Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1875-01-26
Selettt0 Storp.
THE KAISER FREDERICK.
BY MARY HAkiwEIL

Virginia Real was clerk III The great
tore OF PINK X P;odding. She stood in
he lace department and displayed and
treasured iill her little body acned every
night. Pink y Flooding fourished in a
brick and plate glass block, kept a score
or two OF sales people a1d runners, aad
lraped all the fashionable world. Their
spring and ia!, openings" disturbed
square miles ol feminine hearts (md
purse,) and in any season ,hcir counters
were througej. Virginia thought herself
fortunate "a, lr,t to be taken into Pink &
Piodding's establishment. But we are
ungyaie,ul beings who tire Of our bless
ings. She came TO the city 4 lone creature.
with nothing TO advance her except a
letter to the Rector Of s.. PAulS. The
Rector OF s.. PaurS kindjy recommended
her to Mr.. Flooding, who wanted young
woman bchinl his lace counter just then,
and Mr. PlodJiug took her.
There she stood day alter day, some.
times great ciicles darkeniug around her
eyes, spreading fabrics. hunting uuhea,d
Of patterns, and goiag through violent
gymnastics Tor hurried customers. who
perhaps piled the counters with tangles
up 10 their chins, and went away leaving
The sLop.girl nothing but trouble. She
was not quite pretty Child; she had 4
grea, deal OF dark brown hair aud swift,
DARK eyes. and baby hands; when she
came 10 work in The morning. she Was
dushod and fresh--as sleep aud youth
sill make the heaviest laden one OF Us
all; but as her daysand, slipped, 30
slipped her bloom, lill night drove her.
haggsrd aud old Ia0ed, 10 Aer home
boarding place. To be sure, sae saw The
world. l. howel constaatIy past her.
loved to hurry aud vcx her. and shook
its leisure. its plenteous happiness and
tl.l purse forever in her face.
NiIgiliA had no companion among her
fellow CLERKS They consisted OF luill
young women and correctly gotten-uS
men. Girls who hung vlrieyAted hair
around their skulls. aad who told you
thing was "you pooty," or "chawmiug
o, "Jelaight,0i' who, in short, aped al.
the dawdling of upper.tendom Men OF
tha, cut.and.dry appearance which liv
behind a counter gives family man. To
De- sure. above all stood Mis-, biun. the
cashier, whose mouth shut ike an oyster
shell. and snapped 50 when IL was forced
% uucl1se. that YOU wouldn't pry Al il
Iuen. But she wasn't OF the lower
Earth. earthly. The girls dls.iked Vir.
siuia; they considered her au upstar, (;
ner reserved ways were ans and,
altogether, she wasn't their sly e )" they
snubbed her. The cut-and-dry men were
30 occupied between the rushtS OF busi.
ness. or mental attempts to stretch their
salaries around The year. that they forgot
his iAther!ess daughter in their midst.
Nix P.odding was leathery Old fellow,
who worked bis human machines hard.
and looked well 10 their operations. The
tlesh aud blood and soul part OF them he
bad nothing to do with.
Different was Mr.. Pink-tha. elegant
being! He was 4 gentleman merchant.
whose father had set him up in business,
and who did the lSst-horse driving OF the
establishment, leaving it to old Plodding
10 DO the fast bargain driving. Mr.. Pink
seldom entered the store. but lie delighted
10 sending a hulter before him when he
did enter. lie scattered compliments
aud silly pAtrouizing speeches. right and
left. When Mr.. Pink saw Virginia, he
fixed his eye on her and promised TO
amuse himself with that little girl But
he never got on with her at all. Respect
fol toward him, she yet held herself so
much above him, that al! his boasted
shots struck below her feet. the serene
shop girl declined Irritation with that
fascinating being.
She was so lonely. Her boarding place
vas chill resort, where "bOardersH
we're boxed in small rooms, fed sparingly
and solemnly. aud told the price OF every
particle Of food while it was between
,heir teeth, by that severe widow, Mrs.
stump. who surveyed her victims from
the head of her long table. Here, again
people were negative 10 Virginia.
Not many recreauoas were there for
her. She seldom saw play or heard
music: a city, wealth Of ofresoureos rolled
around her. aud she stood. ike Tanialus,
unable TO command them. Sometimes
she slipped into the free seats at 81.
Paul's. and watched the pomp OF religion.
II The Rector ever saw her after service
g. gave her palroniziug nod. There
was nothing lor her, she told herself