The Shasta courier., 1866-06-23
SHASTA COU RIER.
Miss Preciosa's Principles.

ciosa Lockwood. Even in that precise town,
where laughing was reckoned one of the
smaller sins, and the family in whose dwell
inc the lights were seen burning after ten
o'clock were considered dissipated, there was
a current Joke regarding Lockwood Cottage.
which giGdy girls dubbed " the nunnery, "
and some even went so far as to call Miss
Preciosa the Lady Superior"
Certainly never convent walls closed them
selves more grimly against mankind, gentle
and simple, old and young. What in many
an excellent spinister has been an atfectation,
was genuine with Preciosa.
Long ago. pretty little cousin, who had
been her confidante and omTAnion. had been
acquainted with a rascal with a handsome
face and serpent's soul. and had eloped
with him. They heard of her wearing vel,
vet and diamonds, but no wedding ring. and
driving about New Orleans in handsome
carriage, wondered at and admired for her
beauty. and Stunned for her sin. And at
last, after long silence about her dolngs, a
faded thing in rags came creeping at night to
Miss Preeiosas cottage, begging for Gods
sake that she would let her in to die. Miss
Preciosa did the reverse Of what most women
would do. She gave the sisters hand to the
poor VICTIM nursed her until she died, and
buried her decently, and thenceforward shut
her spinster home to man. She was barely
twenty seven and far from plain, and she
argued thus something in a stove pipe hat
and boots has wrought this ill-all who
wear those Mbiiments must be tabooed.
She kept her resolution. From the poor
house she selected small servant-mald
not yet old enough to think of 9 fell
lows' As cook she kept hideous old fe-
male, too far advanced in years to think Of
them. The milk was brought by a German
woman The butchers wife, by request.
brought the joints. Even the grass in the
garden, when it was too long, was cut by a
woman, and if a man approached the gates,
ancient Deborah, the cook. was sent forth to
parley with him, and to -obstruct his
approach.
Having thus made things safe Miss Pre-
ciosa went to New York, and brought home
dead sisters daughter. who had hitherto
been immursd in a boarding school, and the
arrangements were complete.
Miss Lockwood took her nece to church /;
also to weekly meeting. They spent after
moons out with widow ladies with no grown
up sons, or with spinsters who resided in a
solitary state.
The elder lady kept an argus eye upon her
blooming neice, and bold indeed would have
been the man who dared to address her.
For her part, Miss Bella Bloom was an
arch hypocrite. She had learned that at n
boarding school, where ingenuity is exhaust
ed in deceiving the authorities. and doing
always exactly what is most forbidden.-
Bella Bloom came to Lockwood Cottage per-
fectlv competent to hoodwink her aunt.
She did it, Preciosa blessed her stars
that her niece was well princpled. She
hated men. She wondered how any young
lady could walk, talk. be sociable, and marry
with them. And when she thought she
lived in a home where they could not intrude.
how thankful she was Aunt Preciosa could
never guess
And all the while Bella was chafng in
wardlv at the restraint, envying girls who
had pleasant little firtations at will. and
keeping up secret correspondence with one
"Dear George" who sent letters, under
cover, to the butchers wife. who brought
them with the beef and mutton, and said.
'Bless We. natur will be natur, for old
maids was a gal onst-before Cleaver
courted me-"
Dear George was desperate. He could
not live without seeing his Bella. He wrote
bitter things about spinster aunts. He al
ludeds feelinglv to those rendezvous in the
garden of the seminary, with Miss Glover
standing sentry at the gate, on the lookout
for governess and enemy. The first op-
portunity he was coming to Plainacres and
intended to see his Bella or die. Was he not
twenty three, and she seventeen? Were
they to waste there lives at spinster's bid
ding? No.
Miss Preciosa. with her argus eyed watch
fulness sat calmly. hour by hour, two inches
from the locked door of the cabinet which
contained the gentlemans letters. and dined
from the meats that had aided in bring ging
them across the threshold. inculcating her
principles into the minds of her niece and her
hand maiden. the latter of whom crinned
behind the ladys chair without reserve
Charity Pratt having grown to be sixteen,
also had her secret. 1t was the apothecary' S
boy, who, in his own peculiar fashion. had
expressed admiration at church by staring.
A few days after. DR.. Green the bachelor
minister, called at the cottage Deborah
went to huff and snap, and was subdued bv
big eyes, She came in
. Miss, said she, '' the clergyman is out
there"
"Where?" gasped Preciosa.
In the garden, wantin' you."
"Me?'
"Yes, Miss
You said l was out. of course ?''
mo. Miss. Everybody receives their
PASTOR
So the pastor was ushered in. He con
versed of church affairs. Miss Preciosa an
swerec by polite monosyllables Bella
smiled and stitched Deborah sat in a hall
chair on guard. Finally, the best specimen
of that bad Observation-Disclosures got out of
the house safely. and the ladies' looked at
each other as those might who have been
closeted with polar bear and escaped un-
hurt.
He's gone, aunty," said the hypocrite
g. Thank goodness said sincere Preciosa.
81 thought | should have tainted. Never
let it happen again. Deborah. Remember,
I o,,, oIr apoouod ~