Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-01-12
NO. 10.
now MILLY SAW THE OLD YEAR OUT
BY MlLLY COOLIDGE.

their burdens and fled, giving place to a
sunset. clear and pink as any which shone
on last June's roses or the lush fruitage of
August. But what different world it
lights up. Where once was grass and
flowers, winding wheel-track and mead
ow-iencc, lies now one smooth, glittering
surface OF unbroken snow. The first great
storm OF the season had fallen, and when
such come early In winter 20 kennebeck
Hollow, it is once for all. Not till April
rains and May suns conspire to undermine
the drifts will the white mantle be rent
apart and the imprisoned things below
find light and egress H@ay
Faint sounds OF shovelling come from
afar as the sunset deepens. All the long
afternoon the farmers have been busy
chiselling out the paths which are to serve
for SO many months to come-long.
straight avenues from door to gate, mar
row tracks from house to barn. As for
the roadway, the runners will take care
of that, and even as we listen, faint jim
gle comes from an invisible somewhere,
and further yet, another springs up re-
sponsive. In fact, the young people OF
the neighborhood are collecting for their
first sleighing frolic-one Of the old-fash-
ioned kind-beginning with little love-
making under buffalo robe. to crisp
sound of bells, and ending with dance
and supper. What CHEEKY tinkle it Is.
although to little Mlly Ives. sitting dis
consulate in her fathers kitchen, it seems
just the most teasing, aggravating, vexa-
tious noise she ever heard. You see the
ear must be in tune to enjoy it!
Poor Milly! 1t is not pleasant at any
age to sit by and hear the signal for far
off gayeties which you long to share and
cannot at seventeen it is intolerable. Aud
when once in your life you have been al
lowed to taste of the cup of pleasure; and
when every looking-glass and running
brook that comes your way shows . face
well, to say the least, not bad looking.
the case becomes worse and worse. 1t
borders on the tragic, And such was
Milly's position.
She sits near the fire, between her father
and her step-mother. Sho always sits
there in the evening. Everything in that
house has its place, including the human
occupants. The hatchet would be az like
ly to desert its post and ''strike" for dit
terent nail to hang upon, as Milly to ven-
ture upon another chair than the accus-
toned one. How she hates it all in her
soul-the spare, prosaic neatness, the ug-
ly, chintzy pattern of the cushions, the
blue yarn in her lap which she is pretend
ing to fashion into stocking; the monoi-
onous ticking of the clock. 1t is a ''cOm-
Portable home" as people say. There is
no stint of food or firing, but for anything
to nourish the heart or refresh the imagi-
nation it is vacant as Sahara. And Milly
is only seventeen, and her nature is grasp
ing and thrsting after something better.
as a plant grapples with delicate rootlets
in hard and barren soil.
She is what farming folks call "slp of
a girl'-slight and fair. with face whose
wstiul blue eyes are strangely pathetic
when contrasted with its extreme youth
tulness. The look was born in them, gen.
lie reader. Some girls have it-per-
haps a token from some long-ago ances-
tress. whose history included broken
heart. 1t by no means denotes any spec
ial suffering in its possessor; but women
with those eyes generally have pretty
much their own way as long as they con-
tinue young and pretty, One day Milly
would find hers useful but, you see, step
Is not yet.
uC Stcp-tuothCI III HuCstiOus "
and fro in her rocking chair. marked the
mutinous mouth, and made her mental
comments thereon. They were somewhat
wtheriEg in their nature, but all she said,
was:
Mildred, you are not gettin' on at all
with that stockin'."
For be it known our heroine's baptismal
name was Mildred-Mildred Annabella
1t was one of the economical indulgences
of our New England people to give fine
appellations to their children. Just as
cheap for the money; so why not Hu-
man patience, however, and the duration
of mortal time, do not permit the every
day use of those gorgeous titles; so they
are reserved for high days and holidays.
and some easy nickname invented to take
their place. There are occasions, however
when the indulgence OF familiar address
is too much to be expected; and this Mrs.
Ives considered one of them.
"I know it," was Milly's reply, with the
accompaniment of u half-sob.
What the matter with the girl ?"
asked her father looking mp from his news
paper.
The matter is.' responded his wife,
THAT she's behaved In what call an un-
reasonable manner. told her l wasn't
agoin' to have her paradin off with lot
of cackling girls and light young fellows
on q sleigh ride. And she's been in the
sulks ever since, know You II take the
same VOC did, Mr.. Ives, We want her
to grow up shamed-faced and modest,
and not with braided hair and costly APP
parel, and fiddling and dancing. which Is
not conven elt."
AS Milly's hair curled naturally, it would
have been less than convenient" to braid
it. This. however, was not intentionally
part of her step-mother's syllogism. She
went on.
AS for sleigh-ridin' and the assembling
of your folks together. find no warrant
for it in Scriptur'. Let the younger wo.
men be keepers at home, Paul says. And
so long as have any influence in this
house, it shall be. There's q great deal
too much of this junketing and gaddin'
gon' on in this neighborhood now.
said to Miss Pratt the other day I'm sure
cant see where You expect Sarah Matil-
da to go to, with her hair frizzed. and
p;r.;,,' and tho I'll hnt 4 call sueh tonOs