od, shot down his sweetheart, concealed the fact, and was
suffering the pangs of deep remorse for the dreadful deed. He heard
about it and got angry! He _does_ look awful gloomy! He says I am
crude, _very_ crude, and put people on edge; and that I am so
good-natured, so good-humored all the time that it reduces less
fortunate people into a state of most desperate defiance--defiance
against my everlasting flow of animal spirits, unchecked by any thing.
He told all that to Sophia Gilder, and Sophia is my bosom-friend; so she
told me! Aunt Patsey has a great admiration for her mother, Mrs. John
Robert Gilder, but says that Sophia, poor girl, is a milk-sop--weak,
weak! and taps her shining forehead knowingly. Auntie has a most
alarming way of disposing of people! I know all about her
methods--gracious goodness! I ought by this time.

About two or three months after I was finished off at the Seminary, Miss
Lena Searlwood gave a little affair in my honor. She called it a tea--it
really was more like a dinner! They do entertain _so_ well! I was
taken home afterward by that Calburt Young--a great privilege I suppose!
He was in a bad humor anyhow; had not seen enough of Miss Lena! He let
me do all of the talking, never once suggesting a new topic, and
listened with an air, not of attention, but enforced toleration. It made
me furious! Two or three times he said "Yes?" which was really worse
than nothing! Finally, when near home, he turned to me and in a tired,
indifferent tone, said: "Beg pardon, Miss Wing; you are _just out_,
I believe! What did you study while at school?" It was a fling--I knew
it--so I answered, "I studied how to be rude to arrogant, patronizing
people who are forever asking impudent questions with a desire to give
pain, sir!" He placed my night-key in the door deliberately, calmly;
pushed open the door, lifted his hat, turned on his heel, without even
closing one half of the storm-doors, like other men always do, and said:
"Miss Wing, you have been well taught! You were, indeed, a very apt
scholar! I congratulate you! I have the honor to bid you good-night!" I
could have picked a dozen pale-pink roses to pieces just then, but not
leaf by leaf; I could have torn up a whole rose-tree by the roots! They
say Mr. Young is so smart, wonderful deep, and all that; but he is just
a mean, rude man, and I won't ever have any thing more to do with him;
and when I say I won't, _I won't_!

How some people do ruffle me in