Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-05-13


hear of anybody Is staying for my sake, ana
they were all off next day-r)anet, with a
child's love of change. almost as GLAD 10 go
awav as she had been to come to the place.
You'll be after us very soon, dear,
cried nv niece, rather uneasily, as she
looked her last out of the fly at me stand
ing by the wicket gate little disconso-
lately.
1t was with rather a pang that ! saw
them depart. ! had assumed courage"
which I did not quite possess for being left
alone, so far from everybody had ever
known. / even tried to get repreive
from the hard hearted Doctor, who was.
however, memorable as to the number of
the necessary doses of iodine. ! was still
far from strong, the October weather was
beautiful, and there was really no excuse
for not lasting out till the end of the
cure"
The place grew thinner and thinner.
Even the old paralysed Colonel and the
child with the bad hip were gone, and his
poor spoiled kitten went mewing about as
dlsconsolately as the restof us. The lodg-
ing-houses were nearly empty. and began
dolefully to close up their eyes, like the
ALTERNATING race they were. One put up
ancompromising green Venetian shutters
the next, where all hope had not quite fled
was satisfied with pulling down all its
white blinds; while the plaster bow Win
dow round the corner still hung out dis
pairing sign OF apartments for the
chance visitors who. tempted by the cheap
ness of lodgings. might still be caught.
The one West End street was ike tomb
"A morne silence reigned in the dismal
little shops. The grocer looked like an
undertaken, the little linen draper folded
up my fourpennyworth OF buttons and
pair Of muffetees with a sigh, and long
hopeless side look at group of five sail
ors louns ing past, who were staring in at
the smart ties still hanging in her nearly
empty windows, but evidently regarding
them as works of art, not objects to pnr-
chase; and she grew almost hysterical as
she described to me ''the long empty
months of winter, ma am; so cold and so
dreary coming on without soul to buy
ANYTHING" l should think that trade was
never very lively in the little town, but
the stationer's wife, who sold yellow shll-
ling novels, and Calvinistic and Methodist
tracts--envelopes at three for half penny,
and sixpenny photographs, spoke as II a
death had taken place after period OF
splendid dissipation, while she deplored
the shortness of the season. 'Itnever had
been so short before the gales, too, had
been 20 strong. and had come on earlier
than usual"
found that every year the season al
WAYS was the shortest ever know,-the
gales always had been the strongest, and
always came on .'much earlier than usual
This year, too, 1.-THE Londoncrs hadn't
come o. many as sometimes" she said
SADLY. wondered how any "Londoners"
ever reached that remote spot.
pressing BY force of sympathy. and IN
spite OF the extreme beauty of the autumn
tints on the twisted trees which fringed
the rocky point on one side OF us. and
came down quite to the waters edge-in
spite Of the glories Of the purple mountains
and the sea with its regiment of little white
horses which came prancing merrily up
the beach, wished ardently for some
more human interest as | came in next
evening at dusk to my solitary tea 1t is
sad to have nobody even to whom one
can say, "How beautiful it is -
The tray was brought in by my land
lady; she was pleasant, sweet-tempered
looking woman, with faded air OF gen.
tility about her-who chad only just be-
begun to let lodgings: from difficulties"
she told me. The house was a pretty
little old place. quite at the beginning OF
the town and at the end of quiet grey
row. with trailing jessamine up the front
and Virginian creeper gorgeous in color
A pleasant ground, fully thirty feet wide
lay between it and the road, filled with
fuchsias and red geraniums, and pleasan,
old-fashioned flowers besides. ! had fall
en- in love with it when first we arrived
and it had helped to settle our choice OF
lodgings. She sighed as she put down my
tea, and told me that the little maid-of-all
work was gone home after her hard sum-
mer, and that my old maid had just hurt
her foot getting over stone pile.
Fathers gone to fetch my daughter
home to stay altogether now, and they
won't be back Tonight" she said in sort
of sad. trailing tone.
1t was evident that. for some reason or
other, she wanted sympathy so / uttered
some commonplace about her pleasure in
having her child home again, alter long
absence, and SO forth.
She was evidently very nervous about
oohCAhih5' mugs "SiO Noiy NiiS' Oht
at home to what Charlia had been used to
lately. Life was very contrary, and a
great deal to put up with, and now she d
perhaps be hurt against them all she was
afraid. They'd spent all they could Tor
her, and now she was not hardly sure
Shall bring candles. ma 'am?" she broke
off suddenly.
mol" said !; "st down by the fire and
tell me all about it, if you don't mind tell
ing"
And then the poor soul sat down in the
most comfortable chair she could find, in
spite of my circumstances, and began to
pour out her troubles in the dusk. which
is always favorable to condolences. | on
ly answered at intervals: Dear, dear.
How sad! No, really! Yes, indeed"
There are many people to whom it Is the
greatest relief to talk on uninterruptedly
for hours. and to whom it is the truest
kindness 10 listen, in intelligent silence,
for as long time as you can spare.
There is always something pathetic in a
human history, and it was a comfort to her
to explain that she had never thought to
keep lodgings, and how she was the dauoh