The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-09-28

profciency-what could he do but long
for a larger, fuller, prouder scope for
her? The ceilings were low in their
humble floor; the acoustic properties
were entirely wanting in that cramped
but coy vicinity. Alas! alas! the nest
was all too small for its full-fledged in
mates, and the neighborhood was not
what it had been. Macs business in
creased day by day. He was getting
to be quite moneyed man, and really
an authority in music. Busts of
Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn and all the
rest stared poor Shiel in the face. Look
which way he would, the sightless
balls of these old masters followed him.
And Jenny finding that the very walls
of the old nest were almost bursting
asunder, consented at last to move into
fine new house in new neighbor-
hood, and have new furniture and new
clothes, new church and minister, a
new butcher and baker, and, worst of all,
some very superior and excellent serv-
ants, who took the whole establish
ment out of her hands, and left her
high and dry upon the banks of pros
perity, with nothing to do but to en-
Joy herself. And all at once she began
to be most miserable. Mr.. MacNeil
and his remarkable daughter stepped
out of their nest as the blithest, finest,
most sagacious of birds, left the worth
less tenement that has served its pur-
pose, and began forthwith to scratch
and peck and scramble for themselves
in the most natural and praiseworthy
way. But poor Jenny stumbled at
every step, and grew more featherless
and forlorn as the years went by. Pretty
she was yet, far prettier than her daugh-
ter, but this did not seem to win for her
the admiration she most coveted. Poor
Jenny would have gladly taken the
ponderous form and heavy features of
Mrs. Delaney We're, could she have
gained thereby that lady's severely
critical taste and talent, or the long
bony neck of Miss Perry, if it could still
hold those wonderfully high notes
which Mr.. MacNeil so admired. Do
what she would, the old accent that
was once so dear to her husbands ear
still chung to her.
"Don't say 'yere' for here, Jen-
NY" eXpostuldted Mr.. MacNcil; land
I'd rather do without anything at the
table than the letter h except when it's
one letter too many"
So Jenny began to speak only from
sheer necessity. She never could please
her husband any more, do what she
would, and didn't care to find favor in
the sight of others. 1t began to be APP
parent to Jenny that she was clog
and a burden to her husband and her
daughter-nay, to the whole world in
which they delighted TO live-and there
came time when she resolved no long
er to be the stumbling-block to their
popularity.
There was musicale at the house
that night, and all the doors were open.
The halls were filled with flowers, some
of them brought from the florist in
tubs of wide dimensions; and Jenny,
in a plain black silk, crouched behind
one of these while Mr. MacNeil was
bringing mis- daughter down the stairs
and into the crowded parlors. Mac
nose was high in the air; he was dressed
in the finest of broadcloth, while the
musical prodigy, who was now a we'll
grown young woman, swept along in a
rustling white silk that the dress-mak-
ers wouldn't let Jenny do even the cord
ing for. On they went, and Jenny S
heart swelled big with pride, then sank
with modification, for two fine ladies
near her, leaning upon the arms of a
good-natured-looking gentleman, be-
gan all at once to cavil at poor Jenny,
who had never in her whole life said
evil of anybody.
1.-The mamma appears to be invisi-
ble," said one of them. "They say
she is shut up in the coal hole upon
these occasions; and no wonder, when
one thinks of the blunders of the poor
creature"
Perhaps she's in the Kitchen" said
the other. 81 have heard that is where
Mr.. MacNeil first found her."
Then up spoke the good-natured.
looking gentleman, and said that if she
could make good ragout there, her
husband ought to rise up and call hel
blessed, for it was finer accomplish.
ment than any he could remember; and
one thing was certain, she was fal
prettier woman than most of them
there that night.
But Jenny did not hear this; and il
she had, it would not have comforted
her.
A little later on, one of their ole
friends, the wife of journeyman print
er, in the dear old neighborhood of the
forsaken nest, was startled by the APP
partition of comely face, dear to the
olden time of merriment and song, bu
now blurred with tears; and the tale
she told, Mrs. M'Shane anticipated
every word of.
"My poor bairnie," she said, 81
knew how 'twould be when / saw Mac's
way of gong on. His stuck-up airs
and his talk about strophes and sym
phonies and outlandish heathenisms
BODIED no good. But so long as l hav,
a roof, you shall share it."
But Jenny was Independent, and soor
got a situation far above the one il
which she first saw her husband. A,
luck would have it, the old rooms were
just vacated. Mrs. M Shane had mos
of the old furniture so before the montl
was out Jenny was back in her nest
but sick at heart and sometime read,
to die.
In the meanwhile we must run bacl
month to the scene of festivity wher,
we left Mac with his head high in the
air, and the skirts of musical prodig,
f,,n LII, L ~ -