The Portland daily press., 1875-01-01
VELVETEEN BOOTS.
She never should have said it!

She never should have said it!
But first should observe that Mr.. Messeps
(Solomon Messeps, foor-walker in Constant
& Strings dry-goods establishment possess.
es a straightness of back, length of limb, a
perfection of coat and trousers, a look-and-die
glance in his muddy but large and dark eye
and a glamour of whisker, that made calm
description of hin simply impossible to any
woman under forty. These attractions may
be the reason why he stands to the neighbor.
hood where our story transacted itself, OF
rather to the young ladies thereof, in some
such relation as a prize racing cup, or cham
pion's belt. Certain it is that Miss Molbot,
whose father owned his own house, was as
well known at Constant & Strings as the
lay-fgure in the window; that Miss Matilda
Mason and Miss Selliquips were intimate
friends of the deadliest type, tor no other pur-
pose than to reckon up the young gentleman /;
that dozen other young women were at
swords points about him; and that all united
in detesting Miss Jennie Millfugus, as half a
length ahead, and likely to win, in virtue OF
Therefore, repeat, she should never have
said it, even if there had been no such thing
as the Millfugus mystery.
And there was such mystery. Jennie
Millfugus, with her sister Harriet, livedin No.
10 of a block of three-story buildings well
over toward the west-brick house with the
high steps, wearing, in some indefinable way,
the air of person with well-cleaned gloves,
and old boots scrupulously BACKED. Accord
ing to the way in which you choose to put it,
these houses are the last bulwark of the street
against the tide of poverty rolling in from the
river, or they are the connecting link of life,
four blocks away, on ten thousand year, and
life on ten dollars week. And being thus,
as it were, on neutral ground, it was natural
that they should express the i-at-ease condi-
ton of all neutrality; also that all the inhabi-
tants should be engaged in desperate hand
to-hand struggle with appearances, and that
they should be very high with an outside
world. and observe toward each other an
awful punctillo.
Foremost among this little army of pinched
and struggling martyrs were Harriet and Jen-
ME Millfugus, as girls of an excellent family
one of the sharpest stings, that last, of power
ty. For, if one must be poor and can take it
in the natural way, planted squarely on feet
stout, and long, and wide, with sleeves rolled
10 the elbow, the affair is not quite so hope
less. The lady who delighted me but now
with nod of recognition from her fine ba-
rouche, fifteen years ago smoked pipe, and
was seen of mornings with bare feet. But,
weighted with their ancestors about their
necks-as were Harriet and Jennie-thoSe two
girls lived the life of border baron of old, for
ever on the alert, forever menaced by the foe,
forever battling with the facts that were con-
tinually forcing their way through the weak
defence of appearances. Harriet was thirty
four; the family-mother, as often happens
with an elder sister; and most properly plain
and practical and adapted to her position.
Jennie was twenty, and the women declared
there was nc hing in her. Nevertheless, she
was Of very wholesome and womanly ap-
pearance-a rarer charm than is apt to be
imagined. Girls are jaunty, stylish, pretty,
by the scores but how often comes one, to
whom you are drawn, as thoroughly and es-
sentially as woman? just this Jennie
dimple at her wrist, the white parting of her
abundant hair, the wholesome redness of her
lips and whiteness of her skin, a pair of fine
gray eyes with black lashes and readily-dilat-
ing iris, round waist, an easy grace in the
very flow of her skirts, involuntarily, and
with Quick sense of pleasure. Perhaps this
was why men and Mr.. Messeps found her
charming. Perhaps, also, 1t was why the gent
Ter inhabitants of the blocks had fashion of
speaking of her with sighting smile, and as
''poor thingw But why she should never
have been seen with her sister-why, when
you called on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sat
urdays, as often as you please, you find Miss
Harriet, fresh and smiling, receive you, and
no hint of Jennie; and, If you came on Mon.
days, Wednesdays, and Fridays, whenever
you please, you found Jennie, fresh and smil-
ing, and no hint of Harriet; and why the
two sisters, differing so widely in years, should
have dressed precisely alike, even to the last
bow and ruffle-ah, that was the Millfugus
mystery. No one ever saw them out of the
little, dark, horse-hair- furnished parlor. No
one ever saw them together. No one
had ever dined, or lunched, or taken tea with
them, and no one had vet comprehended it.
But to keep mystery wholly within the
compass of ones life, and no loose end hang
ing out, is impossible; and steady and eau
tious pull at such an end-what might it
not bring, pell-mell, after it, should some
ones interest warrant the laying hold of it?
So, as began by saying, she should never
have SAID it. It was Jennie who said it, and
with an air of triumph. A triumphant air
Is always a wanton attack on human jealousy
gratuitous waving of the red flag in the
very eyes of the bull. It is true, she must
have been almost more than human had she
not stopped to say she could not stop, and
dropped the word Gardens" and remarked
that she was going there that evening. And
that Miss Mason should say, "With the
Smith family, of course" was vexatious; for
why "of course? ?" as if she was girl that
could get nowhere unless pinned to the skirts
of some family! And so she said it:
SIT might be of course if it were you,
Miss Matilda; but am going with Mr. Mes.
seps?"
That was fairly throwing down the glove!
Very imprudent in lady hampered by a
mystery! and with a great blush, too, that
famed from her cheeks all over her face! l
suspect Matilda could have forgiven the
speech more readily than the blush; the last
was such an unimpeachable witness of hap
DIV consciousness on Miss Millfugus' part:
but, assuredly, she was not the girl to refuse
the challenge.
Could Miss Mllfugus have seen-but
which of us does foresee? We open the
door ourselves to Fate almost invariably; vet
which of us recognizes her? Beyond salts
fed impression of ''se-ves her right" Jennie
thought very little about it. She was abb
sorbed in more important considerations. 1t
was saying between her and her sister that elf
either were called suddenly to die, their first
impression would be that il was impossible, as
they had nothing fit to die in.'' And another,
that "they lived on the income of wolf, as
in it there was no more provision for clothes
than if they had been born furry creatures"
Purchasing a dress they styled shooting the
rapids, so great were the perils, so nice the
calculation necessary for the venture; while
their wardrobe itself, if it could pretend TO
such name, they cbristened "All the Year
Round" as, in buying gown, say for the
summer, it was necessary to calculate. also,
how il could be remade in the fall, and what
could be done with it in the winter-a pro.
phetic style of shopping, In which only
clairyoyant or spiritual medium might be
supposed to achieve complete success. And
let none think lightly of these perplexities.
So long as human nature is constituted as tits