Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-07-27
NO. l76.
THE MAN OF MY CHOICE.

/ was my fathers favorite daughter, the
youngest of three. My mother died in nv
infancy, and only girl reared in q moth.
erless household can know what that
means. My sisters were both much older
than myself. The years between us
might be counted by names and dates on
my mothers gravestone in the old church,
yard, where used 10 sit on summer days
in frock and pinatore, and speculate on
what the sleepers beneath had been like,
and whether my sisters would have boxed
my ears SO often if my dear mother had
lived.
Church, churchyard and town were old,
and situated In the very heart Of Cheshire,
with surrounding Of country seats and
arabic land. which made the quaint agglo-
meration OF houses resemble an island in
a sea of verdure.
Amongst the ancient habitations were
none more ancient than those which had
my father, David Beech, for owner and
tenant, and which presented a long row of
pointed gables (surmounted with wooden
pinnacfes) to the spectator from the oppo-
site windows Of the George inn. He
was primarily an ironmonger, and his
large double-windowed shop ranged first.
our diamond-tiled house-place next, with
its many doOrs-one into the High street,
one to the long gulley OF back yard. one
to the enclosed staircase, and two oppos-
ing each other from the shop, and into
spacious, heavily furnished, seldom used
parlor. 10 these succeeded the ware
house proper, and nailmaker's forge.
My fater INDUCED and my sisters thwart-
ed me. or l thought they did. We look
on such things differently with old and
young eyes, and l think now they perhaps
did their unskilled best to keep me from
running wild altogether.
l had high and adventurous spirits, and
was much inclined to run loose with any
gamesome youngsters who would run
loose with Neon the bowling green,
over the common, into the fr-plantations
where we were clear trespassers-or
where fir-bobs, or blackberries, or dog
roses tempted US. But never ran wild
with them through the churchyard-my
mother and brother lay there and sancti-
fled the grounds.
no longer; l must be sent to better
have myself" and my father who was a
man of means. though old-fashioned-
with many sigh and kiss at parting,
took me himself, and left me at stately
boarding school in Knutsford, where I
was to be taught all that money could pay
for-or Miss Delamere impart. From
eight to sixteen / remained there. with
occasional breaks for holidays. l think
my teachers did their duty towards me, as
they saw it.
But my vacations grew more distasteful
to me as the years went by, widening the
distance between myself and my antiqua-
ted home.
had seen a considerable amount of
love-making going on during my brief
visits TO my friends. and was not surprised
to be recalled finally when Rachel mar
ried confectioner, and took up her abode
close beside US; and Leah-who had
promised her hand to Amos Bradley. my
fathers good-looking assistant-wanted
my help at home.
My help indeed II could do wool work
and bead work, could net and knit, make
watch-guards and purses-yes, and shirts
could parse sentence, find q place by
latitude and longitude, play the piano. or
draw pictures of our house or the plants
in the windows; but could not draw
fowl, or wash and iron the shirt had
made, or scrub floor, or cook dinner,
or do 'any one useful thing in the world,
so Leah said.
She scolded, and l cried. and then my
dear old father came in as umpire between
us. and it ended in him buying q new
piano tor me. and Leah threatening to
marry and make a home for herself. /
know now that this was only a threat.
Amos and she looked for partnership,
and the ultimate reversiOn of business and
house both. l had no place in their cal
culatiOnS.
But the threat had its effect. could see
how necessary part of my fathers daily
life Leah was, and how little real use
was to him. so I took myself to task,
begged Leah's forgiveness. and soon
spoiled my dainty hands for fancy work
in doing. or learning to do, the rough
work OF the house.
''Now, lass, l don't want thee to do
that come and play Jacks the lad for
me- ard put that mop down. I'll not
have thee made into drudge, Let Leah
get char-woman !" my father would say.
went and played and sang for him;
but for all that went back, and pesever-
ingly finished whatever work / had in
hand. And thankful l am that did.
Leah became more amiable. my father
more comfortable; and ! received just
the training that needed most.
Butt did not like it. had been wait
ed upon so long at school, did not care
to wait upon either others or myself; and
as an advanced item of the Misses Della
mere's establishment, had been dressed
fashionably, and attracted my share Of
masculine attention, either in our process
sional walks to and and from church. or
in our pew.
Mop and pail or paste-pn, were alike
uncongenial. knew that my father WAS
rich for our position, and thought 1t
was misery not to keep a servant. and
let me dress, visit, and enjoy myself.
Soon ltacitly rebelled.
The railway had not taken all the
coaches off the road, and although the
great inn opposite to us had lost its for
mer importance and hustle, one or more
stage-coaches did stop to change horses;
and in the hunting season the great inn-
yard was all alive, and top-boots and
scarlet jackets made the broad stone
steps lounge.