San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-08-03

cd forever hopeless, nad roppeu Hie
all. The old bloom of the heart tool
with it the crimson cheek, the laughing
eye, and the light, elastic step. Evel
my hair fell out. Alas! poor me, tn
flesh fell from my bones. AS l hinte'
before, it was not very alluring Objec
that greeted me in the glass on thu
morning of my twenty-seventh birth
day. "Aroint thee, witch!" cried
and wiped away with the hand'towe
some salt tears that fell upon the dimity
bureau cover, and upon the grave Of
sad, sweet memories. Then l put on
my ugly brown dress, and the hideous
bonnet to match, and went off to the
church, pausing at the portal to look
longingly over at the cool, quiet graves
of some of our old neighbors. A soft
wind stirred the long grass there; a
few birds hoped lightly and fearlessly
about.
How calmly, calmly smile the dead
Who do not therefore grieve!
"The Yea of heaven is Yea," said,
and went on into the church, where the
ladies were grouped around the straw
berries that had just arrived. 1 took
possession of whole crate of these,
sending the young and pretty maidens
home to recruit for the evening.
There were o few faint, polite renon-
strances when refused to take any &C
tive part in the evenings entertainment.
ave must leave that part to the young
and attractive" 1 said, and there was a
general buz Of acquiescence. / had the
consolation of hearing several remarks
upon my extraordinary good sense and
practical capability.
1 was graciously allowed, after had
hulled whole crate of strawberries, to
hold stepladder and some nails for
Mrs, Smith, the apothecary,'s wife,
while she hung some gorgeous drapery,
and otherwise deformed the cool gray
walls of our little chapel, so that L was
pretty well tired when 1 went home at
night-fall. Mamma met me at the gate,
and looked at me so dolefully that l
burst out laughing.
"Never mind, mamma" said L; CT
won't look so cadaverous after I'm rest
ed and dressed for the evening""
But I'm afraid 1 was rather a painful
object for the gaze of a doting and once
ambitious mother even when 1 had
lonned my black silk, and was ready
for the evening. My hair was neither
,rimped nor curled. You see, L had
depended upon the switch, which was
bought for purposes of the kind, and
ANONYMOUSLY failed me at the
asst moment. My head ached
and 1 could not bear many hair
pins thrust into my scalp; in no
other way would the obstinate
hing be induced to stay on. Mamma
vas heart-broken, and I was disappoint-
I'd; but even inanimate articles become
at times. thought perhaps
he switch was grieving over beloved
md lost head of which it was once part
md parcel, and l forgave it, and left it
o its perverseness from that time on
ward.
When l reached the church Twas i'm
seized upon for something
hey called "the grocery counter "-an
innovation brought about by the advent
If well-to-do grocer in our midst, a
vidower, stock-raiser, and man af-
licted with many maladies, of which he
owed to talk. He had generously sent
Town from the city, in pound packages
md in tin cans, samples of his available
FOODS, and had proposed this "grocery
" to the young ladies, which
hey despised and would have none of.
The grocer himself found favor in their
light. They fitted about him, filled his
with bouquets, his pockets |
With bon-bons; they looked up in his |
ace, and tried to talk to him, poor chill
lren! as best they could. But they ap-
'ealed to me to take the ugly counter,
With its sordid pound packages for home
necessity, and l took it with an ill-con-
ealed avidity. The truth was, a kind
# heart-sickness seized me when /
bought that the evening must be passed
II making myself generally agreeable,
nd | felt that to wander about this
lace, distorted out of its sweet SAVIOR of |
,odliness and quiet Sabbath rest so dear
o weary soul-to wander about among
he flags and wreaths and tents and ar
'ors, with smile for one, nod for an