it up breown." Misconstruing his meaning, Victoria was alarmed, thinking the rector had confided to others, and decided to hush up the mat- ter quickly. Joe Jungle, however, inter- rupted her thoughts. "The parson's been lookin' kind o' shy at me ever' time he feound me 'reound here lately ; so I jess concluded I'd speak tew you 'fore he asked you 'beout it." "0 dear! Mr. Jungle, I did not imag- ine the rector had made a confidant of any- one. I beg that you will silence the breath of any such rumor, as I now tell you confi- dentially, I have declined the hand of Dr, Wads worth." HUGGING TO MUSIC. 179 " No ! " gasped Joe Jungle, as he sud- denly realized that if Mrs. Lennox would not accept the rector, there certainly was not the ghost of a chance for an inferior. " Yes," continued Victoria, " I feel deep- ly that I should be placed in a position to refuse so small a favor as the bestowal of my hand to that brave man who saved my life at the risk of his own valuable exist- ence. I would give that life now to spare him pain. I so regret he should have had a feeling of affection for me, as that circum- stance renders it impossible to continue our friendship. I must never meet him again. I loved but one man, him I married. I shall never love another, or marry again/' No one who heard the sad but decisive tones of Victoria could doubt for one mo- ment that it were impossible to change her views. Joe Jungle drew a long breath, as he almost thought aloud : "So it's the parson; I kinder thought I smelt a mice when he wuz 'reound, but 'twas his own love-makin' he looked shy 'beout. Glad I went sleow. Come mighty near 180 HUGGING TO MUSIC. puttin' my foot in it. 'Twould o' hurt her feelin's ter refuse me tew, an" then she'd never see me no more neither, jess ez she wont the parson. I couldn't b'ar that. Without knowin' it, she's wound herself reound my heart strings so tight, they'll never come off without cuttin' eout the heart. I'll have ter fix it some way." "Wall, Mrs. Lennix, I'm awful sorry 'beout the parson, an' 'taint no good ter ad- vise anyone who feels like you do. But I've been thin kin' strong, uv late, that you need a pertector, someone that's got the right "-Victoria threw up her hands in alarm "yes, a pertector. Neow, sence you've refused the parson, I'm goin' ter per- pose ter you " Oh ! " gasped Victoria, " I beg you will not compel me to refuse "Ter be my dawter?" interrupted Joe Jungle, laughing. Victoria's face changed into a beaming smile, while she replied: " Oh, what a bur- den you have taken off my heart ! I began to think you meant something serious, HUGGING TO MUSIC. 181 and I should be compelled to renounce your friendship also." "An' ter be my dawter ye won't never have ter du that. Ye see, I've got tew much money, an' I want a T*/lfe I mean, a dawter ter sit right deowa an' direct me what ter clu with it." ''Do you believe," smilingly responded Victoria, "in a woman as business director?" " Wall I should remark. Most on um kin see further with their eyes shut than the sharpest men kin with both eyes open. Why, ef it hadn't been fur my wife Jin- nie, I'd sold the Jungle mine fur nothin'; but Jinnie kept sayin', ' Neow, Joe, thar's suthin' in that mine, I know ; en' ef ye won't keep it fur yerself, keep it fur me.' " A year arter, I sold it fur nine mill- ion, the same mine Jinnie made me keep when I was achin' ter trade it fur a jack- knife an' a hobby-horse. ''A real bright woman's got a way uv seein' right through suthin' she knows nuthin' 'beout, an' kin see it all 't once. Guess you're a purty good manager. You 182 HUGGING TO MUSIC; fun this heouse, yeour hired help, an' tend to yer own bankin' and stock business all yerself . Don't ye 2 " " Yes," replied Victoria, in so sad a voice that Joe Jungle thought he had caused her to think of the time when she had a hus- band to do all that, and he was right. Jack Leilnox, the deserted, seemed to stand, in reproach, by her very side. " I have no one,*' continued she, "whom I would per- mit to look after any of my financial af- fairs, as I personally attend to everything." " I knowed io," replied Joe Jungle. " Women air, nine tenths the time, the great motive peower behind the biggest money- barrels. Ef she wore pants an' smeoked cigars she'd git a big sal'ry for the 'meount uv seound advice she turns eout ; but as 'tis she deon't make a cent as business adviser. Ef 1 couldn't adopted ye, I'd o' tried ter hire ye ; but now ye'll turn adviser ter me in ever' thing ' ' Ter-morrow we'll have the papers made eout in legal form. Then you'll be my daw- ter, Victoray Lennix Jungle Jungle deon't TO MUSIC. 183 seound right, does it ? Wall, fur your sake, we'll leave off the Jungle from yer kerds, but ye'll be my dawter all the same, an' ever'thing I hev in th' world b'longs right ter you, an' ye'll find it all fixed that way ef I go fust.'' " Why, the poor gurrl deon't hear one word I say. I've set her to thinkin' 'beout poor dead Lennix, I s'pose, that's jess like me ; if I keep on she'll never sign the 'dopt- in' papers ter be my dawter. ?seow I've got her into this deowiihearted way, I must do suthin' to raise her speerits, but I ain't 'lectual 'nuff ter talk real brainy book stuff." The Wayback gazed tenderly at Mrs. Lennox, who seemed unconscious of all sur- roundings ; her eyes had that far-away ex- pression which always told they were look- ing three thousand miles beyond the sea. He was wild to know how to divert her thoughts. Suddenly he began : " Say, Victoray ; Victoray is a purty name ; I didn't used to dream uv it till I see you. Sence then I'm either thinkin' uv you er the Queen. S'pose we call on the 184 HUGGING TO MUSIC. Queen an' invite her ter take dinner at eour house, an' we'll have fireworks arter. I'll tell her I've jess had a dawter and sheow her you. I'll git Oakdale ter interduce us, oh, she'll be glad ter have us come, she likes him. An' I like her, jess 'cause she wuz named arter you. I should hev lied Oakdale take me there afore, oii'y I thought ef I went there much th' Englishmen might git mad, thinkin' I wuz steady company and hankerin' like ter leadin' of her to th' altar. "Ye know the Queen's a widow, an' I'm a widower. " I s'pose she's refused lots uv rnen here, an' they know ef I be a' eout an' eout American, I've got lots uv money, 'iiuff ter buy all the palaces she wants ; but even ef I hadn't been in love with some other Vic- toray my dawter I wouldn't asked the Queen iioheow, for I never would hev my wife work fur a livin', with all the money I've got ; an' she'll never giv up her old po- sition in the palace eout uv respect ter th' English that fust offered her the place ; an' they've got so 'customed to her, it would HUGGING TO MUSIC. 185 kind o' shake up the British heousehold ter part with her neow. " Well, she's got a good sit, anyway, an' for life ; 'way ahead uv eour Prusidunt, who's, arter all, a kind o' he-queen to a Re- public, on'y we beounce um every four year, don't give um no sich pay, 'an never think uv lovin' um like the people eout here du the Queen, an' we've got jess ez many starvin' poor in perportion. "We've hed some good he-queens I mean Prusidunts, but they ain't all been George Washingtons er Abraham Lincolns, not by a long sight ; but I guess the world'll shake hands with England when she says the best sovereign she's ever hed sits right on her throne neow. " Ye see, Queen Victoray begun all right. She was a bright, brainy woman ter start with, an' she went right on ter a lovin', de- voted wife an' mother all of um the best faults a woman could have. "I didn't used ter know nothin' 'beout her till I found out she had such samples of brave men as Lord Oakdale." 180 HUGGING TO MUSIC. Here the Wayback's voice suddenly ceased, he looked upward, as though communing with little Hank, then recalled himself and proceeded. " I used ter dispise any country that hadn't a Prusidunt, but I find thar' be other people who git along purty well an' pay all their debts, evenef they don't chuck the head uv their nation eout o' office every four year. Jess ez ef we war afraid they'd steal 'nuff to bankrupt the gover'ment ef they stayed a minit longer ; but I never knowed a' honest one yet, ef he took the job uv Prusidunt, to have 'nuff when he left the White Heouse ter build a log cabin. " I kinder guess the people who 'lect their head fur life gits 'long 'beout ez well. Any- how, it saves a deal of cartage an' white- washin' money, to say nothin' uv the heap it costs fur mendin' carpets, gluin' the fur- niture, buyin' more crockery, fryin' pans, kittles, an' bedquilts every four year. "There ain't much 'conomy in that, but, ' Never mind 'xpenses,' says t'other party; ' it's our turn to have a wfrack at politics, HUGGING TO MUSIC. 187 and we'll boost ye sky high.' So they col- lect a few millions, which they promise ter pay back out o' the people's money when they git inter office, and perceed 'to boost.' "The pollin' wheel turns, an' sometimes a' honest man is drawed, an' sometimes he ain't. Whichever way it goes, we've got ter grin an' b'ar it fur 'nother four year. " I thought monarchies ought ter be 1'arned suthin' by us, but I guess they kin paddle their own canoe, ez they've done ten times the centennials to the one we've hed. " Sence I've looked 'reound here in fureign lands, an' see ever' thing so well took care uv fur the last thousand year, I often think kinder ser'us whar' we'll be in ten more cen- terries, if we don't mind some of our p'liti- cal mashshinery and sodder up bad leak- ages. " Ez fur our Prusidunt, ez I wuz say in' afore, he don't no more'n git in an' git 'quainted with the gover'ment book he's tryin' ter straighten eout, than he's told his ' time's up ' an' he'll have ter leave the rest fur the incomin' superintendent, that 188 HUGGING TO MUSIC. knows as little 'beout it as he did when he was took in. "He ain't 'tall satisfied with a hundurd things he hadn't time ter add up an' subtract, but no matter 'beout that, the other fellow's been hired fur the place, and th' expressman sticks his head in the door an' yells, ' Hurry up with yer boxes.' "I kin see him stick his pen 'hind his ears and rush upsta'rs to his wife. " She's feedin' a teethin' baby in her lap, and tryin' ter quiet another youngster who wants to go out ridin' in the rain. But the ex-Prusidunt is so crazy blind he ken't see nothin', so he screams to her like a house afire : " ' Mary Ann ! thai* 5 you're sittin' doin' nothin'. The movin' van's here, an' the men sw'arin' a blue streak at keepin' um waitin' s'long. Neow, jess hustle areound ! No time ter pack nothin' else ! Jess throw them things inter baskets an' borrels, an' let us git out o' here 'fore the noo folks git back from 'nauguration. " ' I'm blamed sorry I ever gave up clerk- HUGGING TO MUSIC. 180 ing in my little teown ter come here an' be 'bused fur a few months, an' then be kicked out jess ez if I'd been stealin'. " ' Never mind them silks, laces an' things o'yourn, or the young ones' clothes; chuck um in anywhar'. " ' Whar's my best breeches? I'll need um to wear to church when we git back to Kala- mazunk to be star'd at ; long time 'fore I ken 'ford 'nother pa'r. My high hat tew, be awful kerful o' that, an' fold all iny things nice an' smooth. " 'Now du hustle ! you've been up sence four o'clock this mornin' an' ain't done a thing but git breakfast. Why 011 airth didn't ye hire a woman to help ye ter-day, and hang the expense ? 11 'I've been workin' like a boss all morn- in' thinkin' about that affair at Town Hall, whar' I was fool enough ter go into jess four year ago an' take th' oath uv office. What a' ass I was, anyway ! " ' Fou'th o' March ! Fine time o' year ter ask a civilized man ter move his family, with teethin' youngsters tew. Anyheow, I'm 190 HUGGING TO MUSIC. glad ter git out o' this White House. Had malary ever sence they put me in here, that's what makes teethin' so hard fur the haby. We may bless our stars we ain't all dead. Place is full o' rats, tew; rotten old hole. , '''Goodness gracious! hear them movin' men sw'ar at us fur keepin' um waitin'. "'Mary Ann, don't furget ter make a memorandum of the things ye give the cart- men, er they'll say we ' ' stole a lot when we moved." The gov'ment needn't be 'larmed 'beout me. Ain't a 'tarnel thing I'd have in the old rat-trap ef they'd give it to me. " 'Neow, never mind the youngsters, let um yell. Have ye give the dog an' cat thar breakfust ? The cat's mewin', poor thing ; she's sorry I'm goin'. She'll git nothin' but starved mice ter live on when we're gone, an' she knows it. See how pitiful she looks at me git her suthin t'eat, quick ! " 'Now, hurry up, I'm goin' deownsta'rs to see ef I've left any change in the safe ; ef I ain't, you'll have to bu'st open the childurn's tin banks to git money 'nuff to pay fur movin', fur I ain't got a cent in my pocket ; HUGGING TO MUSIC. 191 I give the last dollar to the butcher an' con- fectioner on "count them 'xtra dinners we give to the second term galoots who said I was 'all right fur nuther four year.' I knowed they hadn't a' ounce o' sense, one on 'em. " ' Hark ! what kerriage is that rattliu' an' stopped here ter-day, I'd like ter know ? Wall ! hang his imperdence, ef it 'tain't t'other feller. 'Taint on'y twenty minutes past twelve, an' here he has galloped up the street ez ef he was 'fraid I'd take the White House with me ; wall, he's got gall. It was thirty -five minutes of one, wa'n't it, Mary Ann, 'fore we took possession the day we moved here I But some people air swine anyway, an' ther's no kinder use puttin' pearls 'reound their necks an' expectin' per- liteness of um. " ' Come here, Mary Ann, an' seethe gang git out the kerriage. That noo fellar looks like a footman, don't he ? No dignity 'beout him, is thar' \ How could thar' be, he's such a stumpy little pigmy. "'What de ye say, "two inches taller'n 192 HUGGING TO MUSIC. me" ? Mary Ann, you're a fool ! I've no- ticed you couldn't see straight ever seiice las' 'lection. " 'Don't go 'way ; come back here an' see um ; come an' look at his wife's green bun- net. Ha ! ha ! I thought that ' u'd fetch ye. Look at th' young ones, an' all uv um stare at eour house ; they look ez ef they thought we wa'n't goin' to give it up. " ' Thar'! hear um ring the front door bell ez ef they'd jerk the handle off; shows heow they've been brought up; kernes out what I've said of um ever sence he beat me on the second term. Ring away ! ring away ! Guess they'll be 'stonished to find all the servants gone lookin' fur noo places. " * Eingin' again ! Well, I s'pose I'll have ter let um in. Neow, du hurry up, Mary Ann, an' git the things all packed nice, an'- Stop ringin' that bell ! Deon't kneow heow ter ring a decent bell. Stop ringin', I say ! I'm comin' deownsta'rs ez fast ez I ken, but jiss understand in advance ye don't own the White Heouse, an' ye ken't put me eout o' here 'fore one o'clock P.M.' HUGGING TO MUSIC. 193 " Ha! ha! That's abeout what movin' day is at the White Heouse, an' we uv the United States call the office uv Prusidunt a soft snap. " I'm glad I made ye laff ag'in,Victoray my dawter." Mrs. Lennox, who had forgotten the proposed new relationship, looked suddenly surprised, then changed into a smile of re- membrance. "I tell ye, I'm a' American from way- back; but sence I crawled eout o' my shell in the minin' deestrick an' traveled, I kin 'pre- date heow awful ignorant I wuz, by learnin' how much I deon't know neow. I reckon I'm jiss 'beout like the other folks who hev ter travel ter git rid o' thar prujidices an' see that all edicated people, in thar senses, air' 'beout alike, whither they're fureign er uv home-made breedin'. 11 'Tain't long sence most Americans thought fureigners did nothiii' greater than w'ar one eyeglass, drive tandem, an' 'buse thar poor. " An' afore fureigners traveled in eour HUGGING T*) MtJSlC. parts, they s'posed we wore a headgear uv peacock feathers, hung jewels in eour noses, an' danced war-whoops b'fore bonfires as a religi's exercise. " Neow you're lookin' a little pleasanter. I'm goin' ter leave ye so ye kin git rested, an' he bright fur ter- morrow, ter sign the 'doption papers. No, ye can't say nothin' neow, and thar ain't no foolin' 'beout this, neither." "Oh, if you knew how I had sinned, though unintentionally; how through mad folly my name is blackened, you would not offer me the tender protection of a parent," said Mrs. Lennox.