The Portland daily press., 1872-06-29
Summer Sweetings.


eyes, mother mine, if you say So
sit won't take you ten minutes.
mo? Where does she liver
ssFolow the orchard wall, and turn down
Lovers Lane, and it's the first cottage on
your left-so the servants tell me; I've never
been there" - -...ss7 ..-
Bert took the basket and followed direc-
tions, and just as he reached the first cottage
on the left Che door opened and out tumbled
ten or a dozen children of all ages" q
as this the widow Smalps? ?" he asked of
dmpled young person who stood just inside
watching the children's gambols.
"Yes," sail the sweetest voice in the
world, while two luminous eyes met his
eyes, this is the widow SmalPs."
"My mother, Mrs. Greaterex, sends her
these summer sweetings."
sob, thank you! Tell Mrs. Greaterex that
there is nothing l like so well as summer
sweetings.'
'sShe sent them with her compliments"
said Bert, ibbing awkwardly, but feeling that
he owed an apology to this vision of lowell
ness for having thought of her as an old wo-
man in a mob-cap. ~
''Your mother is very kind. Won't YOU
come in and see my fowers?"
eyes, l win. Are these your children?"
he asked.
"They are my little scholars. You must
have mistaken me for the old woman who
lived In her shoe ~ E5 r.7s1l=.-F
''Do you take care of all these flowers
YOURSELF" he asked, while she pointed out
her favorites. "What a poetical employ
mentp'
sob, it is not poetry, it is poverty that
moves me-" she replied. 81 make them in
bouquets to sell. Let me give you these for
your button-hole." Y
Thanks; and 1 will order bouquet Of
you every day."
I = !
are too generous. One of my little scholars
shall take it to you.'
mo; if you please, will come for it my
self.'
Certainly. 1t is time for me to ring nv.
bell now; recess has been over these five min
utes." -ae-l
81 suppose that is hint for me to be gone.
wish was little chap in your primer
class! Good-by, you will see me Tomorrow"
''Where hare you been, Bert?' said Caro-
line; ''the carriage has been waiting this half
hour
81 carried some apples to the widow
SmalPs," answered the guilty Bert. ''Moth-
er sent them"
ooh, did you? Has she any children ?''
There were half-a-dozen or more playing
about the premises" answered Bert smiling.
Poor folks always have such lot. Does
she have to take care of them herself?'
THAT seemed to be her occupation
cit must be disagreeable to be old and poor
too; to lose your color, and see your ewes re-
treating into your head, your skin growing
yellow and wrinkled. and your hair getting
gray. Is she an awful old fright Bert?'
you had better go and see for YOURSELF
laughed her brother, ''your taste is SO differ
ent from mine. That new panier for in
stance, which you wore yesterday, and
thought so stylish, is simply hideous to me.''
"Oh no. l hate the neighborhood of pov-
erty and trouble; squalor gives me qualm.
No; l will send her some of my old gowns
without paniers-f you think she would like
them, but don't ask me to go and see herr
And then they drove round and called on the
Upton girls, and Caroline lost sight of the
poor widow and her large family in dis
cussing the new polonaise and the latest
style of chignons. But Bert made
amends for his sisters shortcomings.
All the time that he chatted with Maria
gallant nothings, he was comparing her with
the widow Small, and finding flaws in her
beauty and demeanOr. Only YESTERDAY he
had thought Maria Upton the prettiest girl in
the world, with whom it would not be diff
cult to get maiy in love, but just now she
seemed full of Alterations.
''What is ON your mind?" she asked, sud-
denly. Excuse me, but you don't appear
quite like yourself"
"Nor you, either" he might have replied.
$50 much the better, perhaps he said in
stead
''Allow me to judge about that Come,
what good have you done since yesterday?''
''Good? Oh, yes; carried basket of sum
mer sweetings to the widow Small Isn't
that good?"
''Sweetings are good. She's quite an an
fiquity, this widow, amt she?"
Don't ask me; lady's age is sacred
subject"
''How consideratel Does she wear false
front piece and glasses ?'
SIS that an index of age? l know heap
of folks whom | never supposed aged who
wear false fronts, fit means that they smile
when they would rather frown, and say Pm
glad to see you' when they wish you in the
red sea.''
''Oh, how provoking you are, Mr.. Great
erex! But perhaps you will tell me if this
widow Small needs assistance-if she Would
like to go into the Old Ladies' home which
our society is about to establish ?'
Glow benevolent-minded you are, Miss
MariaP' Bert laughed. 81 almost wish my
self an old lady to be provided for by your
charity; but l don't believe that Mrs. Small
would take kindly to it, And then the talk
wandered into other channels. Yesterday
their Irritation had been in danger of falling
into more tender strain; to-day the widow
Small preserved their equilibrium. But Miss
gained. She fancied that he wished to with
draw from the halfconclusions of the days
before-that he desired to balance the past
account, which made up pretty sum total of
Bugared speeches and halfuttered declarations,
by crediting them all to friendship There
was an air of indifference about him which
she greatly mistrusted; but she would not al
low him to slip through her fingers so easily.
publicity OF private affairs was the bugbear of
the Greaterex soul; had she not received
enough fragrant notes and letters from Bert
to ans yer her purpose? Not that she would
descend to the vulgar necessity of breach of
promise, but where was the harm of making
him understand that he was compromised?"
Il have been reading Madame Sevigne's
correspondence" said she; "and it strikes me
that you resemble each other in possessing
the secret OF fine letter-writing, when most
people run into twaddle."
II don't know how to bear myself under
such burden ofpraise. feel that it is I'M
deserved
SIN order to convince you of its truth, per-
haps I had better allow you to reperIse few
specimens that have from one Mr.. Berthold
Greaterex. See! here they are; unlocking
cabinet and showing goodly parcel tied with
ribbon.
''Did 1 write you all those? '' said Bert,
aghast. "Let me see them"
"What are they?" asked Caroline, with
uraWinS Her atUentlon from the styles for an
instant. ''Oh, loveIetters-''
"Love-lettersp repeated Maria. 81 don't
know. Were they, Mr.. Greaterex ?'' aside.
don't remember" said Bert. sIet me
read them and Pn decide.n
81 don't dare trust you. People have a
way of burning up their old letters. if thew
can lay hands upon them. Now perhaps I
am silly and sentimental but mine are worth
something to me. By the way, Mr.. Great
erex, did you ever go into court when there
was breach of promise case on? jerome
took us in once, when they were reading the
love-letters, and it was so flnnyl Everybody
was convulsed. They were very nice letters
toop'
Bert turned little pale. He vaguely re-
mem6ered that at different periods he had be-
lieved himself seriously ''smitten'' with Ma
RES charms, and had, no doubt. written in
strain becoming lover, but how ardently
or how explicitly he could not recall. He
knew that there had been breach-of.promise
case away back in the experience of one of his
ancestors and though the case had not gone
against him, yet he had never fully recover
eu the tone OF his sensibilities, which had ra-
ceiyed such shock "N ~
Gave them to me,' said Bert reacb;no
his hand for them. reaching
WIN you give me anything in return
of equal value? Will you give me the nosal
gay III your buttonhole?'
1T is beginning to- fade. No, Miss I'm