Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-12-30


have been broiIed alive
As | grew toward manhood. my bash
iulncss got no better. it was confirm
ed it had become chronic disease, n
irremediablc as the rheumatism, and
thousand times more distressing.
was frequently invited to quiltings
apple parings, huskiugs, etc; but neyc
dared to go lest | should be expected tt
have something to say to some Of tn,
feminine portion Of the company.
1t my mother sent me on any erran,
to house where there are girls, l usec
to stand half hour On the doorstep
wa i.ng to rap and if one of the afore
said girls, happened to answer the sum
mons, it was with the greatest difficult,
that | could restrain myself from takin,
refuge in flight And after | had got in
AMI made known my business, | knew NJ
more what was told in return than W,
know why the comet Of last summer hae
a curved train.
At church, | habitually set With avert
cd face, and cut my finger nails in fac
| had performed that operation for thos
digtal ornaments SO often that there wa
very little left Of them to practice uE on
| most dcvoutly wished that it had beer
SO that folks could have been created with
knitting work or something Of the kind
in their hands-it would have been SC
nice when one don't know what to dc
with his upper extremities.
As for feet, though not remarkably
large, they were constantly in the way
| have often seen the time when | would
have given all the world. had it been
mine to give, if | could have taken them
off and consigned them to obscurity it
my pocket.
One eventful day, my mother took it
into her head to have quitting. Early
in the afternoon | retired to the garret,
as the most isolated spot could think
Of, anl ensconced myself in bed. All
ihe girls in the usighborhood were invlt-
Cd, and | would sooner have faced a
flaming line Of armed batteries,
Such gay. JOYOUS time AZ they had
Of il, judging from the sound Of merri-
ment that occasionally foatcd up the re.
treat longcd to be witness Of the
froiic, | knew they were enjoying but |
could ret summon resolution enough to
venture from my conceaIment and so
wound the sheets round my head to shu,
cut the gay pcals Of laughter, and tried
to think myself highly satisfied with my
achievement. Was comfortable, and
>aie, - Ear as | knew ; but the hours
were long ones, and prayed Time TO
Jog en- his team little faster, if conycui.
cut.
Ey AMI by, the merriucnt grew loud
or; there VA, L pattcrine ct eager feet
un the glrrct stairs, considerable loud
in the passage, and an infinite
amooa. of g's..ia-. Good heavens -
What are they going to do? clut1hed
the bed clothes With frantic hands, and
drew them around my head, 10 the utter
ne.lee, Of the res, of my body, probably
b"Ii1ylnt, Ike the ostrich, that SO long as
saw nOa oly, nobody would see me.
Directly the docs was thrown opcn.and
evidently there was 4 consultation upon
the threshold.
Go in, FIory" said the cay voice ol
Kate Merrick. the pride and tease Of the
village. Il say 90 in What on earth
are you afraid Of? Roy Sunderland wou''
cat you, if he is bear :"
- But what will he think :" said Flor
encc Hay, softly. "lIe'is SO bashful
GooIacs., Kate how can | 2
"Nonsease. You must pay the forfeit
or your thimble remains in my possess
ion won't be coaxed over this time :.
returned Kate, decisiye'y.
There was a slight scutilc, and then the
eaear hands of the cotere began to pull
away my fortiGcations. | resisted with
the strength Of desperation. but | was no
match for a dozen irolicsome girls. They
unsyathed me, and while four of them
held nv two arms. Florence Hay kissed
me. Mahomet. Such thrill as went
through my heart! | devoutly wished
that she would repeat the operation but
instead OF doing so she scampcred from
the room followed by her boisterous CON-
pauions. Completely overcome, | crePt
under the bed, where | remained until
nighttaIl sent our merry visitors to their
respective homes.
We'll, the year passed on and brought
my { shteenth birthday. | had lost moth
ing Of my besetting difficulty. My mother
was thoroughly mortified by my conduct
and did not hesitate to lecture Inc sosnd'
ly on my folly; aud my Aunt Alice en-
phatically declared | wasahe most con,
.,mmatu fool that she had ever seen, /
knew it was true, but-so perveis' is man
i dil not feel at all obliged to her for
uttering it. 49,, :.
Que day it raincl little; in fact, 1t
often does so. Florence Hay was re-
turning from the village just as the show
er came up, and partly out OF regard Tor
my mother, with whom she was great
fayorite, partly out of fear of running her
new spring bonnet. she stepped into our
house.
Nv mother was delighted to see her,
and made her quite at home directly IL
was no new thing tor the little maiden to
visit nv mother; but on such occasions
| had always hitherto, taken fight to the
feId or the hay NOW. Now, however, 1t
was raining hard, and | was holding silk
for my mother to wind so a retreat was