Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-10-21
DOWN AT SALT.

and glanced down toward the beach.
"What did you say, auntie?'
"NOthing, Grace" But Grace had glanced
also, and what she saw brought gentle shadow
over her gentle features. Surely that bundle
shaped mass among the rocks below was Molly
POmfret, all rolled up in big shawl, with some
body else, and surely that somebody else was
yesl Ii ICds-Jiml
But if Grace turned pale, Aunt Mary made up
the equiPoise Of color by becoming proportion
ally red. Her soul was hot within as she gazed.
To her the ''salting party was not merely a
pleasure excursion, as TO the rest, a possible
paradise, AZ to poor Grace, but tournament, q
battlefield, in which Molly Pomfret represented
one knight, herself another, and Jim was the
precious prize to be awarded to superior skill
and valOr.
AFTER cutting all his teeth for him, and put
ting him straight through mumps and measles, -
unused Aunt Mary, sits a pity if can't keep
him from the clutch of an artful mink like that"
But, thus musing, she held her tongue, being
wise above what Is written of her sex. She did
not abuse Molly, or drag Grace Godenow into
the foreground, as stupid woman would. When
dear, numbering Jim suggested the addition of
his distasteful charmer TO the annual merry-mak-
ing beside the saltwater, not a word of oppOsi-
ton did he get from his aunt. No indeed Miss
Mary had too often seen piggy driven to Bel
fast by the simple process of urging him Tippe-
hayward to commit such mistakes now. She
smiled and said, eyes indeed; let's have Miss
POmfret, by all means" But her secret soul
assumed it's war-paint, and vowed that Molly
should gain nothing by the invitation skilfully
angled for. Had she lived fifty-One years in a
wicked world to be conquered now by pretty
faced, sGpshOd puss, without habits, without
"faculty," without any OF the virtues requisite
In Jims future wife-a girl whose gloves ran to
holes; whose collars, generally sOiled about the
bindings, were Gi1oGys pinned on crooked; whose
hooks, eyes, buttons, shOe-strings, were all
(Which way whose top drawer was a caution
TO behOlders; who couldn't sew, hated to dust,
didn't care for flowers; who might as well have
been born in San Domingo as New England, as
far as the ideas in her silly head went; and
crOwning sin of aIl-whO s'came of a badsto,,lx ;,
NJ ~ and ind
long line of shiftlesS ancestors {? No! If Aunt
Mary could help it, 80 Jim Child wasn't going to
marry a POmfret."
This big, handsome, sweet-tempered Jim was
in truth, the very idol OF his bright, breezy old
maid aunt. He came into the world at time
now long past, when the storm which ship
wrecked her girlhOOd, and threw il high and
dry on the rocks of spinsterdOm, was at its
height No human help was 50 much to her in
those days as the touch of the soft, unconscious
baby fingers; and, with the passionate affection
of a woman who feels herself doomed to be
ehildless for evermore, she attached herself to
her little nephew.
From that day to this he and his affairs had
been the Predominant interest of her life She
made his kites. covered his balls, knit his stock
1ngs. IL was to Amt Mary's ear that all his
youthful sorrows and secrets were confidel, and
that Kind safCty-valve was still his refuge when
the mighty cares OF twenty-One reGuiredl an ont
let. "Hcr boy, she called him. TO her mimi
ne was not only beautiful, but "yirtuousest, dis
creetest, best And here was this prince this
paragon, this centre and perfect chrysOlite !"
proving himself mere man, after the stupid fash
ion Of his sex, by slipping into the tolls OF girl
not worthy TO darn his stockings, even if she had
known how, which considering her antecedants
seemed imprObable! IL should not be- Aunt
Mary arrayed herself to the rescue.
Her first move was to borrow Grace G1O1e-
now, the girl whom, with that infallible instinct
which leads us 20 see the rights and wrong, of
other peoples love affairs more clearly than they
10 themselves, she had long ago selected rs thu.
wife Jim ought to want. But To borrow Grace
was not an easy matter, DIR. GOOdenOg being
strongly opposed To parties of pleasure and All
that savored of frivolity and '.philanderinr-
against which vag ne and anomalous ini1uity he
WAS wont 10 frequently and strongly inyeigh
A long morning OF argument was the price paid
Tor his concession Aunt Mary had TO face much
discussion and reprobati0n; had to hear that the
longing Tor saltwater. which she had incautiouS-
ly alludedtO Is natural was instinct shared
with brute beasts, prairie wolves savage biSOns
who gallOp miles to reach a click, and satisfy
their appetiteS: she had to listen to a vast and
erudEe body Of objection drawn from natural
ried her point by stringent reference 10 Grace's
thinness, paleness, want OF appetite, and adroit
alfusiOn TO an Aunt Esther. dead some twenty
years before of consumption, and "A rather hyp,5-
thetical - ncle Zack," who - kind of wasted
away, and went out like the snuff OF a candle"
When the dominic, on mention OF this worthy
began TO hitch uneasily in his chair, she knew
her cause was won, for, IN spite OF his big bow
WOW manner, the good man was exceedingly
sensitive and anxious about his only girl So
seizing the moment with a woman's quickness
y
steadiness OF the party, which she made out 10 lie
sort OF cross between water-cure and a camp
meeting.
I'm sure If you'd been with us last wear.
doctor, you would have felt gratifed a. did
really grIt fsd-at all that went on. None of the
boys ever went fishing or anything till after
prayers, which We had every morning regularly,
with the reading of the Scriptures. II did really
seem like an influence for good over the Young
aud for one considered il privilege to be
there"
Well, WELL said the convinced dominic.
/" the child shall 90. Perhaps she is not looking
altogether as well as usual, and, - you saw the
saline breezes may be beneficial TO her health
Grace, you viii be discreet and obedient am
sure"
"In see that she is" cried Miss Child, elate
with victory, - She shall sleep next me in tie
tent, and III keep az sharp an eve on her As IL
she were my own. Hey, Oracle You'll behave
yourself, and not fret even if DO speak severely
Grace laughed. The prospect did not seem
very formidable TO her. Every one knew Aunt
Mary" 80 called by half the girls in Duscnberry
and all young people at least loved her.
The intuitlOns OF unselfish and genuine affee-
ton may generally be trusted. Grace was real
ly the wife Jim Child needed, the Heaven
meant woman, the complement to his nature.
But though his aunt OWNED this, though Grace
half unconscious, responded already TO the in
stinetiye attraction, the idea had not vet
aawned upon Jim himself. The delicate
nOWer-llke girl struck HIM as dim aud colorless
Molly POmfret, with her shallow prettiness and
Mighty little airs and graces, caught his eve aud
immature fancy a thousand times more Not
that he was in love with her; but he had beoun
% think himself so-a most dangerous first STEM
Now, for the first time, the two girls were 10 be
eontrasted side by side, and Aunt Mary's hone
fui spirit proPhesied good results. " Men are
bind enough she thought; "but nothing les
than born idiot could see my Grace and that
fomfret girl together for ten DAYS and not find
out the dinerenee. If Jimreally is such goose.
be deserves his fate" eON'e'
SO now this long-desired " salting-partyv was
really begun There were the white tents. two
Tor sleeping and one for cooking; there was the
long, broad dlning-table rooted With bonghs
and the bough hut which Sheltered the wagsns
there, below the little knoll crowned with Mn,
Snd cedar, loyeliest OF spots for encamnment
hay the smooth beach, with its fringe of veast,
white foam, from which far away Stretched A.
expanse Of inefisole ocean blue. Long baTs 81
nix cloud still lay on the horizon; eastward the
fair, solemn moon slowly climbed the sky IN
was the very scene on the thought of which
race for a month past had smiled herself to
eep; but somehow, now that it was there yisi-
ie, tangible, lying about her, the sense or dis
ppOintment came with it. A faint chill crept
Yer her bright imaginings. " Something beau
tiuI had vanished" Could il be because of
that comfortable group below-Jim Molly. and
the mutual blanket shawl?
pretty cool to night, isn't it?u said iollv
MI; Cnid, emerging from the mems tent where
ne had Deen helping his wife spread the heds