The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-06-15
From Chambers Journal.
PRETTY MRS. OGILVIE.

All Tile NOUl6H are JEALOUS Ol uST
there is no doubt about that. The first
time she appears in church with crisp
mauye muslins floating about her and
dainty mauve erection on her head,
which presumably she calls a bonnet, |
know at once how it will be. And of
course the other sex will range them
selves on her side to man: that is be-
vond question. As she rises from her
knees and takes her little lavender
gloved hands from her face and looks
about her for moment with sweet shy
glance, she is simply bewitching; and |
doubt if any male creature in our musty
little church pays proper attention to
the response for ten minutes afterwards.
A new face is great rarity with us,
and such new face one might not see
more than once in a decade, so let us
hope we may be forgiven.
As | gaze at the delicate profile before
me, the coils of golden hair, the COM
plexion like the inside of sea-shell,
the slender, milk-white throat and the
long, dark eyelashes, which droop mod
estly over the glorious gray eyes, shall |
own that | steal a glance of disapproval
at Mary Anne-my Mary Annette
partner of my joys and sorrows for twenty
years and the mother of my six children?
Mary Anne's figure is somewhat over
blown, her hair is tinged with gray, and
the complexion of her gOod-humored
face is slightly rubicund. But she has
been a good wife to me, and | feel, with
twinge of compunction, that [ have no
right to be critical, as | think of a shin
ing spot on the top of my own head, and
nf n | from no
fist only month ago, carefully secured
] from church | draw myself up and try
1 to look my best as we pass the trailing
j native robes Jack, one of our six,
q stumbles over the train, which gives me
an opportunity of raising my hat and
apologizing for the brat's awkwardness;
and / am rewarded with sweet smile
and an upward glance out of the great
gray eyes, which is simply Intoxicating.
We must call on Mrs. Ogilvie at
. once" | observe to Mary Anne as we
proceed across the fields on our home
ward walk at is my duty as herland-
lord to find out if see is comfortable.
She is lady-like person." 1 continue,
automatically forbearing to allude to
the obvious beauty; and | daresay, my
dear, you VIII find her an agreeable
neighbor."
'SLady-like!" cries my wife, with a
ring of indignation in her voice. 81
don't call it lady-like to come to
& quiet country church dressed as if she
j were going to a fower-show. Besides,
she is painted. A color like that can't
be natural. But you men are all alike
lways taken with a little outside show
nd glitter"
"But my DEAR" | demonstrate, "per-
haps she did not know how very coun-
trified and bucolic our congregation is;
and | really do think it will be very I'M
neighborly if we don't call. It must be
very dull for her to know no one"
ignore the remark about the paint, but
in my heart | give this assertion an en-
phatic contradiction.
Mrs Ogilvie has rented small cottage
which | own in the west-country village
in which | am the principal doctor. She
Is the wife of naval officer who is away
d In the flying squadron, and had settled
in our sleepy little hamlet to live quietly
during his absence. All her references
have been quite unexceptionable, and
indeed, she is slightly known to our
squire, as. is also her absent husband.
a splendid fellow he is" Mr.. Dillon
tells me; g stands six feet in his stock
ings, and is as handsome as Apollo:
indeed, | don't believe that for good
8 looks you could find such another couple
y in England"
The following day Mary Anne, with
sbut little persuasion, agrees to accom-
pany me to the cottage TO call on Mrs.
Ogilvie. The door is opened by neat
i maid servant. She is at home, and we
4 are ushered into the drawing room
which we almost fail to recognize. so
changed is it.
Presently Mrs Oogilvie comes IN,
4 looking, is possible, even lovlier than she
] did the day before. She is in a simple
white dress, with here and there knot
q of blue ribbon about it; and she has
u bit of blue also in her golden hair.
Her manner is as charming as her looks,
s and as she thanks my wife with pleasant,
cordial words for being the first of her
#neighbors to take compassion on her
Loneliness, can see that my Mary Anne,
whose heart is as large as her figure,
basely deserts the female faction and
goes over to the enemy. Mrs Ogilvie
is very young, still quite girl, though
she has been married three years, she
tells us.
at is dreadful that Frank should
have TO GO away" she says, and the
tears well up in her large gray eyes;
that is the worst of the service. See;
here is his photograph" lifting case