The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-11-03
NV Girls and I.

Margie. The girls were busy studying
in their room, which is over the parlOr
1t Is something little rare for them to
have gentlemen callers, as they are both
young and have never been out much.
| sat in the parlor and entertained the
gentlemen until the girls came down.
Poor little things! We could dis
tinctly hear them bobbing around;
their little feet patting here and there;
the running into the closet for best
dresses; the clink of the wash-bowl
the hair-brush dropped down hurriedly;
the CATERS falling on the floor; the
jumping down off chairs, on which they
had stood when reachiny up; the rustic
of the freshly-starched garments the
running hither and tnither for pins,
ribbons, jewelry ahd combs; the impa-
tient exclamation; the call for assist
ance; and, finally, the tip-toeing, and
turning, and finishing touches added
before a mirror; and then the steps
turned from the room satisfied and
came downstairs and into the parlor.
They wanted to be very agreeable,
and were desirOus of making good i'm
preston, but they were tired, the glow
of spirits had all effervesced, the excite
ment had died out, and 1 know they felt
more like sleeping than talking. The
conversation under such circumstances
would be vapid, of course, and [ have
no doubt the girls felt relieved when
the gentlemen left.
l heard one say to the other: 81 never
knew Mr.. Jeffries to be so stupid. L
didn't know what to talk about to keep
him going. l talked weather, and lee
lures, and school, and he was so dull
I NJ nh fn
and | returned to the weather subject
prospective weather, until | thought it
was his turn to carry the heavy end of
the conversation"
"Just so with Mr.. jennings" said the
other girl; 1--WE talked weather, and
books, and school, and teaching, and
Black Hills; and [ grew so sleepy that
[ seemed to see Mr.. Jennings double
every time looked at him for an in
stantn
The girls heard my smothered laugh,
and said: 'Now, Aunt Chatty, we
know you're laughing at US, but we
don't care"
Then l told them how it came about.
All their glow of spirits and animation
had passed off while they were exerting
themselves in flying around upstairs
they had used up all their nervous force
and were exhausted and too tired to see
callers when they came down; and the
gentleman had grown. almost weary
waiting, although they were no doubt
Immensely amused at the fixing, and
! fussing, and flying that they had heard
in the room over their heads.
! WedneSddy.-Oh, these girls | re-
| ceived letter a few weeks ago from q
widower, with the request that would
send him my picture. When was a
young woman he was young man,
and lived in the town adjoining the one
[ lived in. We were somewhat ac-
! quainted, and often met at singing
schools, though we were by no means
special friends.
had not intended to reply to his let
ter at all, much less send him my pic
ture, but some of the girls sent him a
| photograph of an old maid who lives
first door beyond Professor Williams,
and pretended it was mine.
The maiden lady had a thin, sorrow
ful face, with deep wrinkles about the
mouth and eyes; her ears stood out, her
hair was lifted high up on her head and
fixed off with ribbons and curls, and
her nose was Roman and hooked like a
beak
They wrote a few lines to accompany
the picture, saying that "care and sor.
row had dealt harshly with me, and
that time had wrought many changes
in the girl whose voice went out with
his in the old fa-sol-la music of long
ago."
[ saw copy of the letter. I didn't
know what to say. I felt inclined tC
scold them for daring to use such free
dom but the dear, fun-lOving, gooC
girls pretended they were afraid the ole
widower would beguile me away from
them, aud then what 1OOuLd they do?
was amused, but l looked very seri
Gus and told them to let that be the las
time they played tricks, that such con
duct was hoydenish, and unlady-like
and rude, and none of the girls in my
charge would be forgiven or retained i
they so far forgot hereafter that which
belonged TO lady.
l thought privately, however, that i
was serving the old fellow just right
for his wife had not been dead tw,
months, and 1 could not see how h.
could so soon forget her and think o
another.
Sometimes l do receive such funn,
letters from those who are "seekinj
pardners."
One, l remember now, who, in sum
ming up his good qualities, says: q
rarely miss a meal of victuals." An
other says: "You would have no troubl
with my children; they are all hopeful
ly converted and members in goot
standing in the M. E. Church." An
other says: 1.-THE post Office is handy
and we have three mails a week.
take a good Democrat paper, price on
fifty per year." ANOTHER says: an
! house is in an awful condition, from til
! garret to the cellar, just for the want O
, a good wife" One, much to be pitied
walls out on a small piece of paper-th
kind in which tea is put up: "My bar
is as loanly as the mountaine top.
And again: "Tm gittin up in years ant
gittin experriunced, but my hart
young, fur, as the saying is, 'oIe coles
easily kindled.'"
Ida Lewis now has the charge of tn
| Lime Rock Lighthouse, and lives ther
with her mother and her dogs Sh