Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-02-05

woman presided with gentle dignity
which would have graced a throne. BE
assured, therefore. that do not mean
YOU. soft voiced mother, whose irrepress-
ible boys will occasionally talk slang with
their hats on, despite the maternal ex-
postulntion. They know very well, those
boys, that the home sentiment Is for. not
against, good manners. | mean those
homes where rule Is decried and ceremo-
ny defied, and every restriction with
merely social authority, pcremptorily put
down. And there are households such
as these where the term lady Is held in
disrepute-not entirely without reason
either, believe. 1t has been perverted.
Now, there is Sister Stowell," says
our friend the farmer, land her girls.
Why just look at 'em! Come out here
last hayin'-every creetur OF 'em with a
trunk bigger'n meat chest; an it was
! founces an furbelows, an trottin' all
over the lots mornin's, and dressed tit fur
lection ball, tiptoin' round on the pints o
their slippers like hen on hot hearth.
An as for the country, lawful heart them
ninnies didn't know no more about it
than couple o'city pigeons. twas oh,
uncle, what is this?' an Pray, dear uncle
John, what is that?' squealing like bloody
murder at June bug, an faintin' dead
away at mouse; didn't know broom
from rakc's tail, and couldn't make a
bed or sweep out room ef they was to
die fort. either one of 'em. | tell youi ="
and the farmer emphasized his scnti-
mcnt by blow of his solid fist upon the
fence -post-"I tell you, Of them's yer
fine ladies. just deliver me an my folks !!
That's all I've got to say To all which
sentiment we fervently calculated Amen.
| Il Is because the term lady, has in some
unaccountahle manner, become mixed up
with such parcels of irippery and non
sense as Sister Stowell'S girls that the
designation has become obnoxious 10 ma
ny sensible people.
Occasionally, however. there lights
down among these country homes a wo-
maa whose character affords glimpse
of higher level Of existence. Such
one recollcct Ii was a village among
the hills, TO which ayoung pastor brought
his wifc-a slender, fragile woman,
whose gentle grace would have distin-
ruished her among a thousand. aud whose
wonderful brown eyes had been the ad-
miration of cities ut home, and courts
abroad-a woman who added 10 native
loyclincss, lofty culture and Christian
principles. "She had buried herself
her friends said But the victim of inter
ment allowed no such reflection To steal
! away her own hearts content. Having
! followed the man she loved 10 these ends
of the earth, she brought all her powers
and all her practice 10 aid him IN his work.
Her smile could not have shown more
brightly upon 4 prince of the blood than
it did upon old Bob, the once tolerated
beggar of /. OF course. they were
shy of her at first. Men who would have
faced n rebel battery unflinching, grew
strangely confused before that gentle
face. By degrees they came TO know
her, To recognize 1.-The woman through
the LADY," they said When Nancy
Drinks child died at the poor farm
every one said How Fortunate" For
getting the misguided mother in her HUI
initiation and sorrow-it was the minis
ter's wife who washed the little thing,
dressing il in one of her lost baby's
dresses, and with her own hands laid II
in the pine coffin. You'd better b'heve,
! said Sam Stocker the undertaken, " twas
more powerful n any sarmon the parson
ever preached Told him so myself mex
time see him-je5t to see her standin'
there so still and sad like, one hand full
a white flowers, an the other smoothing
! Nance's hair: fur she was takin on, with
her head kind er bent down on the baby's
coffin, an the minister's wife, she was
stroking the poor things hair, an talk
in to her low, an whisperin' like. Why,
land, YOU wouldn't a thought you could
a touched Nance, Their amt woman
of We that would a gone up an comiorted
her, Only just the minister's wife. She's
too good to hev anything soil her.-l'm
clear to that pint" Quoth Sam, emphati-
cally.
There. too, was jim Hickson, a drunken
wretch. 1t was known in the village how
he had come home intoxicated one even
inc. and the minister's wife was there (;
how she stood, firm and calm, between
the raving madman and his sick wife,
until help came in from outside. These,
and many other things, served to show
the stuff Of which this woman was made,
and none of them, you may be sure were
lost upon the people of the parish. And
when the end came, for she died, on that
autumnal morning when the sound of n
to!liny bell was waited out across that
pleasant land of farms-when the listeners
had counted the strokes, only twenty
eight and knew that she was dead, one
deep fermentation went up from every
home and heart Years have passed, but
her name is still mentioned in softened
tones, and many simple flower is laid.
by rough though kindly hands. upon her
grave. Such woman is a revelation.
..ri - - z. -: .Ea,,lo cn,. tho cnlInfor-