The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1867-01-15
Hiss PfeciOsa'S Principles.

In the most precise Of country villages,in
the prlmmest mansion ever built, dweIt the
most precise maiden ever born-Miss
Preciosa Lockwood Even in that precise
town, where laughter was reckoned one Of
tie smaller sins and the family in whose
dwelling the lights were seen burning after
Ten clock, were considered dissipated. there
was a current joke regarding lockwood
Cottage, which gidJy girls dubbed "the
naEner!, and some even went % far as to
call Miss Pseeiosa the Lady Superior"
Certainly never convent walls closed
themselves more grimly against mankind,
gentle and simple, old and young. What
10 many an excellent spi0ster has been an
altec;atlJn, was genuine with Preciosa.
Long ago, a pretty IItLle cousin, who had
been her c9ud4aute and companion. had
become acquainted with a rascal with
handsome face and serpent's soul, and had
elopel witt him. They heard of her wear
ing yelyets and diamonds, but no wedding
ring, and driving about in New Orleans in
a handsome carriage, wondered and admir-
ed for her beauty, and Stunned for her sin.
And At last. after a long silence about her
doing, a faded thing in rags came creep
ing at night to Miss Preciosa's cottage.
begging t0l Gods sake that she would let
her IN 10 die. Mss Preciosa did the re
verse Of what most women would do
She gave the sisters hand to the poor vic
TN, nursed her until she died, buried her
leceuty, and tlenceforward shut her spin
ster home oman. She was barely twenty
seven aud far from plain, and she argued
thus: something in a stove-pipe hat and
boots has wrought this ill-all who wear
those labl.ineuts must be tabooed.
She kept her resolution. From the poor
house she selected a small servant maid.
not Yet Old enough to think of fellows"
Is cook she kept hideous old femeIe, too
far advanced in years to think Of them
Tie milk was br2u-htb 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 II man approached the the gates an
cleut Deborah, the cook, was sent forth to
parley with him, and to obstruct his ap-
proach.
Having thus made things safe, Miss Pre-
clOsa went to New York, and BROUGHT
home a dead sisters daughter, who had
hitherto been immured in a boarding school
and tie arrangements were complete.
Miss lockwood took her niece TO church:
also to weekly meeting. They spent after,
moons outwith widow ladies with no grown
up sons, or with spinsters who reside in a
solitary state.
The elder lady kept an argus eye upon
her booming niece, 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
a boarding school, where ingenuity is ex
haustad in deceiying the authorities, and
doing always exactly what Is most forbid
den. Bella Bloom came to Lock0 ood Cot
taga perfectly competent to hoodwink her
aunt
She did it. Preciosa blessed her stars
that her niece was we'll princjPIei She
hated men. She wondered how any young
lady could walk, talk, be sociable, and mar
r. with them. And when she thought she
lived in home where they could not in
trule, how thankful she was Aunt Preciosa
could never guess.
And all the while Bella was chafnr in
wardIy at the restraint, enyying 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 ia with the beef and mutton. and
said, Bless ye, natur will be natur, foy all