Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-05-15
a - n. B. r~t ~
The Wrong Picture.

The Wrong Picture.
The full sunshine came pouring through
the plate glass windows of the great photo!
graphic saloon, where Virginia Lynne nsd
become very tired Of waiting '.just one min
ute," for her turn to face the camera. If the
camera had been young gentleman, it pro-
badly wouldn't have objected much to the pro-
cess, as Virginia was not At all dissgreea0le to
look atom the contrary, she was very pretty,
with clear olive complexion, deepening to
carmine, and her round cheeks, and large, blue
gray eyes, just the color Of violets, blossomed In
the shade. Jet black hair, plainly brushed
from her forehead and confined In one knot
on the back of her neck and little red
mouth, very saucy and somewhat naughty
also, in its curves. IA
y "Are you nearly ready to take my likeness,
sir ?" she asked, rather impatiently, as the
operator entered the room on some trifing
errand. 75f 9S
''Not quite yet, ma'am. We shall be soon,
l hope, however. 10 tell you the truth, we
didn't anticipate 50 much trouble from our
present subject-a baby, maam, who will
not sit still ~
ga baby-oh, then haven't an other
word to say" said Virginia, scornfully eleva-
ting her pretty shoulders as she turned to-
wards her companions. II do detest ba-
bies p
why, Virginia ~ exclaimed Mrs. Wal
ter, her matron sister, with genuine horror.
sCan't help i'll never could endure
baby-thats one of my articles of faith"
"And how many articles of faith have
you?" laughingly inquired another compan-
ion. - .....
80, several. One il hearty aversion to
widowers class of dyed-over husbands
who are always abiding to Mrs. Smith Num-
Der One ! I'll became lady's successor, /
should be perpetually fearful was standing
in the way of Mrs. Smith Number Three !!
And then the idea Of washing the faces and
combing the hair Of o half dozen unruly
children. No second hand babies for me,
thank your
But Virginia could only have had peep
into the operating room, where that hazel
eyed baby, with pink ribbons on its shoulders,
and string of red coral round its plump
neck, was setting photography at defiance,
she would probably have kissed its perfumed
breath nearly away with true feminine in
consistency.
"Harry, do sit still y pleaded the nurse
in despair, while tho operator lodged hope.
iessly to and fro, trying to ''catch focus, "
and two or three young lady aunts jingled
their watch chains and held up their bracelets
in the vain endevor to attract the little ones
ewes. But if the quintessence of obstinacy
can be imagined to fix its throne in year old
baby, that baby was the individual.
All Of sudden, bright-winged canary
in cage opposite began to sing piercingly.
The scarlet lips opened into wondering
smile-the large hazel eyes that had roved
from place to place, like cham tightening, were
fixed for moment. The operator jerked the
drapery away from his instrument with the
agility of magic-the sunrays swept their pen
ellis over the cleaning plate, and =.
30, let me see It'll" shrieked aunts and
nurse in confused treble chorus, crowding
around the photographer as, after short
absence, he entered the room bearing the plate.
"Only let me get one peep at it! !"
"How delighted Raymond will ber' whis-
pered one of the young aunts to her sister,
as she caught the baby in her arms, crushing
her shining brown curls agaiustits silly little
head.
"Where shall send the card, ma'am ?'
asked the operator.
"To Captain May-Raymond May, Phila.
delphia. just address, please-nc other word
We intend it for birthday surprise to my
brother" 4F
Every we'll, ma'am Theodore p as soon
as the ladies had disappeared, "just write
down the address and tell the young lady be-
low that we are ready for her."
Virginia Lynne must have been hard in.
deed to please, had she been dissatisfied with
the face reflected in the mirror, as she took q
last glance ere leaving the saloon down stairs
A proud, stately young beauty-and hear,
free as the widest fawn upon the Eastern
hills.
"When can I have the picture?" she asked
"In about five days, maam," j
mo sooner! leave town tomorrow !"
s'We can send it to you by mail, wherever
you are, ma am"
'She hurredly wrote upon card "Miss
Lynne, Philadel phia," and pushed it toward
the man.
"There is my address-please send it as
soon as possible"
Captain Nays sitting room in the great
Philadelphia hotel was as snug little den as
man need wish for, with it's carved marble
mantle, bright patterned carpets, and luxuri
Gus sofas and lounging chairs, and Captain
May himself, as he looked smiling up from
the perusal of a heap Of papers to greet the
entrance of a companion, was no unfair speci
men of handsome young naval officer.
"Well, Charley?" ~ F5G
"Well, Aay-upon my word, if you're moi
up to your ears in those old navigation charts
again. It's enough to make a lazy man ache
to see you work ~
| cts time to work." said May, good humor.
edly. 81 expect sailing orders in about o
fortnight-and glad I shall be when they
come" ,,-r
"Glad p calculated Charles Monroe, throw.
ing himself into chair, and biting the end Of
his friends quill pens. al .
MAY, you'rea perfect problem to meas
uneasy on dry land as fish. can't under.
stand it-hangedifI camp .-s@
'Perhaps you could if you had no home
ties-nothing to look forward to-nothing to
make life pleasanter in one spot than another
Since Minnie died" .....-. =.
He stopped abruptly. Monroe leaned over
pardon me Raymond I'm stupid, blum.
dering fellow, know, but don't mean to
i hurt you by my careless words. Still there
is your child left you"
'Dear little Harry" said May, half smiling
'buta year old baby isn't much company
for man Of thirty, you must admit. Be-
sides, he is far better off under thu loving
care of my sisters than he could be with me. .
| "True,' said Monroe, twisting the quill
around and around his fingers "Who is
that knocking? Letters Ell? Don't mind
me, open your correspondence
May complied, tearing open the envelopes
and glancing over their inclosure, until he
came to the last one ! As his eye fell on il
he uttered an exclamation of establishment
..What beautyl" CALCULATED Monroe, who
with the privileged impertinencc of long es
tahl;shed friendship caupht I'M the letter a,