Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-05-03
HOW TT ALL HAPPENED.

f
and Chorlotte says,"lf you please, maun, tw
letters for YOU Nonsense, | must be dream
ing and shall awake to find myself still
Miss Briitania Pummilge.
have been married six weeks last Wednes
day and yet now, when anybody suddenl
calls me Mrs lobb have to pinch myself Il
make sure | am still aesh and blood All
young people get accustomed to things quickly
but when you have been called BY one nam
for lorty-seven years, {, seems impossible eve
to change IT, However, I've changed mine
by a miracle for nothing short Of one car
effect a marriage in BinGcd | am sure
do not wish to speak against my native place
lt is the sweetest village in England, and fol
maiden ladies a most advantageous localit,
as regards economy and society; but, in m,
present position, may make bold to say /
has one drawback. There are no bachelors
in IL boys abound promising youths witt
nothing TO 10 are not uncommon, but mar
with position and an income however small
is never seen in BnGeld without wife b,
his side. Is Il any wonder, then that |, moi
at all beauty, should have some little bewil
dermcnt, in identifying myself as wife of Olin
thus Lobb Esq, and mistress of Cedar villa
Now, | am going to tell how it all happen
ed. Pamela aud | are the daughters of O
colonel in the army. He had retired as long
ago as | can remember; and when he died
he left us our little cottage and eco a year
lie denied himself many a comfort to do this,
and the memory Of our father is very dear tc
US. We tried to do as he would have wished
us and some years ago, when Mr.. Thomp.
son, most respectable man, but miller
offered me his hand and heart, Pamela said
O. No, we have our fathers position to main.
tain SO had to decline, very reluctantly
must own for be was a widower, and my
heart seemed to long to take care of those
two dear little girls. After that one offer |
never got another, and I began to resign my
self to what seemed my ordained portion. Not
that this was an easy task for am not like
Pam. She is very extraordinary woman
indeed, many people say she ought to be
man. Pam is one Of those people who never
give way, and | really could not say which is
strongest, her mind or her body, both being
gigantic II she had been walking about all
day and is brought to confess that she is a
little tired, the only way you see her take her
ease Is by sitting bolt upright in her chair
The suggestion Of a sofa or couch would be
met by whitening look Of scorn, only to be
produced by one Of those long noses with a
bump in the middle Pam is very proud of
the family nose. have often looked at her in
repose-l mean after she has retired-lying
with her arms crossed, really reminding one
sf those noble crusaders, or figures Of the
middle ages, one sees in cathedrals.
Things in this life 60 by contrarics, else
why was not | christened Pamela and she
Britannia ? Our mother so admired the novel
that she begged her irst-born might be called
by the heroines sweet name. This was one
OF the few occasions on which my father gave
way, but even then, conditonally-that he
should choose the name of the second and
he chose the name of Britannia, and, unfor.
| was the second When we were
children he always called me his chick, and
if we had dispute, he invariably whstled
or hummed Rule Britannia" But this did
not last long, for no one could rule Pam.
Even as a child, | felt her mental superiority.
Why at school | remember her repeating all
the rules Of grammar perfectly; scorning to
copy the answer Of SUN and positively un-
derstanding the use Of the globes. There was
but one oceasionon which felt the cratifca-
ton Of superiority, and that was when, dur
ing the dancing lesson, | caught our dear
mother approving smile as she watched me.
Pam detested dancing for, having very long,
thin limbs she did not show to advantage in
that accomplishment | am still an admrer
of Terpsichore, but if stand up for quad.
rifle with the children, always feel | am
making myself ridiculous in PANS eyes.
am very fond of children and young people,
and nothing has made me more pleased than
when some dear girl whom | have known
from child, has coufded to me her little love
story
| am afraid Pam is right. | am rather
l have often feH so sorry for my.
self that | had'no early oye-story Of my own
to look back upon 1t keeps ones heart young
and fresh. Pam says women were meant for
things than sitting thinking Of lovers
and whom they shall marry Well, of course,
she is right but | really do not know that
the women who take to chemistry, astronomy,
and all the ologies, are bit the happier or
more amiable and | am sure some Of the
sweetest natures and kindest hearts | have
met with have belonged to pretty, vain pusses
who delighted in turning the heads of all the
men they met, no matter whether they were
eighteen or eighty. must confess have often
ielt grateful that men are weak. Nobody can
understand this unless it has been
their privilege to be associated with strong
m tn1nd
q repose they are then fear it must have
been great trial to dear Pam to live with
me, not being kindred mind When have
thought her feeling dull on this account. and
have tried to get up little argument, how
have failed-my knowledge has
utterly fcrsaken me. And positively, some-
lines | had imagined from her silence that
she was getting interested But when got to
he end Of my say, then she would fix her eve
ipon me with, " Britannia may ask you, as
| personal favor. never 10 display your lamen-
able ignorance before a third person ? 8"
Either this, or | committed lapsus h5iQuq
n my mode of expression, and then, trying
eebly to defend myself on the score of Wal
,er or Maunder, Pam would demand, in
'olce which seemed to run cold down my back
zone, May | ask who Walker and Maunder
nay beY' | really felt quite confused be-
ause | had not the slightest idea, for, except
q the dictionaries, | had never heard of
ither of the gentlemen. 1t is certainly most
royoking in me to be so stupid and one of
ny great pleasures now is to hope that, by
ending many nice comforts TO my dear sister,
shall prove | have not been unmindful off