Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-03-14
fully-folded slip of paper, ON which
was written legibly:

/ inns Is W certlly mat Mary murphy is
member, in good and regular standing, of
the Fourth Presbyterian Church.
lSigned JAMES ELLSWORTH. Pastor"
"But this does not qualify you for
nousework,' said l, laughing little
at the novelty of the recommendation
"No'm." replied Mary, with an
other of her smiles: "but / can do
house-work, and think | could suit
you. Perhaps you wouldn't mind
trying me, ii you have no girl at pres
emit"
| telegrapned to Brunhilda. What
| do you Think" and she telegraphed
back, Take her. and the result was
that in very short time pretty Mary
Murphy, who really looked better
suited to the parlor was established
in our kitchen, and running the do
nestle machinery with an ease and
rapidity that made housekeeping per-
| fectly idyllic.
Never had we been so respectfully
served, nor accomplished the fact of
three meals a day and various other
necessities of living. with so little
creaking of machinery and rasping
against the higher nature; and we
| found ourselves wondering how life
has. ever progressed with us hitherto
without our kitchen fairy. Every one
told us that we had treasure" and
her very manner of opening the door
to visitor was bewitching; while
grocer's young men and the milk-man
and butcher seemed to linger en-
! tranced when they came to deliver
their wares. Mary took their com
pliments calmly, and had ready
smile for them ALL without departing
from the quiet dignity of her ways,
and we felt no shadow of coming evil.
until matters began to look serious
with the one-armed postman
The same postman had delivered
our letters regularly for the last two
years, always in the same business
like way, never lingering for mo-
ment, never by any possibility smil-
| ing or exchanging a word with either
| of us, and yet we looked upon him
| quite in the light of friend, and spec
ulated about his history, as lonely
women will about those with whom
! they come in contact. He had been
in the army and had lost an arm; this
was all we knew about him. except
that he was evidently a German, and
quite good-looking-not to say scholar
ly in his aspect
Were you aware asked Brun-
hilda one morning, with an omioous
expression, that Miss Murphy speaks
German p
"Speaks GermanP | repeated, in
| amaZement. And pray how did You
find it out?' For Brunhilda' S knowl-
edge Of German matches Shakespeare
Greek and Latin.
BY hearing her address the post
man in that delightfully."- musical and
tasily-acquired tongue was the re-
ply.
"And what did he say?" | con-
tinued, eXcitedly.
AS nearly as | could make out, this
was his rejoinder:' and Brunhilda
obligingly pelpetrated series of
growls, with squeal at the end of
each one, which, SO far as ace were con
cerned, efectually illustrated Talley-
randi definition of language.
We both laughed, but with chill
ing sort of presentiment that this was
no laughing matter.
Il snail nip this in the bud" said I,
severely. But presently better thoughts
came to me. | remembered my own
youth, and ! remembered Crunf0rd,
where Miss Matrie, after the death of
an old lover, softens to Martha and al
lows followers"
a week or two passed, and ! was
attending to my preserves one day in
the kitchen--it was pleasure to do
anything in Mary's kitchen, every
thing looked so immediately clean,
almost poetical, ! thought--and | ap-
preached the subject uppermost in my
mind by saying, carelessly:
$50, Mary, you know German, it
seems. How does that happen?"
Mary's pretty face was overspread
by rosy cloud as she replied, in low
tone, q picked it up by myself.
had some German books once
Then she sat down and cried, very
much to my bewilderment; and pres
emily she exclaimed, Il should like
to tell you something. Miss Darling
ford; shall feel better when you
know all.
q hope" said I, with a vague ex-
pectation of dreadful developments,
"Uhat ali is not very bad, Mary"
The flush deepened on the pretty
face, but for answer she took from her
bosom black ribbon, to which was
fastened plain gold ring. / dropped
my preserves in amazement; the girl
looked so young.
You are widow, then ?" said |,
with feeling of tender pity. Poor
childr
Il don't know whether | am or
not" Was the reply, with fresh burst