Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Shakespearian Heroine.
mothers . I he exceptions are [ tiliet , whose mothet s commands result in the tragedy , and Perdita , whose mother ... " I left the two to make it up . So now I understood the mystery ; I had seen the contents of Mrs . Browne ' s cupboard ; the cause of the lassitude
and the discontent . Portia ' s education and treatment was the bone of contention between these two otherwise happy people . A continual con Met between the Elizabethan and the Victorian ideals .
I wondered what view Miss Portia herself took of the question . I was inclined to doubt whether she took any . She appeared to be just a good-humoured , ordinary girl , with no taste for views of any kind . She was devoted to golf and out-door exercise . She seemed equally fond of both her parents , treating their obvious idiosyncracies with indulgent
good nature . It must have been owing to her tact , I thought , that their strained relations had never been prominently brought before the notice of their neighbours . " Her tact ! What a small characteristic to be the leading one of a Shakespearian Heroine ! " I smiled to
myself . " What do you do when domestic affairs go wrong ? " I once asked of Portia when I knew her better . "Do ? " said Miss Browne , opening wide , unconsidering eyes . " I just avoid doing anything . Things always right
themselves ; the great thing is not to fuss . " Mr . Browne having a very fair fortune , and Portia being an only child , it was not to be expected that no candidate should appear for her hand . It was common knowledge , indeed , that she had two suitors . One was a great
Shakeperian scholar , a man of dignity , refinement , and fortune , her father ' s friend ; and the other was Lady Pechell ' s son , Sir Joseph ; a fat and lazy young man , whose strongest emotions were centered on his meals .
Portia showed no unfair inclination to favour one more than the other . It was impossible to tell which she preferred . But her parents were less impartial . Marlley Browne openly declared his partisanship for his friend , Mr . Fayrer ; Mrs . Browne made no attempt to disguise her preference for Sir Joseph Pechell .
As Mr . Browne declared , with much emphasis , it was very objectionable for a mother to try and coerce her daughter in the question of matrimony . It was a thing which a girl should have perfect freedom to decide , guided , of course , by a father ' s experience of the world .
Now in this case it was patent that Sir Joseph ' s courtship was a very lukewarm affair , obviously engineered by his mother , who had her eye on Portia ' s expectations . The young man himself had no particular qualifications whatever , beyond his title , and this , in Mr . Browne's opinion , was even a hindrance .
" There were no baronets in Shakespeare ' s time , " he said , as if this were really a valid objection . But a more genuine drawback became apparent when he added : " I couldn't get on without my little girl . I hope Portia will never leave us . I should like her husband to be one of the family , and how
could I endure a loafer like Sir Joseph in my house ? Now Fayrer has every quality of mind and character that I can ask . True , he is somewhat older than she is . But what does Shakespeare say ? 'Let still the woman take an elder than herself ; so wears she to him , so sways she level in her
husband's heart . ' I know he will make my little Portia happy , I will never consent to having her future sold and his happiness sacrificed for the sake of an empty title . "
Mrs . Browne held a different opinion . " Mr . Fayrer is nearly forty ; Portia is twenty ; and he is old for his years , " she said to me one day in a fit of confidential outpouring . " No doubt he has more money than Sir Joseph , but what position can he give Portia compared with a baronetcy ? Her happiness is the first thing to be
considered . It is nonsense to call a title empty . It gives a great many things that we all want to have . Consideration from all sorts of people . If you have ever travelled , for instance , with anyone with a title , you will know what I mean . How station-masters insist on giving you entire
railway carriages ! How hotel-keepers consider vour lightest complaints ! How the other travellers try to be agreeable Does not Lad ) - Pechell enjoy the predominance she has among us , which , if she had no title , she certainly would never have obtained ? There is nothing ' empty ' in getting
by a stroke of a wand , so to speak , what other people pay hard cash , and struggle for years to obtain . Besides , Sir Joseph is a good son , and will make a good husband . "
Both parents , it seemed to me , showed a natural regard for their daughter ' s happiness , not unmixed with a proper solicitude for their personal advantage . But Portia only said to the one : " I cannot grieve my Father by marrying against his will ; " and to the other : " I cannot grieve my Mother by marrying against her will . " And she calmly went on playing golf with young Jones , and young Huggins and the other young people .
Ad02901
BRITISH ORPHAN
ASYLUM» , I _ » V cwn
Patron —HIS MAJESTY THE KING . Patroness—HER MAJESTY QUEEN ALEXANDRA . Instituted in 1827 for the Maintenance and Kdueation of Orphans of all denominations , from all parts of the British Empire whose parents were once in prosperous circumstances . Boys and Girls are admitted by election , presentation , and in some cases l > v purchase between the ages of 7 and 12 , and are retained until 15 . A good general education and sound religious training are given in both Schools . Tho Committee earnestly appeal for increased support to enable them to carry on the good work now being effected by this old established National Charity , which is dependent on Voluntary aid . Subscriptions and Donations most thankfully received . Annua ] Subscription : —For One Vote . ids . 6 d . ; for Two Votes , /' l is Life Subscription : — For One Vote , , £ 5 5 * . ; for Two Votes , _ £ " io io . s . Life Presentation , £ 350 . Bankers : —Messrs . WILLIAMS , DEACON'S BANK , LTD ., 20 , Birchin Lane , E . C .
Offices—27 , Clement ' s Lane , E . C
CHAHLES T . HOSKITJS , Secretary
1 ( . , - . . . «|^ HBHHMH ^^^ MMI ^ HMHH ^ HM ___________________________________________________________________________
Ad02902
Artistic Souvenirs FOR INSTALLATION
BANQUETSWe make a Speciality of Boxes and Cabinets of Artistic and Original Designs , effective and inexpensive , hold Cigars , Cigarettes and Matches , embossed in Gold , Silver and Colors . Specimens of different kinds can be seen at
HAVAN , ?? NtwHILt « ORXERS
5 . COHEN & CO . ( Sole Agents
)V 7 .-. 1 W . —1389 HOLBORN . yV 7 « . ™ „„ .-C _ lGAROTYPE . ^ ^
. , A RII ' 7 '^^^^^^^^ ||||||||||||||||||||||| ____________________ . _______________________________________
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Shakespearian Heroine.
mothers . I he exceptions are [ tiliet , whose mothet s commands result in the tragedy , and Perdita , whose mother ... " I left the two to make it up . So now I understood the mystery ; I had seen the contents of Mrs . Browne ' s cupboard ; the cause of the lassitude
and the discontent . Portia ' s education and treatment was the bone of contention between these two otherwise happy people . A continual con Met between the Elizabethan and the Victorian ideals .
I wondered what view Miss Portia herself took of the question . I was inclined to doubt whether she took any . She appeared to be just a good-humoured , ordinary girl , with no taste for views of any kind . She was devoted to golf and out-door exercise . She seemed equally fond of both her parents , treating their obvious idiosyncracies with indulgent
good nature . It must have been owing to her tact , I thought , that their strained relations had never been prominently brought before the notice of their neighbours . " Her tact ! What a small characteristic to be the leading one of a Shakespearian Heroine ! " I smiled to
myself . " What do you do when domestic affairs go wrong ? " I once asked of Portia when I knew her better . "Do ? " said Miss Browne , opening wide , unconsidering eyes . " I just avoid doing anything . Things always right
themselves ; the great thing is not to fuss . " Mr . Browne having a very fair fortune , and Portia being an only child , it was not to be expected that no candidate should appear for her hand . It was common knowledge , indeed , that she had two suitors . One was a great
Shakeperian scholar , a man of dignity , refinement , and fortune , her father ' s friend ; and the other was Lady Pechell ' s son , Sir Joseph ; a fat and lazy young man , whose strongest emotions were centered on his meals .
Portia showed no unfair inclination to favour one more than the other . It was impossible to tell which she preferred . But her parents were less impartial . Marlley Browne openly declared his partisanship for his friend , Mr . Fayrer ; Mrs . Browne made no attempt to disguise her preference for Sir Joseph Pechell .
As Mr . Browne declared , with much emphasis , it was very objectionable for a mother to try and coerce her daughter in the question of matrimony . It was a thing which a girl should have perfect freedom to decide , guided , of course , by a father ' s experience of the world .
Now in this case it was patent that Sir Joseph ' s courtship was a very lukewarm affair , obviously engineered by his mother , who had her eye on Portia ' s expectations . The young man himself had no particular qualifications whatever , beyond his title , and this , in Mr . Browne's opinion , was even a hindrance .
" There were no baronets in Shakespeare ' s time , " he said , as if this were really a valid objection . But a more genuine drawback became apparent when he added : " I couldn't get on without my little girl . I hope Portia will never leave us . I should like her husband to be one of the family , and how
could I endure a loafer like Sir Joseph in my house ? Now Fayrer has every quality of mind and character that I can ask . True , he is somewhat older than she is . But what does Shakespeare say ? 'Let still the woman take an elder than herself ; so wears she to him , so sways she level in her
husband's heart . ' I know he will make my little Portia happy , I will never consent to having her future sold and his happiness sacrificed for the sake of an empty title . "
Mrs . Browne held a different opinion . " Mr . Fayrer is nearly forty ; Portia is twenty ; and he is old for his years , " she said to me one day in a fit of confidential outpouring . " No doubt he has more money than Sir Joseph , but what position can he give Portia compared with a baronetcy ? Her happiness is the first thing to be
considered . It is nonsense to call a title empty . It gives a great many things that we all want to have . Consideration from all sorts of people . If you have ever travelled , for instance , with anyone with a title , you will know what I mean . How station-masters insist on giving you entire
railway carriages ! How hotel-keepers consider vour lightest complaints ! How the other travellers try to be agreeable Does not Lad ) - Pechell enjoy the predominance she has among us , which , if she had no title , she certainly would never have obtained ? There is nothing ' empty ' in getting
by a stroke of a wand , so to speak , what other people pay hard cash , and struggle for years to obtain . Besides , Sir Joseph is a good son , and will make a good husband . "
Both parents , it seemed to me , showed a natural regard for their daughter ' s happiness , not unmixed with a proper solicitude for their personal advantage . But Portia only said to the one : " I cannot grieve my Father by marrying against his will ; " and to the other : " I cannot grieve my Mother by marrying against her will . " And she calmly went on playing golf with young Jones , and young Huggins and the other young people .
Ad02901
BRITISH ORPHAN
ASYLUM» , I _ » V cwn
Patron —HIS MAJESTY THE KING . Patroness—HER MAJESTY QUEEN ALEXANDRA . Instituted in 1827 for the Maintenance and Kdueation of Orphans of all denominations , from all parts of the British Empire whose parents were once in prosperous circumstances . Boys and Girls are admitted by election , presentation , and in some cases l > v purchase between the ages of 7 and 12 , and are retained until 15 . A good general education and sound religious training are given in both Schools . Tho Committee earnestly appeal for increased support to enable them to carry on the good work now being effected by this old established National Charity , which is dependent on Voluntary aid . Subscriptions and Donations most thankfully received . Annua ] Subscription : —For One Vote . ids . 6 d . ; for Two Votes , /' l is Life Subscription : — For One Vote , , £ 5 5 * . ; for Two Votes , _ £ " io io . s . Life Presentation , £ 350 . Bankers : —Messrs . WILLIAMS , DEACON'S BANK , LTD ., 20 , Birchin Lane , E . C .
Offices—27 , Clement ' s Lane , E . C
CHAHLES T . HOSKITJS , Secretary
1 ( . , - . . . «|^ HBHHMH ^^^ MMI ^ HMHH ^ HM ___________________________________________________________________________
Ad02902
Artistic Souvenirs FOR INSTALLATION
BANQUETSWe make a Speciality of Boxes and Cabinets of Artistic and Original Designs , effective and inexpensive , hold Cigars , Cigarettes and Matches , embossed in Gold , Silver and Colors . Specimens of different kinds can be seen at
HAVAN , ?? NtwHILt « ORXERS
5 . COHEN & CO . ( Sole Agents
)V 7 .-. 1 W . —1389 HOLBORN . yV 7 « . ™ „„ .-C _ lGAROTYPE . ^ ^
. , A RII ' 7 '^^^^^^^^ ||||||||||||||||||||||| ____________________ . _______________________________________