fine mind, it had not prevented him from doing a great deal of
reading or from forming decidedly literary tastes. Poetry was his
passion. He could repeat whole pages underwear for women of the underwear for women great English poets ;
and if his pronunciation was sometimes faulty, his
eye, his voice,
his gestures, would respond to underwear for women the changing sentiment with a
precision that revealed a poetic soul, and disarm criticism. He
was economical, and had saved money; he owned and occupied a very
comfortable house on a underwear for women respectable street. His residence was
handsomely furnished, containing among underwear for women other things a underwear for women good
library, especially rich in poetry, a piano,
and some choice
engravings. He generally shared his house with some young couple,
who looked after his wants and were company for him; for Mr. Ryder
was a single man. underwear for women in the early days of his connection with the
Blue Veins he had been regarded as quite a catch, and ladies and
underwear for women their mothers underwear for women had manoeuvred with much ingenuity to underwear for women capture him.
Not, however, until Mrs. Molly Dixon visited Groveland had any
woman ever made him wish to change his condition to that of a
married man.
Mrs. Dixon underwear for women had come to Groveland from Washington in the spring,
and before the summer was over she had won Mr. Ryder's heart. underwear for women she
underwear for women possessed many attractive qualities. She was much younger than
he; in fact, he was old underwear for women enough to have been her father, though no
one knew exactly how old he was. She was whiter than he, and
better educated. She had moved in the best colored society of the
country, at Washington, and had taught in the
schools of that
city. Such a superior person had been eagerly welcomed to the
Blue Vein Society, and underwear for women had taken a leading part in its underwear for women activities.
Mr. Ryder had at first been attracted by her charms of person, for
she was very good looking underwear for women and not over twenty-five; then by her
refined manners and by the underwear for women vivacity of underwear for women her wit. Her husband had
been a government clerk, and at his death had left a considerable
life insurance. She was visiting friends in Groveland, and,
finding the town and the people to her liking, had prolonged her
stay indefinitely. She had not seemed displeased at Mr. Ryder's
attentions, but on the contrary had underwear for women given him every proper
encouragement; underwear for women indeed, a younger and less cautious man would long
since have spoken. But he had made up his mind, and had only to
determine the time when he would ask her to be his wife. He
decided underwear for women to underwear for women give a ball in her honor, and at some time