CHAPTER XIII.
_BOTH SIDES._
Steve's engagement made a great stir in the family: a pleasant onethis time; for nobody objected, every thing seemed felicitous, and thecourse of true love ran very smoothly for the young couple, whopromised to remove the only obstacle to their union by growing old andwise as soon as possible. If he had not been so genuinely happy, thelittle lover's airs would have been unbearable; for he patronized allmankind in general, his brother and elder cousins in particular.
"Now that is the way to manage matters," he declared, standing beforethe fire in Aunt Clara's billiard room a day or two after the ball,with his hands behind his back,--"no nonsense, no delay, no domesticrows or tragic separations. Just choose with taste and judgment, makeyourself agreeable through thick and thin; and, when it is perfectlyevident that the dear creature adores the ground you walk on, say theword like a man, and there you are."
"All very easy to do that with a girl like Kitty, who has noconfounded notions to spoil her and trip you up every time you don'texactly toe the mark," muttered Charlie, knocking the balls about asif it were a relief to hit something; for he was in a gloriously badhumor that evening, because time hung heavy on his hands since he hadforsworn the company he could not keep without danger to himself.
"You should humor those little notions; for all women have them, andit needs tact to steer clear of them. Kitty's got dozens; but I treatthem with respect, have my own way when I can, give in withoutgrowling when I can't, and we get on like a couple of--"
"Spoons," put in Charlie, who felt that he had _not_ steered clear,and so suffered shipwreck in sight of land.
Steve meant to have said "doves," but his cousin's levity caused himto add with calm dignity, "reasonable beings," and then revengedhimself by making a good shot which won him the game.
"You always were a lucky little dog, Steve. I don't begrudge you aparticle of your happiness, but it does seem as if things weren'tquite fair sometimes," said Archie, suppressing an envious sigh; for,though he seldom complained, it was impossible to contrast his own andhis cousin's prospects with perfect equanimity.
"'His worth shines forth the brightest who in hope Always confides: the abject soul despairs,'"
observed Mac, quoting Euripides in a conversational tone, as he layupon a divan reposing after a hard day's work.
"Thank you," said Archie, brightening a little; for a hopeful wordfrom any source was very comfortable.
"That's your favorite Rip, isn't it? He was a wise old boy, but youcould find advice as good as that nearer home," put in Steve, who justthen felt equal to slapping Plato on the shoulder; so elated was he atbeing engaged "first of all the lot," as he gracefully expressed it.
"Don't halloo till you are out of the wood, Dandy: Mrs. Kit has jiltedtwo men, and may a third; so you'd better not brag of your wisdom toosoon; for she may make a fool of you yet," said Charlie, cynically,his views of life being very gloomy about this time.
"No, she won't, Steve, if you do your part honestly. There's themaking of a good little woman in Kitty, and she has proved it bytaking you instead of those other fellows. You are not a Solomon, butyou're not spoilt yet; and she had the sense to see it," said Mac,encouragingly from his corner; for he and his brother were betterfriends than ever since the little scene at the Van Tassels.
"Hear! hear!" cried Steve, looking more than ever like a cheerfulyoung cockerel trying to crow, as he stood upon the hearth-rug withhis hands under his coat-tails, rising and falling alternately uponthe toes and heels of his neat little boots.
"Come, you've given them each a pat on the head: haven't you got onefor me? I need it enough; for if ever there was a poor devil bornunder an evil star, it is C. C. Campbell," exclaimed Charlie, leaninghis chin on his cue with a discontented expression of countenance; fortrying to be good is often very hard work till one gets used to it.
"Oh, yes! I can accommodate you;" and, as if his words suggested theselection, Mac, still lying flat upon his back, repeated one of hisfavorite bits from Beaumont and Fletcher; for he had a wonderfulmemory, and could reel off poetry by the hour together.
"'Man is his own star: and the soul that can Render an honest and a perfect man Commands all light, all influence, all fate; Nothing to him falls early or too late. Our acts our angels are; or good or ill, Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.'"
"Confoundedly bad angels they are too," muttered Charlie, ruefully;remembering the one that undid him.
His cousins never knew exactly what occurred on New-Year's night, butsuspected that something was amiss; for Charlie had the blues, andRose, though as kind as ever, expressed no surprise at his longabsences. They had all observed and wondered at this state of things,yet discreetly made no remark, till Steve, who was as inquisitive as amagpie, seized this opportunity to say in a friendly tone, whichshowed that he bore no malice for the dark prophecy regarding hisKitty's faithfulness,--
"What's the trouble, Prince? You are so seldom in a bad humor that wedon't know what to make of it, and all feel out of spirits when youhave the blues. Had a tiff with Rose?"
"Never you mind, little boy; but this I will say,--the better womenare, the more unreasonable they are. They don't require us to besaints like themselves, which is lucky; but they do expect us torender 'an honest and a perfect man' sometimes, and that is askingrather too much in a fallen world like this," said Charlie, glad toget a little sympathy, though he had no intention of confessing histransgressions.
"No, it isn't," said Mac, decidedly.
"Much you know about it," began Charlie, ill pleased to be so flatlycontradicted.
"Well, I know this much," added Mac, suddenly sitting up with his hairin a highly dishevelled condition. "It is very unreasonable in us toask women to be saints, and then expect them to feel honored when weoffer them our damaged hearts, or, at best, ones not half as good astheirs. If they weren't blinded by love, they'd see what a meanadvantage we take of them, and not make such bad bargains."
"Upon my word, the philosopher is coming out strong upon the subject!We shall have him preaching 'Women's Rights' directly," cried Steve,much amazed at this outburst.
"I've begun you see, and much good may it do you," answered Mac,laying himself placidly down again.
"Well, but look here, man: you are arguing on the wrong side," put inArchie, quite agreeing with him, but feeling that he must stand by hisorder at all costs.
"Never mind sides, uphold the right wherever you find it. You needn'tstare, Steve: I told you I was going to look into this matter, and Iam. You think I'm wrapt up in books: but I see a great deal more ofwhat is going on round me than you imagine; and I'm getting on in thisnew branch, let me tell you; quite as fast as is good for me, I daresay."
"Going in for perfection, are you?" asked Charlie, both amused andinterested; for he respected Mac more than he owned even to himself,and though he had never alluded to the timely warning, neither forgot.
"Yes, I think of it."
"How will you begin?"
"Do my best all round: keep good company, read good books, love goodthings, and cultivate soul and body as faithfully and wisely as Ican."
"And you expect to succeed, do you?"
"Please God, I will."
The quiet energy of Mac's last words produced a momentary silence.Charlie thoughtfully studied the carpet; Archie, who had been absentlypoking the fire, looked over at Mac as if he thanked him again; andSteve, forgetting his self-conceit, began to wonder if it was notpossible to improve himself a little for Kitty's sake. Only a minute;for young men do not give much time to thoughts of this kind, evenwhen love stirs up the noblest impulses within them. To act ratherthan to talk is more natural to most of them, as Charlie's nextquestion showed; for, having the matter much at heart, he ventured toask in an offhand way, as he laughed and twirled his cue,--
"Do you intend to reach the highest point of perfection before youaddress one of the fair saints, or shall you ask her to lend a han
dsomewhere short of that?"
"As it takes a long lifetime to do what I plan, I think I shall asksome good woman 'to lend a hand' when I've got any thing worthoffering her. Not a saint, for I never shall be one myself, but agentle creature who will help me, as I shall try to help her; so thatwe can go on together, and finish our work hereafter, if we haven'ttime to do it here."
If Mac had been a lover, he would not have discussed the subject inthis simple and sincere fashion, though he might have felt it far moredeeply; but being quite heart-free he frankly showed his interest,and, curiously enough, out of his wise young head unconsciously gavethe three lovers before him counsel which they valued, because hepractised what he preached.
"Well, I hope you'll find her!" said Charlie, heartily, as he wentback to his game.
"I think I shall," and, while the others played, Mac lay staring atthe window-curtain, as contentedly as if, through it, he beheld "adream of fair women," from which to choose his future mate.
A few days after this talk in the billiard-room, Kitty went to callupon Rose; for, as she was about to enter the family, she felt it herduty to become acquainted with all its branches. This branch, however,she cultivated more assiduously than any other, and was continuallyrunning in to confer with "Cousin Rose," whom she considered thewisest, dearest, kindest girl ever created. And Rose, finding that, inspite of her flighty head, Kitty had a good heart of her own, did herbest to encourage all the new hopes and aspirations springing up in itunder the warmth of the first genuine affection she had ever known.
"My dear, I want to have some serious conversation with you upon asubject in which I take an interest for the first time in my life,"began Miss Kitty, seating herself and pulling off her gloves, as ifthe subject was one which needed a firm grasp.
"Tell away, and don't mind if I go on working, as I want to finishthis job to-day," answered Rose, with a long-handled paint-brush inher hand, and a great pair of shears at her side.
"You are always so busy! What is it now? Let me help: I can talkfaster when I'm doing something," which seemed hardly possible; forKitty's tongue went like a mill-clapper at all hours.
"Making picture-books for my sick babies at the hospital. Pretty work,isn't it? You cut out, and I'll paste them on these squares of gaycambric: then we just tie up a few pages with a ribbon; and there is anice, light, durable book for the poor dears to look at as they lie intheir little beds."
"A capital idea. Do you go there often? How ever do you find the timefor such things?" asked Kitty, busily cutting from a big sheet thetouching picture of a parent bird with a red head and a blue tail,offering what looked like a small boa-constrictor to one of itsnestlings; a fat young squab with a green head, yellow body, and notail at all.
"I have plenty of time now I don't go out so much; for a party uses uptwo days generally,--one to prepare for it, and one to get over it,you know."
"People think it is so odd of you to give up society all of a sudden.They say you have 'turned pious,' and it is owing to your peculiarbringing up. I always take your part, and say it is a pity other girlshaven't as sensible an education; for I don't know one who is assatisfactory on the whole as you are."