Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-11-21

The Fortunes OF n Little
Old Maid.

Alice Hayden had been beautiful once ;
her youth WAS past.
Somebody will want 10 ask me how long
yoaih lasts, and will here state explicitly
that cannot answer the question. have
seen women old at seventeen, and young
q seventy; 20 am rather inclined to think
that youth dwslIs in the heart, instead Of
In rosy checks and glossy tressss, IS 10
generally supposed.
Alice vas about thirty-fvs years cd,
and dare say ysu will lift your hands in
horserr when you know that she 10 my her
cine. She had four sisters, younger than
hsrself. and prsttisr-that 10, in their own
estimation. Jeanette was married, and
had children Of her own and 80 was Susie,
aud both took especial delight in teasing
Alice with being an old maid. in . sistsrlv
sort Of way. you know but when the chill
dren had the Group, or the measles, or the
chicken pox, or chols-a iniantum, they were
crazy until Alice came aud assumed the
nursing and tho responsibility. And they
were quite in the habit Of remarking among
themselves that it was always proper to
have an cid maid in the family--shs was 80
handy In case Ofsickncss, or extra sewing
to be done.
Ellen and Lima we're twins, and lust
turned Of twenty. They were pretty, but
somewhat sslf-concsited, and just that state
Of existence when riches look to BE- every.
thing. Beth were aiming for . settlement
though, Of course, both declared they
would never marry; and whsa you hear
anyone make that observation, yeu may b
sure he or she 10 only waiting for chance.
Alice had had quite anumbsr Of respect
abe eGers in her day; indeed ut one time
she might have besn belle had Il not been
for her retired disposition, which led her
rather to shrink from admiration than to
court il.
Ellen and Lena tsassd her great deal
about the single state, and were fond Of
quoting an cid oeuplet, which has doubt
lees wouaded many dssslats heart:
There never - geese % gray and old. but
Son. seas:s ssaAss can. tia. wy. and ,o.l
her tor his Aaoe."
The grammar 10 that BIZ Of rhyme may
b defective, but he sentiment 10 unob-
jscs,snable; and poor Alice heard il upon
every occasion where u could possibly b.
brought In, probably because il panied her
% b thus reminded that she had Lost for.
evsr the sweetest thing that can ever come
60 woman's life-leve.
Once Alice had loved truly and tender
y. o. Il was il her nature to do. Lester
TrsuAolm and she had bssn brought up to-
gsthsr, and they we're levers in everything
but the name. He had never skoksn to her
81 lsvs, though HE every action expressed
the esteem in which hs held her. At the
age Of twenty-onc, he went TO the Indies
With his uncle, and Alice being absen. from
heme at the time. did not have the mclan-
sholy pleasure Of bidding him farewell. She
expected him to write to her though, per-
haps she never acknowledged il even to
herself. But weeks and months and years
rolled away. and BY and BY came the news
that b. had married, and then they heard
oothirg more from him.
Alice suffered deeply. because it must DO
borne in silence and without y mpathy. DO
you knew how hard II 10 to live on under
enc sfthese secret sorrows which the world
must never know Or mistrustl The spirits
must not Dag, the voice must never trsmbls.
the smile must BE- ready, always stamped |
ea the face.
Alice had hssn looking over her boxes
and bureaus one stormy winters day. ANA |
one he'd come acroes various little soucenirs
that reminded her Of this old leve. Some
no xsrs hs had given hsr-au engraving or
two-a knot Of faded ribbsn-sn old bud
-ahl what power such tribes have to Stir
shs heart She had just laid aside the last
q them, with half drawn oigh that life
Should hold % many dslicisns possibilities
without ever yielding fruitien, whom Lima
ea0s bnrssiag into her rsom with the intel.
lleeees she bad 70 communicate.
20, Alice isn't il splendid Don't vou
eAtnk Lester Trenholm has cone home ~
A2oe fell very weak and eiddy, but she
- lootaed 20 control herself, anS to held
~ teeliags veil In cheek.
sslIAs be, dear p she asked ouistlv
ooeash.
YEA. AID they say he's a. wealthy a,
) Joui Only think u i'll Ellen and
veep little bies Of girls whom hs went avsv.
hoe still can jest Ssosmbcr him. He used
= beine - candy. which shows he had :
1oooeooo dispeeitien. And let ne sse-
vnrn'e y q ed lover Of yeursi 2"
ssylo aesee speks " Ne Of levs," said
Al1oe. ooon6ily.
ssWslI. his wife q Gse1-dsad I've ysars
lnn. ny ~, end thsee = : chance for
SIo ~. Hllen - I nsaa e ~ eur caps |
90 - 1ont ". Nell Z"
Z = AD)o ~ bs1. ~ - VT
- - ~ hsasd Aunt okasSeeee ~