had expected. Helen wanted to know one evening why if her poor, dear
Tom could go back and forth to the city to business every day, her lazy
big brother couldn’t go back and forth to Hillcrest daily, if she were
to want him as a boarder for the remainder of the season. Although I
had for years inveighed against the folly of cultivated people leaving
the city to find residences, Helen’s argument was unanswerable and I
submitted. I did even more; I purchased a lovely bit of ground (though
the deed stands in Tom’s name for the present), and Tom has brought up
several plans for cottage-houses, and every evening they are spread on
the dining-room table, and there gather round them four people, among
whom are a white goods salesman and a young lady with the brightest of
eyes and cheeks full of roses and lilies. This latter-named personage
has her own opinions of the merits of all plans suggested, and insisted
that whatever plan _is_ adopted _must_ have a lovely room to be set
apart as the exclusive property of Helen’s boys. Young as these
gentlemen are, I find frequent occasions to be frightfully jealous of
them, but they are unmoved by either my frowns or persuasions—artifice
alone is able to prevent their monopolizing the time of an adorable
being, of whose society I cannot possibly have too much. She insists
that when the ceremony takes place in December, they shall officiate
as groomsmen, and I have not the slightest doubt that she will carry
her point. In fact, I confess to frequent affectionate advances toward
them myself, and when I retire without first seeking their room and
putting a grateful kiss upon their unconscious lips, my conscience
upbraids me with base ingratitude. To think I might yet be a hopeless
bachelor had it not been for them, is to overflow with thankfulness to
the giver of
HELEN’S BABIES.
* * * * *
Transcriber’s Notes
Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Other
variations in spelling, punctuation, hyphenation and accents remain
unchanged.
Italics are represented thus _italic_.