Ellsworth American., 1877-08-02
MiscrlI
The Result Of a Blunder.
BY FRANK LIE BENEDICT

have always been a very methodical
person; 1t has always been my habit To
regulate my actions according to fixed
rulcs-l mean the rules which the course
OF centuries has rendered 81 plentiful. aud
which will usually fill any case when re-
garded by a wel-regulated mind.
! am proul 10 admit that In the matter
OF which mean 10 tell you. | violated ia
toto this >if you will permit so TO call it,
guardian stay and guiding star of my life.
A. have told you that it j. my habit TO be
methodical, had better tell you something
of myself, 30 that you may understand the
circumstances which led 10 an adventure
befalling me-mc, who have ever abhorred
adventures and held in slight esteem,
those OF my sex 10 whom such accidents
occur.
| had been governess from early girl
/ hood; ! WAS educated TO that intent. and
| hope did my duty; | tried at all events.
| When | reached iorty-or very nearly-I
! thought the hard work OF my lite had
/ ended. 4 relative left me ten thousand
/ dollars well invested. aud | proposed TO
| live on the income. do not know wheth-
er my inactive existence would have
proved happy or not. for before | had time
10 grow accustomed to the change-I had
not vet decided how OF where | would
! make my home-a female with growing
| family arrived from the Bermudas. laid
I claim 10 being my deceased relatives wild
/ ow, established that claim proved him in
! sane. upset the will and took the money.
Not TO be tedious, l shall tell you only
that for several years alter-we need not.
| in a matter like this, be particular 10 a day
| in regard TO dates-l taught in q young
! ladies' school. The mistress was French
| woman, and I'm afraid not so honest as
| she might have been. At least know this
/ had In the course OF time saved a few
| hundred dollars; she persuaded me TO en-
ter into q partial partnership with her.
! The school broke up. and lost my money
! And YOU can understand how it happened
/ that | put myself in the hands of the well
| known agency in New York of Wakely &
Sons. Il was weary waiting; my funds
were running low; matters were compli
Gated by a fire that burned up half the
books and papers of the establishment At
last was informed by the new clerk. that
a gentleman who wanted governess for
| two children, and with whom the House
had held before the fire) communication in
| regard TO me-sending on my certificate
had grown impatient by waiting. Ii | de
, sired the place | must start at once.
| To accept a position in family with
whose head had held no personal cores
| pondence. was the act TO which referred
when saying that l violated not only a rule
of my life, but rule of society. But Twas
harassed-afraid OF finding myself penni-
less. and decided to depart. was going
tQ Sheldon, Pennsylvania-to the house Of
a person nauIed Lothrop-I knew that,
| and | knew very little more. 1t was aft
| ernoon when arrived at my destination !;
| we were still early in June, and as We had
| had a shower in the course OF the morning
the journey had been sufficiently pleasant.
| felt somewhat fiuttered when the train
stopped. and the conductor called out Shell
don, but collected my little packages and
descended. trying 10 encourage myself by
| repeating some of the moral aXioms. such
as had set so often as copies to my pu-
pills, that they had remained in my memo
| ry.
Only a few people alighted-; l had no
difficulty in persuading one of the railway
officials to listen to me, when asked for
directions how best to arrive at Pine HILL"
The omnibus goes by the house, he
| said: ..you will have to wait half an hour
though. because the bus does not start till
the up train comes in
Il could walk" | suggested. III it is not
too far. and let the omnibus bring my
trunk; that is If could find some one to
show me the way"
| "Oh il Is not far-straisht down hlgn
street-just outside the tOwn-why. there
is Mr.. Moulton.- and he broke of to seckor
a gentleman who had come out OF the sta
tion. and who approached at the sign he
received looking surprised" Moulton,'
began the hurried but pattern of1cial-since
he preserved his pOlteness and good ma
ture even in the midst OF his haste-''thi:
lady Is going 10 Pine Hill. She does no
| -, 20 w.it for the omnibus Give me
your checks, ma'am-Ili attend to YOU