Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-07-17
stIeftto Storn.
A Sailing Party.

"Um," clicked Aun, Mary Child, in
displeased tone, as she emerged from
wards the beach.
What did you say, auntie:'
Nothing, Grace But Grace had
glanced also, and what she saw brought
a 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-yes ! it was-Jim!
But if Grace turned pale Aunt Mary
made up the equipoise Of color by be-
coming proportionally red. Her soul
was hot within as she gazed. To her
the ''salting party" was not merely q
pleasure excursion as TO the rest or
possible paradise as TO poor Grace !;
but a tournament, a battlefield, in
which Molly Pomfret represented one
knight, herself another, and Jim was
the prize TO be awarded TO superior
skill and valor.
"After cutting all his teeth for him,
and putting him straight through
mumps and measles" mused Aunt
Mary, ''it's a pity if l 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 writ
ten of her sex. She did not abuse
Molly, or drag Grace Goodsnow into
the foreground, as stupid woman
would. When dear, numbering Jim
suggested the addition Of his distaste-
full charmer to the annual merry-mak-
ing beside the salt water not word Of
opposition did he get from his aunt.
No, indeed! Miss Mary had seen
piggy too often driven TO Belfast by
being urged Tipperaryward, TO commit
such a mistake now. She smiled and
said, "Yes, indeed! let's have Miss
Pomfset, by all MEANS" But her secret
soul assumed its war paint, and vowed
that Molly should gain nothing by the
invitation SO skillfully angled for. Had
she lived fifly-one years in a wicked
world to be conquered now by pretty
faced, slipshod puss, without habits,
without faculty." without any OF the
virtues requisite in Jim's future wife :
girl whose gloves run to holes: whose
collars, generally soiled about the
bindings, were always pinned on
crooked, whose hooks, eyes, buttons,
shoe.strings. were all (Which way !"
whose top drawer was caution to be-
holders; who couldn't sew, hated to
dust, didn't care for flowers; who
might as well have been bora in San
Domingo as in New England. Is far As
the ideas in her silly head went-and
crowning sin of all-who "eame of a
bad stock" inheriting ''slackness" and
incidence from long line of shiftless
ancestors? No! if Aunt Mary could
help it, "Jim Child wasn't going TO
marry 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 q time, now
long past, when the storm which ship
wrecked her girlhoOd, and threw it high
and dry on the rocks of Spinsterdom,
was at his height. No human wealth
was so mucn to her in those days as
the touch of the soft, unconscious baby
fingers and, with the passionate afiec'
tion Of q woman who feels herself
doomed to be childless for evermore
she attached herself to her little neph
ew.
From that day to this, he and his
affairs had been the predominant in
terest Of her life. She made his kites
covered bis balls, knit his stockings
1t was to Aunt Mary's ear that al BIZ
youthful sorrows and secrets were con
fided, and that kind safety valve VA
still his refuge when the mighty care'
of twenty-one required an outlet