Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-12-07
SUMNER DREAMS.


during the month of August, 1t Milk
andegg's farm.
"Predominated!'' did I say. Ruled
entirely, I should have said. Seven
girls-we called them eli girls. though
one was married, her husband being
this particular time ON the sea-the sea
the open sea-the blue the fresh, the
ever free, and one was q widow shd
did not know where her husband was
and no boys, young or old.
We were all yawning and dwadling
and hsd been yswfing and s'dwsdling
and wishing for al least three weeks,
when Mrs. Creamcheese-dear, stout,
double-chinned, motherly old soul-an-
nounced at the breakfast table one
morning that "a young artist would ar
rive at Milkandegg's farm that evening,
to remain, she hoped, month";"
The widow-she was only twenty
three, and it had been case of "thou
hast been the cause of this anguish,
my mother"-waved Ler napkin above
her head, and shouted 'hurrah !"
Nellie Wall sugared her blackberries
with salt, and Amy Teresa dropped her
nicely buttered muffin, but l. retaining
my presence of mind, l am proud to
say, caught it before it reached the floor,
and calmly ate it.
For an instant Amy T.'s pretty
green eyes rested reproachfully upon
me, and then with an appealing look,
she turned to the laudlady. "Do tell
us all about him." she said in her most
persuasive tones, "what is he like 20
question the other girls had already ask
ed in chorus.
"He's as handsome as he is clever,
and as clever as he is handsome" said
the aggravating thing with a good-na-
tured smile, making dimples in her
round rosy cheeks.
Blue eyes or black"
"Tall or short -
"Fair hair or dark ,"
Funny or serious Z"
Landscape or figures 7"
Does he sing:"
Maybe We didn't fix our hair that
evening, and maybe our prettiest dresses
didn't come out of trunks, where they
had lain undisturbed for four long weeks.
One would have imagined we expected
to sit to the artist for our portraits the
moment he arrived. We were at sup
per when he came.
Mrs. Creamcheese went to the room
door TO receive him. "My dear Mrs.
Creamcheese," we heard him begin as
he grasped her outstretched hand and
stepped into the room, and then meet
ing fourteen eyes-fcmale eyes of all
shapes, sizes and colors, bent intently
upon him, (never shall | forget the
blank look Of amazement, almost Of
horror, that over>pcad his handsome
face, y he turned and fled.
But that enc moment sufficed to show
us that he was as beautiful as Venus
| meant to say the other fellow, Adonis.
He was SIX feet, at least, with broad
shoulders and we'll developed chest,
and his eyes were the summerskyest-
his complexion the rose and creamest,
his hair the goldenest ever bcheld.
The widow, throwing her black eyes
up to the ceiling and clasping her slen-
der hands, was about to exclaim when
crumb went the wrong way she
chokcd instead. The faithful sex flew
to the rescue and pounded her upon the
back with such vigor that the poor dear
was black and blue for week after.
Mr.. Noel Sumner sent word that he
would like his rolls and coffee in his
own room. That he went abroad to
sketch, and returned to sleep, We all
know; but how he got in and out of the
house without meeting one eve of the
fourteen remains a mystery TO this day.
"Nhat is to be done 7" we asked in
despair. "How can we ever let him
know that we want to love him for his
sisters-s'
"And Kiss him for his mother" inter-
rupted the married girl.
Miss Brown begged the loanof pen.
She received three-a steel one, a gold
one and quill. Amy Teresa wrote a
dainty little note, requesting a needle
and thread. Her messenger brought
her a pretty needle book plentifully
stocked, and ball of darning cotton.
Well, day by day went slowly by, and
one by one the girls departed. The
widow lett first. She had heard that
he, who had called her by her name as
the bride OF another, was at Saratoga
and still unmarried.
The married girl next. Her husband
had come home.
Then Miss Brown followed, soon, bv
her cousin, Miss Green. And at last,
after repeated summons from her man.
ma, Lily Pray tore herself away, aud
only Amy T. and myself remained be-
hind. Each of our friends, as she took
her leave, said solemnlv to those re-
naming: ''lf ever you Go see him again
give him NV dearest love-. And the
day after Lily's fearful charge, A. r.
and actually succeeded, after much
walking on tiptoe, and hiding behind
bushes, IN surrounding the artist, as he
sat IN front of an old tree, sketchins
another old tree which stood in front of
him. Amy Teresa came upon one side.
and l on the other. He stsrted 10 his
ieet and grasped his easel which shut
up in an instant in the most extraorii-
nary manner. seized his paint-box and
with hurried nod-he could't take of
his hat. rs both hands were fail-aed
like startled deer, or frightened fawn,
or something Of that snrt.
We had seen him again, but we
hadat given him the Eve tender messa-
ges.