Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-11-19
KISSING THE SERVANT GIRL.
MRS. TOM WILKINS STORY.

confess | was angry. Well, /
may as well begin at the beginning
aud tell you the whole story. When
| married Tom Wilkins all my friends
said / had made fool of myself
really thrown myself away with my
advantages, too, l should have done
so much better; and much more to the
same purpose. 20 be sure, Tom is a
big stupid fellow, neither rich nor
handsome, but | loved him, and what
other excuse does a woman need for
an act Of folly? But Tom had one
fault that troubl d me greatly-he
vas a most inveterate kisser. Before
we were married be used to kiss all
the girls who visited his sisters, and
atterward he kissed all my school
friends who came to the house, and
even kissed mother, and you must con-
cede that man is a great kisser who
would kiss his mother-ip law. Well,
all this bore in silence, if not with
patience, till one morning, coming out
OF my room, what should | see but
Tom at the head of the stairs actually
kissing Sarah Ann, the hired girl.
That was a little more than human
nature, or at least woman nature,
could bear. | sat down till / had re-
covered myself little, and allowed
tom time to reach the dining room
When at last 1 went down, he ad
vanced with his usual smile to kiss
me, but | drew back angrly.
"Why, Jessie, what's the matter?"
he said, looking surprised, sam not
to have kiss this morning.
GAS you have already had the pleas
ure of kissing Sarah Ann, | think that
will do for one morning. | should not
ia cy the flavor OF your kisses after
that"
Tom actually blushed "Oh, you
saw that, did you, Jessie? Well,
where's the great harm IN that? It's
my motto to imbibe sweetness wher
ever | find it,"
well, | fancy you did not imbibe
a great deal from that source, and the
harm is that it lowers your dignity as
head of the family, besides giving the
servants exaggerated opinions of their
own Importance.
what nonsense. | don't suppose
Sarah Ann will ever think of it again,
any more than | should if you had not
taken me 10 task about it.
"You seem to forget, Tom, tn t
persons in their position are not so in
telligent as those in ours They
Judge almost wholly by actions, and
am quite sure Sarah Ann thinks you
are in love with her."
Don't make a mountain out of s
mole-hill, my dear"
"Well, Tom, how would you like TO
see me kissing old Eben?'
swell, really, if you should ever
have the heart or desire to kiss old
Eben, | don't think | could find it in
my heart to object" laughed Tom, as
he closed the door and went away.
Old Eben had come from my own
neighberhood and was our man Of all
work, the ngliest mortal that ever
set my eyes on. SO | could not but
acknowledge that there might be a
difference between kissing him and
Sarah Ann, who was real y good
looking.
Well, | feltso badly that / could not
help sitting down and having a good
cry. In the midst of it | saw some
one coming up the wa k, who was
smiling and reckoning to me, as tho
well assured of welcome. Improved
to be my brother John; who had been
from home for years; we were ex-
pecting him, but not so soon. After
the greetings were over, and we were
little quoted, be questioned me
about my tears, and at length drew
from me the whole story.
$50 they were not so far wrong in
saying you made a fool of yourself by
marrying him, ell, Jessie? Well, why
don't you make him put himself in
your placer"
"oh, John, you don't really mean
for me to- =,
Kiss old Eben?-hardly," said
John dryly, "But you can put me N
Eben's place for few days"
ooh, John, that's just the thing
He was 10 have gone home last week
for few days, but his nephew who
was coming to take his place was ia
ken ill, and he was obliged to give NJ
going"
"WelI, tell him you have got some
one to take his place, and get him of
tins forenoon, and now, before any
one sees me, III go back to the hote
where l left my baggage and disguise
myself little.
We'll, | sent Ehen off, and soor
John came back changed beyond re
cognition, with blue shirt and over
i, and his HAIR combed back behind
his ears aud pastered down TO hi
head. II looked very funny, but h'
went about his work in such stoica
Indifferent way that one would have
Thought il the life he had always led.