Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-05-29
NO. 129.
QUALITY HILL.
IcoNTINUED FROM YESTERDAY. |

Even With her discerning foresight she
was not prepared for this announcement,
Earnest Seacrest being yet junior in the
State University.
Miriam looked steadily upon her work,
flushing with a look of painful annoyance,
but her mothers tone was as blithe as ever
'Yes," said she. Earnest is young,
insn't he But, alter all, he is as old as
was when | married. Our children take
us by surprise, coming to be men and
women SO much sooner than we expect
when do you look for HIM them ?" fall
tered Mrs. Woodcock, too much bewild-
''Almost at any time; l shall not be sur
prised if they come to-day" answered
Mrs. Seacrest, not able to conceal some
nervous dread.
Not dread that the married pair might
arrive before Mrs. Woodcock should 90
away with her long eyes, deep ears and
broad tongue. Oh, no! Mrs. Woodcock
would have scorned herself with con-
temptuous scorning if such an unworthy
jealousy had crossed her self-assured mind
So she sat, and sat. while Mrs. Seacrest
sewed and sewed and sewed and sewed.
Miriam, evidently unable to bear the
slow torture, soon found an errand to her
chamber and found no reason for return
ing.
WASN'T your sons marriage little sud-
den to you ?"sasked Mrs. Woodcock, as
soon as she had collected her ideas.
Somewhat But it is so much better
for a young man to settle upon some one
young lady rather than fall into the habit
of flirting" replied Mrs. Seacrest, with
cheerful satisfaction. "And have always
been in favor OF early marriages. When
people wait till their habits are crystalized
it is much harder adapting themselves"
Mrs. Seacrests sentence was brought to
an untimely end by the stopping of car
riage at the gate-the doctors carriage,
too, with the doctor himself to drive.
$50 it seems she knew all the time they
were coming this very day, though she
made it so vague And there was, as
my good fortune would have it, right in
the midst of the home coming" said Mrs.
Wookcock, afterwards, in relating the
story to Mademoiselle Widger
Mademoiselle Widger was the milliner
who lived only three doors from Mrs
Woodcock's, andi said "mon dieu," to APP
pear like a Frenchwoman. She was equal
ly fond of a cup of tea and dish of gossip,
and made all Mrs. Woodcock's bonnets
for nothing.
$50 there | sat and saw it ALL pursued
Mrs. Woodcock. And what do you
think, Mademoiselle, but Earnest came in
with lady on his arm older than his
mother My wife," said he, and you
might have knocked me over with one of
your feather poppies. There was never
such a surprise in Throckmorton before.
Mon dieu" cried Mademoiselle, with
Il little foreign scream. ''Did you learn
how it happened"'
mo more than the dead" replied Mrs.
Woodcock, solemnly. Mrs. Seacrest
tried to pass it off with her smooth it-away
manner, but she couldn't deceive me. |
could see she had hard work to keep her
feelings in. But there she poured the tea
and passed the cake to that old thing as
to cover up, and make as everything is
just right that happens to her."
$50 you staid to lunch ?'' queried Made
moiselle, helping herself to a third cup of
| that beverage from Mrs Woodcock's
round black pot as she spoke.
"Yes, they asked me and | didn't wait
to be coaxed. | thought it would be a
good chance to see the bride, how she
looked, and how she appeared"
''Well how was it ?" asked the milliner
between her sips Of tea.
"She appeared we'll enough as far rs
that went, if she hadn't seemed old enough
to be his grandmother You know Ear
nest is master young looking for his years
and | don't suppose he is day over
twenty"
but didn't you have any surmise how
it happened to take place." pursued Mad
emoiselle.
well, | suppose she must have been
worth property" returned Mrs. Woodcock,
who like wise general never acknowledged
defeat. But for all that, | don't COM
mend it in him, and had rs lief tell him
so at his dinner table,"
While thus the hidden affairs of the
doctors family were being discussed and
stirred up in the Hollow, rs hen stirs
among dead leaves, on the hill they were
being covered over like the lost Babes in
the Wood. 1t was never the Seacrest
! fashion to parade the family skeletons like
the family jewels. So they ate and drank
and laughed, and tried to look at the elder
| ly bride without shuddering.
But the age was not the worst of it,
She was homely. And her homeliness
was not the worst; she was stiff and un.
attractive in person. And it was hardly
the consolation that perhaps it should have
been to perceive the unlimited fondness
that the boy bridegroom had for his aged
companion. For it is really comfort,
though small one, ito see our friends
ehafe under degradation. Accepting
slavery with contentment makes the cap
tive twice slave.
However, the less the family felt like
saying sweet things, the more they pressed
the sugared cake, the ice cream and
strawberries, upon their new member.
But all this time there was something in
the background waiting to be brought
| forward, and it was the bride who had the
courage first to touch it.
Earnest" she began, with the DOM
inant air of an elderly aunt, IAN explana-
ton is due your father and mother-and
sister," she added, glanoing sharply at
Miriam, who was fairly seasick with dis
gust, and sorrow and modification.
"Yes, Lily, tell them," answered
Earnest, looking at her as though she were
sugar candy.