The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-11-08


Altogether they were pair of tall, come.
ly maidens, and being constantly attircd in
garments of the same color and fashion,
looked at all times 80 much alike that no
stranger ever dreamed Of knowing them
apart, and even their acquaintance were
rather accustomed to speak and think OF
them generally as the 'Evanses, than as sep
arate individuals, Jane and Patty.
Even those who did pretend to distinguish
them one from the other, were not exempt
from mistakes, which the sisters, Patty es-
pccially, who delighted in the fun so often
produced by the unusual resemblance, were
apt to favor by changing places in walk,
or slipping from one side to the other, at a
country tea.party, or playing hundred in
nocent tricks, to occasion at once grave
blundcr and merry laugh.
Old Dnah Goodwin, for instance-who,
being rather purblind, was jealous OF being
suspected Of seeing less clearly than her
neighbors, and had deGcd the Evanses to
puzzle her discernment-secking in vain on
Patty's hand the cut finger which she had
dressed on Jane's-ascribing the incredible
cure to her own incompatible salve and
could hardly be undeceived, even by the pull
ing of of James glove, and the exhibition
OF the laceratcd digital sewcd around by her
own bandagc.
Young George Kelly, too, the greatest beau
in the village, having bet at Christmas
party that he would dance with every pretty
girl in the room, lost his wager, which Patty
had overheard, by that saucy damsel slipping
into her sisters place, and persuading her to
join her own unconscious partner so that
George danced twice with Patty, and none
at all with Jane. A bantering piece Of NAL
ice which proved, as the young gentleman
"a rustic exquisite Of the first water) was
pleased to assert, that Miss Patty was not
displeased with her partner.
How little does vain man know Of wo-
mankind If she had liked him she would
not have played the trick for the mines Of
Golconda.
And yet Nature-who sets some mark Of
individuality upon even of her meanest pro-
ductions, making some unnoted difference bc-
tween the lambs dropped from one eve, the
robins bred in one nest, the. flowers growing
on ono stock, the lsves hanging o9 one tree
hath not left these maidep without one
great permanent distinciOn--a natural and
striking dissimilarity of temper. Equally
industrious, ansctionate, happy and kind,
each was kind, happy, afrectonatc and in
dustrious in a different way. Jane was
grave; Patty was gay. If yon heard a song
or laugh, be suns it was Patty she who
jumped the stile when her sister ppcnedshc
gate, was Patty; she who chased the pigs
from the garden as merrily as il she was
running race, 50 that the pigs did not mind
her, was Patty.
On the other hand, she that so carefully
was making, with its own ravelled thread,
an invisible darn in her mothers handkcr.
chief, and was hearing her sister read the
while-shc that SO patiently was feeding,on
by one, two bfoods of young turkies-shc,
too. that so pensvely was watering her own
bed of delicate and somewhat rare flowers,
the pale hues of the Alpine pink, or the al
abaster blossoms of the white evening prm-
rose, whose modest flowers, dying OF into n
blush, rcsemblcd her own charactcr-was
Jane.
Some of the gossips Of AberlciSh used to
assert that James sighinS over flowers, as
well as the early steadinCss of her character,
arose from an engagement with my lords
gardener, an intelligent and scdate young
Scotchman. Of this know nothing. Ger
tain 1t Is, that the pretticst and newest plants
were always to he found in James little flow.
er garden and if Mr.. Archibald Maclanc
did sometimes look after them did not see
that it was any body's business.
In the meantime, q visitor Of another de-
scription arrived at the farm. a cousin oi
Mrs. Evans had been as successful in trade
as her husband had been in agriculture, and
he now sent his only son to become acquaint-
ed with his relations, and to spend some
weeks in their family.
Charles Foster was fine young man,
whose father was neither more or less than u
linen draper. in great town, but whose
manners, education. mind and character
might hrve done honor TO far higher sta
tiOn. lie was, in word, one OF nature :
gentlemen, and in nothing did he more thor
oughly show his own taste and good breed
ing than by entering into the homely ways
and old fashioned habits of his country cous-
ins. lie was delighted with the simplicity
irugality and industry, which blended well
with the sterling goodness and genuine pru-
dence of the great English farmhouse. The
women, especially, pleased hlm much. They
formed strong contrast with any he had
met with before. No fneIy-no coquetry-
no Frcnch-no piano! 1t is impossible to
describe the sensation of relief and comfort
with which Charles Foster, sick of musical
misses, asccrtained that the whole dwelling
did not contain single instrument except
the bassoon, on which George Evans was
wont, every Sabbath, at church to cxcruciate
the ears of the congregation.
He liked both sisters. James softness and
considera'eness engaged his full esteem Pat.
ty's innocent playfulness suited bes, with his
own high spirits and animated conversation.
He had known them apart from the FIRST,