Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-09-01
MY CHANCE AND MISCHANCE,
BY AMELIA w. BATE.

Well, Mary, where are you now2"
This was the question with which my
twin sister often recalled me to the
's,lblunary things of earth when, as
now, I lapsed into a istless attitude,
gazed steadfattly into vacancy, and
dreamed.
At the question [ gave ny usual start
of surprise with the Weakening, and an.
swered as pleasantly as Ipossibly could,
considering the unpleasant interruption
of very delightful day-dream, cat
lakewood, my DEAR
can imaginary Oakwood, Mary, or
coma fac gem of summer resort where
we spent that one happy day ?" quizzed
Mary.
'The genuine gem, Miss Practical.
You see, that one day, tho lost to sight
is to memory dear, and I've been a
thinking, a-thinking, a-thinking if
how-we could manage vacation, and
spend it In that charming spot
''Just like you, Marty. You always
will go on dreaming over the most i'm
practlble nonsense. The idea How
ever can we, two seamstresses, get our
selves into shape to do such an alb
surd thing. Please to go a-thinking
of the fashionable crowd to which that
place is absolutely given over; s-th1nk-
ing OF the fabulous prices for board and
then you will stop such idle dreaming.
You had better go to work"
There dear mel! We turned this
French hem on the wrong side," said I
for answer in a iiscouraging voice that
had dropped from a high key to a low
one III an amazingly short space of time,
as | took up the sewing which had
fallen from my hands while I dreamed.
&C I dare say, Mary replied, you'll
turn your life all on the wrong side if
you do not stop this silly building of air
castles. But there [ am not scolding
dear. 1t is not fatal mistake. only a
few stitches, more or less, and lucky
for you that this is not a life mistake.
they are not SO easily ripped. Why it
is only basted,'' continued Mary as
she took the garment in her deft &C
complished hands. "Try again, better
luck next time"
[ took up the work in a Inundated
mood. In such moods always accom-
plish my best workmanship. [ Thought,
for the thousandth time perhaps, what
q curious mistake our mother had made
IN choosing names for her twin daugh-
ters, and how we turned out SO incon-
gruously with her precious Bible story.
Mary and Martha, she says, 'swere the
first names that came into her thought
when she found herself the proud
mother of two dear little girl babies.
What filter names could she give to
them than those of the dear Jesus IA
vorite friends-the two sisters whom
He loved SO well.
Behold how we contradicted these
Bible sisters characteristics. Mary was
the care-t aker; l was the dreamer. I
had lived for the most part In an
imaginary world from earliest child
hood-would make out stories from pic
lures in my baby hood, and study out
the life-story of men and women from
their faces, as they passed me on the
street. | took to fomancing as naturally
as robin does to singing, wrote spring
sonnets at sixteen, and destiny was my
hobby. [ found my ideal lover very
young in life; the actual one was not
discovered until was twenty six, and
then-but it's 700 laughable! Suppose
[ compare notes. Mr.. Ideal was a
slim, well formed, dark-eyed, scholar
y, young gentlen an, with whom
life was to mean a sort of liter
airy entertainment with no disagreeable
bread and butter facts introduced, and
40 stupid common sense was to be
found upon the programme. Mr..
Reality weighs two hundred, has no
form to speak Of; has, (well, they are
very pleasant blue eyes to be sure) and
Is forty seven years old He is a
scholar, however, am glad [ can say
that, and one OF natures true gentlemen.
He is poor, has hard struggle with
bread and butter facts, and has great
deal of what he calls vulgar common
sense" Life does not mean pretty
entertainment with him, but he is by
all odds the most entertaining person
I ever knew This is the way things
turn out, and a good job for us women
that they do, as we come to learn when
we have stood face to face with life's
Experiences.
But ran away from my story to talk
about my lover. ''Just like woman, !"
that's what he would say.
On the day of the disastrous French
hens and lakewood day dreams had
no iover-had not met my destiny. l
behave was saying that ] was iiaagi-
Motive. My education had rather en-
couraged than checked this. There
was for me no wise hand to Withhold, no
strong mind to direct my mental devel-
opment. | obtained smattering of