The Portland daily press., 1871-11-25

uONHs NOPV yOo IL iihA yOoloCil WILL oil
appetite after your walk to church,
Eyes, we'll sit right down." said Pinkie;
81 hope you find yourself with an Appellee
''Dear me, yes" said Miss Marigold, and if
her humility had not been so genuine. she
would have felt almost embarrassed at the
contrast with her own little preparations left
at home. The apartment also seemed so
crowded with furniture, and there was no
dividing seam i'll the carpet here; it was ali
sittinS-room, and there were peacocks feath-
erS over the lookng-glass. And she saw un-
der the corner OF the cloth that the table was
Oh SHINING mahogany. Then there were not
only three kinds of pickles. but siy stalks of
celery in very tall tumbler: no onions. but
the ught-waisted calico standing behind Miss
flnkham's chair, with peacock-feather flying
III one hand, and the other at liberty to re-
move the ooVe.s,
But Pmkham Sisters were so atfable that
there seemed very little restraint after an,
and Pinkham, when she had carved with
deXterity, begged to know Miss MarigoipS Ia,
Vorite part Miss Marigold declared sne haa
no favorite part; but after Plnkle had sad
with great freedom that she was never salts
fed if she couldn't have walker, and Pink
ham had said she considered there was no
| noFtion equal for delicacy to the left wing,
| Miss Marigold got up courage to say that
| she had rather weakness for the part
that went over the fence last, although
she always had some scruples about mention
ing it, Then she ventured to speak of the
table, and Pinkham said it was her mothers
and had eight claw feet, and Miss Marigold
said her mother had one with six claw feet.
and after that she felt perfectly at her ease.
So much SO indeed that she began to tell
them about the sermon, and its wonderful
appropriateness to the day, though she la
mented that her mind did not succeed in
tracing it as accurately as she could have
wished, and that she had found her thoughts
sometimes wandering towards common mer.
cies. But she knew the fault was her own,
it conld never have been with the subject
that was-The future glory of our country as
contrasted with the present condition of the
island of Zanzibar.
Meantime the stight-waisted calico, in ODE
| dience to various stately signals from Miss
| Pinkham, had passed one dish after another
| but being good deal crippled by the fly-bush
accomplished it slowly, so that just as Miss
| Marigold pronounced the word Zanzibar ~
| she raised something to her mouth that she
| had not tasted before, and the tears rushed
| violently to her eyes.
ga very affecting subject" said Pinkham,
as Miss Marigold was forced to take out he1
handkerchief quite suddenly.
'Oh, a very affecting subject" said
Pinl1ie.
eyes," said Miss Marigold, but her con-
science would not allow any such little sub
terfuge, though innocently provided by
another.
EYES," she repeated, 'but it wasn't alto
gether the sermon. Pm afraid it was the
pickle. So precisely like one my mother used
to make, have never met with it since
| Such reminiscenceW
"Ahp' said Miss Pinkham, 81 consider
| fhoro lie r,Of1ipu lilo
old associations. So pungent.'
Nothing like a pickle" said Pinkie, ''so
very pungent."
| 81 really must beg your PARDON" said Miss
| Marigold, putting up her handkerchief anG
| smiling, quite herself again, ''but it was 81
sudden; was so entirely unprepared Why
only this very morning, 1 was thinking owe
| all those things, and the changes that have
come, and the more thought, the more m,
heart seemed to sing. So wonderful the way
| l have always been carried through So mann
| merciesp'
The tight-waisted calico at another myste
rious signal from Miss Pinkham now disap
| peared, and after an absence of at least five
minutes, during which the Pinkham Sister.
were evidently suffering from extreme ner
vous uneasiness, reappeared with pudding
much the size and shape of very small can
non-ball, and OF such evident Importance thai
the fly-brush had been laid aside, and botl
hands lent to it's triumphal entry. After THU
crisis was passed, an air of repose, which Mis-
Marigold wouldn't have quite liked to sa,
she had missed before, stole over Pinkhan
Sisters, and everything went on more de
lighttully than ever; aud when Miss Mari
gold had declared it wouldn't be phy:icall
| impossible for her to eat another piece of tn
pudding as large as pea, Miss Pinkhan
proposed they should take their nuts and raj
sins over to the window, and hold thei
| plates in their laps.
| II consider there is nothing" she said
that finishes dinner with an air of more
ease and elegance, than taking your nut
plates in your lap. 1t places one SO entirely
at leisure, and at the same time allows one t.
| see all the passing"
| "Oh, nothingp' said Pinkie; $50 entirel,
at leisure, and one can see all the passing,
| Miss Marigold said she should be delighted
with any Way that would allow her to ca
them slowly, for she had really taken so mucl
more than usual, and then she fell into grea
admiration of the three nut-plates. which
Pinkham said were all that was left of he
mothers wedding dinner-set, that had BEEF
ordered for her in China, one hundred an,
thirty pieces, and different design on each
Pm sure" she said, 81 can't think how
Shoutd have been so overtalen. Of all days
in the year to appear like an ungrateful, dis
contented person! Why, was thinking this
very morning, as 1 sat in church, Il did not be-
| lieve there was soul there so called upon t.
| give thanks. So many merciesp'
"And yet" said Pinkham, ''you have seer
| great many changes"
oh, great many changes" said Pinkie
Yes" said Miss Marigold, ''but it is SC
wonderful the way l have been carried
through. Why can remember when there
were so many of us, and not one of them
would have believed could ever take care Of
| myself, and here l have never wanted for
anything, and it's only my left knee that is
lame, and this very morning l connted five
buds on my Glove pinkP' And a smile of in
effable sweetness gave the Miss Pinkhams a
glimpse of the superb teeth.
."Wel," said Miss Pinkham, that is a
great deal to say, especially the five buds at
this season, Still. Miss Marigold, if that
were all Pm afraid shouldn't feel as thank
full as you do"
"Oh, great deal to say" said Pinkle,
''but Pm afraid shouldn't"
but it isn't ALL" said Miss Marigold, stnot
nearly; but always feel such delicacy in
speaking OF myself. So uninteresting to a
stranger. But you know, dear friends" and
her voice grew low, and soft light shone in
her eyes, II am always looking for an inherit
lance, where we shall all be gathered home
once more. All these mercies that speak of
are only sprinkling by the way! And the
way Is so short, and it is so wonderful the
way | am always carried alongr'
''Well, it's beautiful thing if YOU can feel.
So" said Miss Pinkham, ''but it seems to me
very solitary way. l think of you a great
deal, Miss Marigold, and cannot feel that it
Is good Tor you. Now consider that it is a
terrible thing to be married, but if one had
not ones sister to live with, l dou't know
but l should even-''
"'Oh, terrible thing" said Pinkie, ssbut
L don't know but l should even-''
The light in Miss Marigold's eyes grew still
softer, as, with little knob of English wal
nut on the end of her stiletto, she gazed alb
ssently down at the beetles on the plate.
some day." she said, ',some day
not here. It's so many years since he was
"Now, you don't mean to sayr' said Pink
ham.
"No, you can never mean to sayr' said
Pinkie '''0
NO. said Miss Marigold, ''because don't
really know. Such uncertainties at sea. Won
know. heard that he was, and l suppose it
was true, though of course would not be-
neve 1t until was forced, But it is wonder
1ul now one can become reconciled. l felt so
aiVided 1or O number of years; but you've no
ldea now natural it has seemed now for a
myself' 'N'' ''en anu i've ny
They all fell into silence for a few moments
there was something so awe-inspiring in
having real love affair to speak of.
What should you say if he were to come
back ?-such things have happened" said
fIi1 suddenly, piercing pecan-nut and
ment. -o iiio
Yes, what should you say if he were to
come back" said Pinkie. "o'o W