Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1867-04-19

refinement, had In her composition q
tincture of the strong-minded. And
why, asked myself, should not lady
4 do okitchen-work for distracted families
as well as write poetry for thankless
i editors? 1t is the mind that dignifies
i the employment. ''Act we'll thy part
there all the honor lies.n
1Fortifying myself with these refiec-
tions, began with tho meekness of
Tom Pinch to describe the desolation
and anarchy of my home. told Miss
Wilcox had always supposed children
We're as easily trained as pea-vines,
and not liable to send out tendrils In
any perverse or inconvenient directions
but found myself utterly Mistaken
Now "there was no king in Israel, and
every child did that which was right
In his own eyes,
Sine seemed sorry for me. I went on
to describe the Incompetent servants
we had had, and the state of complete
despair at which had arrived. Pres
emily observed she was smiling, not
derisively, but because the details
which related were irresistibly anu
singt haaa ais2 a
Encouraged by her manifest sympa-
thy, will you believe was mad enough
| to ask Miss Wilcox to come and do my
4
pulse which prompted me! Woe to
the malicious Miss Peters who had sent
me hither on purpose to make game of
me, and at the same time to humiliate
the high-bred "Mittie."
| "My dear young Indy" said I, clear
ing my throat with now or never
| resolution, "it is true 1 have seen you
but short time, yet you already seem
like aa old acquaintance; and even
before ] came here this evening / knew
You by repntation.n
Here hesitated. Miss Wilcox was
evidently wondering what ! meant to
say next Wondered myself. II will
put 1t on the score of humanity
thoughtI. sa.4 l.1 Isl.
"As I was about to say, my dear Miss
Wilcox, Will you, whom justly deem
the-the--very person most fitted for
the position--will you-with your wo-
mans heart, seeing me as am--as a.
suppliant, i may say, at your mercy,
will you take pity on me and"
Here / paused for want of word
which should be sufficiently inoffens
sive, and at the same time convey my
meaning. L looked at Miss Wilcox,
who seemed to be bracing herself to
meet some kind Of shock. How
could I, though with the gentlest cour-
tesy, ask this exquisite young lady to
be my cook and chambermaid? But 1t
was necessary to proceed. ..a.
'"I hardly know what you will think
of ne,n said L, with a CHASTITY smile,
.sfor i seem to be tongue-tied, or par
| TALLY so, but I--I--if you would con-
descend, as L said before, to take pity
on poor bereaved man with a helpless
little family, motherless as you may
say, feel-I know-that your pres
ence at my fireside would make me
happier, would make"
Miss Wilcox looked agitated.
"Mr. Pratt" replied she, seeing that
| had come 70 long dash, 'you have
taken me entirely by surprise, 1t Is
| true you are not unknown to me by
reputation, and / remember your dear
| ''Ah,, yes?n exclaimed /, resolved to
make an appeal to the better feelings
of Miss Wilcox, who was, / feared,
about to slip through my fingers
"And my sainted Elizabeth, Ii she
could look down upon us, would, am
sure, bless you for trying to soften the
| lot of struggling man. Only say yes,
nay kind friend, and--name the day"
/ was intending to say "Set your.
own price," but the mention of wages
TO the exquisite young lady before me
seemed absolutely impertinent. In my
embarrassment L quite forgot that /
had not yet stated what 1t was wished
her to do for "a struggling man, But
my unconnected words had evidently
conveyed to her some sort of meaning,
for she had become very pale, and was
leaning against chair for support. -
| She saw L was awaiting an answer.
"Mr, Pratt, said she, In tremulous
| voice, "allow me to say that i regard
your proposition as a little ill-timed. -
Why this desperate haste thank
you for the honor you do me-, but ut
least allow me o. little time to become
acquainted with you. You cannot eK.
pect me to bestow my affections upon
an utter stranger, who has not even
professed any regard for me.
Imagine the situation! 1t came over
me like lightning, flash on flash. Here
had been stammering and suffering
proposal to this girl! At any rate
she thought so. What should do Z
What could do !? The perplexity may
have been ludicrous, but / am sure 1t
was very, very embarrassing! How
could / tell her that what she lad mis-
taken for aiI. offer Of marriage was only
request for her services in my kitch-
No, II L had to burn at the stake I
couldn't do it. Al man of expedients
might have crspt out Of such q moose
not r. Moreover, I didn't feel half SO
wretched us should have ex pected.
NY heart gave double beat--half
fright, half Joy. The fact that had
by pure accident taken n fatal step, and
could not retrace 1t, struck me then and
there as \ special providence. had
done IL with my eyes shut, but, in Gu
pid's name, what better c6uld I have
done with my eyes open Here was q
superior woman, acknowledged even
by the envious Miss Peters. to be cap
ital housewife, and TO my knowledge a
charming cofnpanion. What more
couid1 AK III a'wifef I thought very
fhst, but the more / thought the more
certain was that had only anticipa-
ted matters little; for was already
in love, and must inevitably have come
to proposal sooner or later. 1t was
over, and hadn't had it to dread either
-s0ne compensation this to q diffident
mani
So without any very prolonged pause
i took Miss w Wilcox's hand, and this is
what / said to her as was leaving the
my dear friend, do not ask you to
take hasty step. Consult your own
heart and. that you may do 80 more
ehectuafly I hope with your leave to
give you frequent opportunities of con-
tinuing our acquaintance. Take time
to consider; but, believe me, your de-
cision will materially affect my happi-
ness. Goodnight. 4,,.,t 49, 80
Her answer was given two months
afterward and, II. the editor had not
objected, I should have published last
Christmas the following remark:
Thanks to the malice Of Miss Jeru-
sha Peters, the delighted Jfmes Pratt
Y the very obliging Miss Wilcox. No
cards. y \. s,ls. - i,a6ts9s,islss ....