Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-06-07

SpcHhs dS st1e sthlu OuiN OHe uuts CIc W tie
followed by sad Mrs. Winkle, who had
survived two or three husbands. wore a
black breast. pin like small tombstone.
had n memorial snuff box. made low spirit
ed bread, and punctuated her remarks with
deep sighs.
Sofuneral was herappearnce. so deprcss-
ing her influence, that we seemed TO be
dwelling in sarcophagus and was not
sorry to learn from the communicative
nsighbors that she couldn't make up her
mind to stay, didn't think it looked well,
Mr. Pratt .being widowcr SO, and such
sociable man.
tired to recall what had ever said to
the bcreayed Mrs. Wrinkle which would
stigmatize me as a very sociable man ; but
could remember nothing l might not have
uttered with propriety in graveyard. SO
concluded her apprehensions arose en-
trely from my "being widOwcr so. -
The next was lady who loved ro
nance, and wrote many splendid things.
But "she wouldn't do for me " on accelnt
Of her propensity for giving teaspoons to
the pig. and dropping pins and fish bones
into the gravy. would have overlooked
an occasional dish cloth in the pudding.
Oub NHcu ~ CdihC w
all the father rose within me. and, at the
risk Of wounding the feelings of the poet
ess, | advised her to seek some more con
genial employment.
"Alas! " thought /. "a foreigner would
not come amiss. Much as the village
pride themselves on good american help
would be thankful to set my two eyes on
a capable Irish girl who is not above her
business.
One day the unhappy Caddie informed
me that Miss Peters from her observatory
had seen the chickens entering the kitca-
en-, the mop reposing on the wheelharrow.
and the two youngest children rolling a
sieve for hoop. Under such circumstan-
ces it seemed to Miss Peters that "a head
was needed I" She wondered if in all my
experience had ever tried to engage the
daughter of Widow Wilcox!
Widow Wilcox :" The name sound
cd familiar, though during Ou- short stay
in the village had not to my knowledge
met such a person or any OF her daugh-
ters.
called on Miss Peters for more def.
nate information, which found her very
ready to give. She was lady of some
| fifty silgle summers, with cold eye. like
| thick. blue ice, and a face that looked as il
it had been stepped in the vinegar Of crush
ed hopes.
The Widow Wilcox lived, she said. on
the Low Farm "that was. " You turn
cd off by the Academy. and kept on about
half a mile till you come to leather col
ored house with green blinds and laylock
bushes before the front windows. Mehet-
| -. ,,l %hnr
in Piccadlly her folks were good livers,
and she could cook as nice yctuals a'
Queen Victory.
BY anxious inquiry learned that she
did not wear curls, neither took snuff. nOl
sighed between her sentences. and was moi
so literary as to cndanger either teaspoons
or Juvenile windpipes. There was but one
Objection. Miss Peters assured me Mehet-
able hadn't been used to living out mach
and might feel above it. The family Were
As poor as jobs turkey Il have siIce con-
suited kitto's Commentaries, bat find NJ
mention of jobs keeping poultry, J but il
spite Of their poverty they were ':bis feel
ing, stuck up and proud. -
sighed, and remarked with pathos tina
had already suffered from the arrogance
of American help, and if the characte
of the incompatible Miss Wilcox wa
such as represented | should despair of
securing her services.
Miss Peters soothed me with the assur
ance that she didn't believe but Meiritabl,
would come for a while, anyhow, just It
accommodate and with this hope | left my
kind neighhor and betook myself to the
.eathered colored house behind the lay
lock bushes. 1t was quite unlike th'
habitations to which had usually beei
directed, and had, SO to speak. cultivate,
air. a well-bred lady in n widows cal
hmet me at the door, and invited me to en-
ter inquired for Miss Mehitabel, ani
my hostess going to call her did not aGall
return.
While left alone ! had time to look abou
me and observe the appointments OF tn
room. which were in harmony with tn
taste and refinement so evident IN tn
grounds. The books scattered over tn
centre table were such books as one see
in any family of culture the engraving
and paintings on the walls. though some
what cheaply framed. had been admlrahl
selected; there was even a piano III tn
room, with abundance of the best sheet
music | found myself so we'll entertain
ed hv some steycoscopc views that ha
nearly forgotten my errand when Mis-
Wilcox entered. can hardly say wa
surprised to see a graceful. we'll dresse
Young lady, for her surroundings had pre-
pared me to expect it but certainly ha
not looked for such qucenliness of manner
muttered an inward protest against Mis-
Peters who had directed me 20 this plec
of elegance. and another against IN