Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-11-01
ONLY A MECHANIC.

IHE snow was falling like myriad
flight of tiny, white.winged birds, the
December blast howled mournfully
through the twilight streets, when the
lights were beginning to shine out, here
and there solitary beacons Of fire, and
Grace and Myra Payne were sitting be-
fore the crate in their cosy, well-used
sitting room, talking.
Grace had been darning stockings, a
piece of domestic finger-craft not particu-
larly ornamental, but nevertheless most
essential, and Myra was dotting the edge
of shirt collar with stitches like seed
pearls, but it was grown too dark to
work now, and they sat in the ruddy
shine of the CRATE fire, enjoying the sea-
son commonly known as "bliDd-man's
holiday"
"Now. Grace, Pm sure you'll think bet
ter of it," said Myra, coaxingly.
Don't think there's the least prospect
in life of any such thing" returned
Grace.
Stay, though. We have not photo
graphed our heroines for the eye or the
readers fancy. Well, they were two
very pretty girls, although in somewhat
different styles. Myra, the elder by a
year, was tall and slender, with dark,
languid eyes, an oval face, and jet black
hair, slightly rippled, while Grace was
small and sprightly, rather inclined to be
plump than otherwise, with big, brown
eyes, full of liquid laughter, a skin like
rose colored satin, and brown curls which
could no more have been coaxed to lie
straight than so many grapevine tendrils.
You are really going to marry com
mon mechanic !' persisted Myra, remon-
strativelY.
"Well, I think he's rather an uncom.
mon one myself"
"But our papa is gentleman"
"Our papa is lawyer by profession,
Myra, but don't think he is is any more
of gentleman than Walter Genlis."
mechanics are not gentlemenp
Eyes they are, if they behave them
selves Now, look here, Myra," and the
big brown eyes became very resolute, 81
am very glad that you are engaged to a
Wall street broker, who lives in brown
stone house, but don't think that gives
you the privilege of criticising my loverP
"But he is so poor, Grace"
"He has health and strength, and hi;
own strong right arm to help him."
"And y0u will have to work"
"Well, what then? My goodness gra
little hands, "what do you suppose Mest
were given to me for? To wear kid
gloves and diamond rings only, and to
gather roses? No, indeed! l can find 8
better use for them than that"
"Grace, you are perfectly incorrigiblep
eyes. am; so you may just as well
leave off lecturing nae" said Grace, sauci
ly. 81 plead guilty to all your accuse
tions. / am going to marry nothing but
mechanic. shall live in half house
/ can't go out in carriage, nor give par
ties, and l think it very likely that 1 shall
not unfrequently wash dishes, sweep
rooms, and iron my husbands shirts
And through it all I expect to be very
happy"
Myra sighed and abandoned the useless
argument. What was to be done with sc
very unreasonable damsel as this?
A bright little hearthstone-a kettle
singing on the hob; the crimson carpet
not Brussels, nor velvet, but simple in
grain; and the plain, neat furniture, with
Grace smiling at the ready-spread table
this was pleasant home for Walter Gen
lis to come to after his days work, in the
great machine shop, was over.
Upon my word" he said, gayly, 81
think we're happier here than Myra il
her big house, with her parties and hel
visiting list, and her swarm of servants
Do you know, Oracle, almost felt at one
time that l was doing wrong in marrying
your"
"Wrong, Walter'"
"Myra seemed 10 think you were sucf
a victim"
''Do look like a victim9" demurely
asked Grace.
"Why, no, can't say think you do
but wish | could have brought you to {
house all of your own, my pet. Never
mind; some day we shall reign in pal
ace worthy of you"
Nonsense, Walter; could be happier
anywhere than am with your"
Are you happy, lover"
She rose from her seat and came over
to her husbands side, looking full into
his face with eyes so eloquent that all the
dictionaries in creation could not have
spoken more plainly.
Yes, he knew that she was happy.
Mrs. Linley, too, thought that she was
happy, and pitied poor dear Oracle
from the very bottom of her heart. NJ
servants; no silver napkin rings; no dou
BILE damask table cloths with embroidered
monOgrams on them; no carriage; nj
Wilton carpets, nor brocatel curtains
What would life be worth without these
And then, too, she lived so outlandishly
actually dining in the middle of thu
day, and having-good fates s!-pork anC
cabbage occasionally and fried onions
Mrs. Linley was quite sure that she coulC
not have existed under such fearful con
catenation of circumstances.
"Of course we must continue TO visi
them," said Myra, inhaling the LubiI
perfume from her Valenciennes edgeC
pocket handkerchief, ''but really / an
quite ashamed to have our carriage seer
In such commonplace street."
"She's your sister," said Mr.. Linley
"and Gellis 10 good fellow, after all /"