The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-11-19


proach: me-" I thought to myself,
should think. so. AS he walked of:
after . few, minutes further converse
tlon, Of semi-oficial character I
suppose, l enjoyed the view of his
tucked-up pantaloons and his graceful
slouch hat Tapping up and down in
the wind like the wings of an i'm
mense crow, and consoled myself for
his appearance with the reflection
that any how one can approach him,
for he said so.
had one or two calls, of which l
must say something, since the callers
will have to figure now and then in
this story.
One of them vas that of a Miss
jackson. Now, Miss Jackson was of
the elite. Her appearance was that
of a very tall bean pole, very scantily
dressed: She had hair the color of
a very poor quality of brown sugar,
and eyes more the color of that which
cabinet makers achieve when they
undertake to initiate maple wood and
succeed very poorly. Miss Jackson
mdulgeaa in curls, consequently Miss
Jackson's shoulders were gracefully
decorated with ringlets of inferior
taHy, which 1 can't say hung, but
rather stood, around her neck with
the grace Of augers. Owing to the
unusual color of her eyes, her express
sion was not intelligent or calculated
to slay lover at a glance, The con-
sequence of this was that Miss Jack
son had never been guilty of staying
q lover. She had now reached, l
should judge, her forty and eighth year,
and at forty and eight lovers are not
SO plentiful as 1t ten and eight; con-
sequently, I safely suspect that a
spinster Miss jackson is bound to re-
main to the day of her natural de-
mise, and some mans home 90 una
dorned and some mans life 90 un-
sweetened by her presence and her
smiles, to say nothing Of the taffy
| curls.
Miss jackson was nearly as deliber-
ate in her choice Of words as she was
in the choice Of a husband, measuring
out each sentence with precision, and
holding her little round picayune
mouth in just the position in which
have no doubt she had previously
arranged it at the glass before setting
out from home. The consequence of
this was that it was somewhat painful
to be compelled to enjoy the society
of Miss jackson, and particularly so,
since, although Miss Jackson was one
! of the elite for she told me so, and if
she didn't know, how was I, stranger,
to do so?) she paid unfashionably
long visits-her first being not less
than three and a half hours by the
clock.
Her conversation was charmingly
spiced with French phrases, pro-
nounced naturally, that is in English,
and with as much airiness as if there
was not the slightest idea in the
woman's mind that she was not Civ
ing the purest Parisienne accent and
pronunciation. Such an avalanche
of this kind of French the creature
did get off in the course of that ago
nizing three hours and a half never
heard before, and I do sincerely hope
I never shall again.
She told me also all the news o1
the town-went back five years o,
more and traced the Joneses down
and the Williamses down and the
Bakers down-then branched off into
q minute biography ofthe Methodist
minister with whom I afterwards
learned she was so desperately in love
that she doubled the curls and took
in 3 fresh supply of French, in order
to catch him-but didn't)-then re
turned and charged the news Of the
village once more-then went from
limb to limb of her own genealogical
tree-clambering about with clumsy
tslowness from bough to bough-nov
hanging on to the trunk, now out t.
the very twigs-and conducting he
part of the entire conversation with a
much calmness and deliberation as
she were . judge charging jury il
an important murder case.
All the time not curl moved ou
of it's place. OF, I should say, not al
auger stirred. I said but little
which was a great relief, and fnall
. she rose and departed, which was
' greater.
l Miss Mary Primworthy, a youn
sister of the senior warden, also di
me the honor to call, bringing he
, syke dog. Miss Primworthy was {
) that species of takers who have to b
put upon the witness stand and que
toned, then cross-examined, then r.
! called to the stand more times tha
:! would, I fear, be allowed in a cou1
! ofjustice. In other words, in order t
! get anything out Of Miss Primworth
+ you had to ask her questions. Thes
t she would answer in simpering litt]
d voice, in monosyllables, then relaps
e into her previous state of silence an
n barbarism. Her voice always al
t peared afraid Of waking some imagi1
d sry sleeper slowed away in some in
T. aginary ,bed.in some imaginary cornt
s Of the roonl-as if, in fact, it were Q
e continual tip-toe.
j / soon found out that Miss Prin