Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-15
W Z FOU II .

= r,msrLabIe thing Tor rs tour sisters TO be ST
ting ia cOnclave. because we did Il over every
thing. from "a proposal vi marriage 10 the choice
az a new bonnet. (the latter event OF much
nore frequent occurrence than the former but
,m.ehOw to-day seemed to be more in con-
Gave than usu al. No wonder either when the
absorbing topic under discussion was the APP
preaching proposal OF marriage for Joan, from
eur cousin, Man CareS-nOt that We were calling
I'm cousin then; when We did il was only
beeause he was present. tie was only second
cousin either, almost as COOL as no relation az
an, and l can vouch that none OF rs ever
icuCht OF him a a cousin.
Joan waS suffering so acutely from the reac-
uOn Consequent upon her recent E1lnbIrg
gSietieS. that she did not work, OF even pref mi
10 90 She only sat idly staring at our
needles, as she enlarged upon her visit 20 the
married sister of Max; told US how Max himself
had come every day from his chambers in the
every y ight hat escorted her to the opera, or
a concert, theater. While Joan rehearsed
these fissipations Of hers, and sighed over their
recollection, Dorothy and Patience AMI |
worked away all the harder, just to show We
tidn't care a bIt about them all in the of
being Jealous. We had had our turns in Elm
burg. when Max had been pleasant AMI atten-
tive TO each; and though we had never hal
tales OF his devotion 20 bring back ~ Joan had
now, land we all knew it, we would sooner
Gie than recall the fact aloud before her. vi
course. we resented il a httle-tnat was only
natUTal-but nothing showed this except an in
creased attention 10 their sewing. ami a de
erease. attention tOJOaR'sndrTatiOns. cleaned
ore amiable little pleasure 10 myself. When
ever Joan had wrought narrative MP just 10
the point for Introducing some unusually srg
gestive attention from Max, 1 would either lose
my needle and make general and lengthy
cOmmOtiOn, or L would turn to Patience ant
discuss at great length some sewing question q!
hot the slightest moment to either OF u>. Why
should Man have chosen Joan before any one
lad chosen either Dorothy. or Patience, or me?
She Nas by no means she most attractive OF uS.
She wasn't half 30 sensible or domestic a. Dcro-
fhy. nor hair handsome as Patience. nor
hall so-Wei, at any rate, she wasn't pjosr than
rnet m ha w ftrI. flVa1a Nfr1.-
been MARRIED before Joan There was Dorothy.
eur eldest. in her corner OF the couch on .JoanS
right she was eight and twenty, only nobody
knew It but OUTselvcs-nOt even those pTvins
census men, for the figures after our names cot
lEmDiet mp in manner which couldn't heiD
having a lowering effect on them. Then there
was Patience opposite her, sitting. as usual, very
upright IN her chair; she was the beauty of the
family, a. every OHc klew-aS she knew. az any
rate. AMI there was myself ON Joan's left,
eWlte on the shady side at twenty, which Joan
hadn't reached yet. Why, of course, We all
ought TO have been married before her. Yet
We had now 70 entertain the prospect Of oficid-
ting al her wedding first of ali. II ,crs mOrtify-
ing, u say the least of it. Yet the fact had a
Iedeeming point, too. 1t was better for to
be married than none. We bad been four
grown-up sisters for a good many wears now
(the worst OF Max was that he knew exactly
Aoc many years-cOusins always know those
unpleasant things,) and IL was growing Samey.
Four was such an alarming humber. Yes. al
ter ali, it was a thing To thank Providence for,
that Max was going TO marry one of us; though
have been more heartily thanked IL Max would
have married me, or next best to income OF
elders.
whats the matter, Barbara ?" inquired Pa
Jience, suddenly, 1 suppose because she my
eyebrows raised and my mouth down 1T the cor
HeTs.
81 was thinking what a good thing il IS that
there is the probability OF Max marrying one of
We are such an Overw lining number. Ii
must require superhuman courage in man to
propose TO one of four marriage able sisters, lie
must feel ike proposing to them ALL
"why l. it, unused Dorothy, putting in her
needle very deliberately, ''thAt four shoHld seem
such an enormous number when it bears upon
unmarried sisters? We shall not seem even
half 40 many when we are three"
I" And the others 60 on so much more easily
when one Is married." l put in cOnSolingly.
The married one msrres Oft one more of
course. That's her first duty. Then there are
two houses 10 visit; aud If one unmarried one
stays at each. they marry directly"
Yes do believe, )" said Patience, with mel
itatiOn, ..that many matches are brought about
through visiting brother in-law.;
1T often happens, too asserted Joan, with
an air OF experience s.that the best man at
wedd ng falls in love with
The best bridesmaid. That always hap
pens Which of Us viii il be?''
Patience, from her lofty pedestal, looked
scoTnfully across at Inc when made that
mark. OF course, she would be the best brides
maid a. far as appearance went-she knew that:
but then Patience waS-well her godfather AMI
godmothers at her baptism had not been gifted
with any reulark able prescience.
81 suppose Dorothy will be the first OF US to
marry. She naturally ought To be-" sighed
Joan, with a sentimental air of resignation for
which could have choked her, because she
evidently felt so sure OK being the first herself
unnaturally.
.sNo: il would lie Patienee first replied Doro-
thy, with just much resignation.
But Patience sighed resgnedly, too. and said
that under any circumstance (she didn't specify
the eireum>tances) she should be sorry to take
precedence OF her elder sister. or course il
sounded very we'll, but would not like TO have
tested her. They didn't assign me any right TO
be married before Joan, but If they had should
have answered with a much self-abnegation
they had displayed, anu should have meant it
just about as much.
lit was 80 kind of Max to bring me home,
wasn't it, inquired Joan, naively land he W as
so careful of me on the journey
''He certainly has the knack of making things
pleasant for one" spoke Dorothy, "and making
one pleased with oneself a. well a with him"
''Ihe ofteDer one sees him the better then :"
sail | sentsnt.Vusiy.
"Yes," assented Patience, "I IN not sorry that
he is coming next week"
IL supposed Won are quite sure he said he was
coming; Ell. joan" inquired l; always the scep-
teal one of the family.
s.ouite sure" returned Joan. reSuming the
Iaekadaisical pose OF her head; '.and quite sure
that be told me on the way home that be had
something particular 20 say TO us-he didn't
say 70 me, because itwould have been 20 very
marked"
''It i pleasan: change to have a gentleman
about the house fOE bit, pat III Dorothy, with
Elseidity.
lit always seemed 30 nice TO have him about
the house in Ednbsrg. :" sighed Joan. land he
was always 30 ind1gent 10 me; forever planning
some musement for me- or some change"
IL cont think Max very nice looking said
Patience let-hrely veering round because Joan
appropriated him, Though he l. passable. His
month h wide"
.'But, oh, his rnoustache quite hides it, ex-
claimed Joan with depreciation, land IL is such
handsome mOustache. isn't It, girls.
.I never particularly noticed + sar, Dsro-
thy, following the lead OF Patience; ..all mJa -
taehes seem the same 10 me-JuSt useful to hide
al ugly mouth
And CaTew i such a good name. isn't it,
inquired Joan again, nth pityiny smile al Is
80 different from Pendlethorpe."
"In two volumes inst All OF three"
That Was the only retort she either elected or
deserved
Then somebody ssd-snd I cannot he sure
Who 10 was-that IL wOuld Ice well for one of ms
20 write TO Max, and say that we should exsect
him by the afternoon train every day newt
week. mean OF course We should expect him
every day until we saw him. Then naturally
the question arose which should write.
81 suppose orght," said Joan. compiscnnilv.
why sO?' asked 4, with a snap. WHO 80
nj a. bOrOthy-being the ellest:''
'0r Patience?'' proposed Dorotby; ''she writes
the best hand"
Patience accepted the position under protest;