Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-12-24
MISS MARLOW'S CHRISTMAS DIN
NER.
BY HENRY CLEVELAND WOOD.

On the lett-hand side of High street, as
you enter by the mill road, is situated
Miss Marlow's cottage. 1t is not in the
least pretentious building; indeed,
there is not more modest one, taking
them in rotation, on either side, from one
end of the street to the other. But such
an air of comfort and cosiness does it
wear, with roses blooming about the door
way in June, and chrysanthemums in
October, that the eye of the passer-by
usually rests on it longer and with
greater interest than on its more stately
neighbors. L
It's occupant was a woman that was not
pretty, but, what is somewhat singular,
was neither homely. Her face possessed
an attractive and indescribable something
about it that demanded and generally re-
ceived more than passing glance. After
the closest scrutiny you would have been
puzzled to tell in what this something
consisted, whether it was any one of the
features, or all of them combined, or none
of them at all. Hers was one of those
countenances that defy any accurate delin-
cation, not because words are lacking, but
simply from the fact that after they have
been employed any number of ways, and
any amount of times, the portraiture IS
vet not clearly defined on the minds OF
others. 1t is, therefore, scarcely neces-
sary that 7 should dwell long on Miss
Marlow's personal appearance, seeing
that, if were to exhaust both your pa7
thence and my stationery in futile at
tempt in regard to it, you would not rec
ognize the lady when I had concluded,
although you met her face to face.
y 7 could very easily and truthfully. state
thai" her eyes were gray; but having made
this assertion, you might call your, mag
ination into play from now until dooms-
day, and never once gain the slightest
idea how pleasant they were, nor how her
very soul seemed sometimes to make it
self perceptible to you through their liq-
uid depths. H
From tax books you would learn that
Miss Grace NARROW had been theowner OF
the small cottage and lot on High street
for the past eight years, and from the
gossips Of the place a few facts concern
ing her personal history, to-wit: That
she had formerly lived in distant town,
until the death of her father, who hadlbeen
a Methodist minister, and who had lett
her but little of this worlds riches: The
small property she had purchased with
the greater part of the little inheritance
which had fallen to her, and had quietly
settled down in her new life. She added
to her scanty income by a small day
school. 'Ssb4A4 saDo0 533 - a5}gfs
Her pupils, her flowers and her house
work occupied the most of her time. She
rarely went anywhere, except to church
and the most severe and exacting critics OF
the village, who kept watch over the char
acters of its inhabitants, could but &C
knowledge that her conduct was eminent
" proper. Every one admitted that she
dressed very plainly; but agreed among
| themselves that what she did wear was
certainly becoming; and the men secretly
wished. especially when the millinery and
mantua-maker's bills fell due, that their
wives would pattern little more after
her.
The women were of the opinion that
Miss NARROW had been designed by
Providence. for an old maid, that she had
meekly accepted her fate as inevitable,
and that. as an old maid, she was a COM
plete success; but regarding her from a
interchangeable point of view she was quite
an ordinary person indeed, with not the
leastparticle of style; and any idea of con-
Meeting her with love affair would be
simply absurd. sa 3ns a
As for the lady in question, at the time
my story begins, which is the morning
before Christmas, she is standing before a
small mirror, drawing comb leisurly
| through her long, glossy, brown hair, ana
thinking all the time of what she should
| have for to-morrow's dinner.
81 am half tempted to be extravagant,,
for once.s she was saying to herself, : and
! keep the day as it deserves t9 be Kept. a
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