Litchfield enquirer., 1872-02-15

| week, to wash dishes and tend baby, and I in the last days offered up sweet incense ! to ike expectant guest, from spicy! loaves of cake, crisp cookies, and tempting pies I--that the week might be left as clear o1 work as possible. Fs ts Maria Starr! said Esther Bradley, thoughtfully, slowly shaking her head as, after the first warm, embrace, she held Maria's hand, and stood looking full into I her face. No, no, 1t cannot be. They say that one year of married life usually 1 ages woman more than ten of single, and begin to believe it. Why have you done so, my dear?' '..,..,...s.,E- ,'...-.. Ii Worked so hard, and made an old wo- l man of yourself. You mustn't do it any more. Why I used to be two years the ] older, and now do believe I'm ten the I yonnger:' She looked like it, so charming ly fresh and fair, her hands soft and white, dress and hair all neat and tasteful, ey- l cry thing in her tout ensemble speakine of a care-free life Maria felt the differ ence quite as keenly, and far more sadly than Esther could. A 4u.sa g,r- l Over the embers of the parlor fire, that evening, they had their first confidential talk. Baby was asleep for the night, and Henry never liked to sit up after clock so the two friends were all by themselves. l They toasted their shppered feet, let down their back hair, like couple of school girls, and schattered away like two mag pies. ..-r-.. sf.- g.. E
 And when is Queen Esther going to find King Ahasuerus and settle down ?" asked Maria, at length. E~~z .'.''. .'- Not till I've had my play out, was the reply. I've seen enough of the folly of l throwing away one's youth for the sake of wedding ring -. Yet you ought to have home of your own, and somebody to take care of you' My boarding place, with my charming little 'snuggery' does very well for a home for the present, and as to being taken care ! of, haven't the least idea I should find a man who would do it as we'll for me as I do for myself. -...o-
 But you'll wear yourself out, by and by, and if sickness or ald age comes, then you surely will need a home. .'3 Who looks the most like wearing out, I wonder, you or me? A life of writing is pleasant, easy life in once sense, that is, If one has the natural talent therefor; if they have not, an elephant might as we'll expect to earn a living by dancing the tight-rope. In another sense, the work is
 
 whole soul into it and do your best, in or der to succeed: But I enjoy it, and it pays pecuniarily, too, as anybody will find who can write well in these days. Really good writing is in great demand Of course there are plenty of people too lazy to do anything else, who try to make 8 living by writing, and fail, and they ought to. How many times think of our school days, and how far ahead you were of me in natural talent! If you had but culti- vated 1t, who knows what you might have dOne?' l.''T -f-
 I never felt as though I had talent enough to succeed in any such thing said Maria, in surprise.
 And so you keep it hid in napkin, like one of old. I'll warrant it is dim and rusty enough now, from the damp of years of inaction, when it ought to be bright and glowing. doubt if 1t is morally right for one to de ga: We are all made for something, and I don't believe, you were made merely for asadradge You haven't the muscle and sinew for 1t. And you cannot expect the brain to do its work drudgery.' ''- '''.'
 'I-should presume not sighed Maria. If writing is to be your ife-work, Iwould not recommend you to marry, for that in- wolves work and cares innumerable.''
 Of course, and don't want to combine the two. Now sometimes think of hir- ing few rooms and keeping house by myself, but don't want the care. The mere work would be only good exercise, but l must keep my mind free, in order to do myself justice in my writing
 What if you had house and dairy, husband and baby, ducks to pick and chickens to feed ? laughed Maria. d. I would throw my pen into the we'll and burn un my paper, that might not be tempted to write under such circum- But can you always write just when you please ? queried Maria. o a3s .-I
 Perhaps not always just whatI please, but if keep off care and dyspepsia, sleep we'll nights, and take plenty of out-of-door exercise, can almostbid defiance to times and seasons all events, can write something, To be sure, there are times when ideas come of themselves, and other times when one must go half way or more to meet them, just as sometimes when you sit down to write 9 letter, your pen does not begin to keep pase with your thoughts and again you have ::to think long and vainly for anything to write. But it is a great deal to be at liberty always to put down grand ideas that occur to you, and not have to wait till their freshness is all soaked away in dish-water, or dried up over. the ironing table. sr.,e.s r.. r,ess lG
 As should have to, said Maria. Yes my dear, I can see you are right in let ting King Ahaseurus reign alone, till you have written yourself out, at least. ...
 I doubt if ever marry,' said Esther, soberly. T don't see any great induce ments in married life, as go about the world, for marriage in books and mar riage in real life are as different as rich poetry and plain prose. am the last one of our set of schoolgirls left unmarried, and now that I've visited you all, | wouldn't change places with any of yau. You, for instance, have 8 pleasant house, a kind husband and pretty baby, but you are slaving your life away, and so I find each one of you has some, serious draw back to what I should call happiness. You remember Irene. Fisher, and the wealthy match she made -
 osOh, yes. The beautiful Irene, we used to call her, and what of her?' LilTla oof 2, 5 I spent 2 week with her last summer, and her husband. is certainly the most mseriy, sordld, jealous man l. ever saw. Somehow, could never get chance to speak word with her alone. I used to imagine he suspected me of being man in petticoats, or disguised thief, he watched me so closely, and Esther laugh ed merrily. . af ,..,;h...te,. ,Ftsf. adj ;: al
 Poor Irene ?, said Maria. I'm afraid her wealth doesn't make her happy. aa Indeed it doesn't. Oh, I protest I. would never marry g pig for the sake of living in a. gold pen. But come, I'm keep ing you up late, and you will not be fit for work to-morrow, so good-night' sa 1s |so The next morning Esther appeared in q print wrapper and large white apron, and insisted on helping Maria about hermorn- ing's work. After baby wakened from his forenoons nap, she wrapped him up warmly and put him in his cart, then drawing him out into the sunny orchard, she piled his lap with rosy checked apples