Daily Kennebec journal., 1878-12-12
Gales aud Skftehes.
DIFFICULT DICK CLEMMENS.
RULE THAT FINALLY WORKED BOTH
WAYS.

When Horatio Flipper and his bosom
friend Josiah Clemmeus, on the same day,
| in the same church, married Augusta Law
| ton and her dearest friend. Anathusia
Meakim, contract was made between the
two couple. 1t was this they bound
themselves that it one family had a son
and the other had daughter, when they
arrived at IA proper age, they should be-
come husband and wife.
| FIipper and Cemmens had died full Of
years and gOut, and rheumatism, aud left
each large fortune to his wife They
had each left, as well, child-Flipper u
daughter named Kitty, Clemmens son
named Richard, otherwise Dick. The
children had now reached their majority.
and the mothers were anxious for the con-
summation of the plan.
| "MOther." said Dick. at the breakfast
table, 'there is no use urging that girl
| kittv's suit, for | will never marry her."
"llow do you know, my son You
| have not seen her for twelve years and
you might be d. d.lghted with her" returned
Mrs. Clemmens, coaxingly.
81 know | shouldn't" Dick said. "She
| was IA red-headed abomination when she
| was a child, and I'm certain she's the same
now. Even if she was as handsome as
Hebe | wouldn't marry her. I'd feel dis
gusted the moment met her, and so
| would she, il she had any sense. We'd be
| introduced, we'd look at each other, and
say to ourselves: And this is the person
Pve got to marry and then we would
hate each other.''
"Well, it seems to me, Dick, that you
might at least wait until You do see each
L,l Hx,lr. s~~s~ y
This is to bad. just when thought had
such good news for you ~
"What is the news ?"
"She's coming here"
"Who. Kitty FIipper ?"
"Yes. received a letter this morning
from her mother. saying Kitty would start
| in a day or two
80, N.Y. groaned Dick. you must
stop her." he said seriously. "If she
comes 90. know what she'll be; lit
tie stuck-up mink. full of the French ais
| she acquired by studying abroad for twel,
years. shan't see her, that's settled.
Write to Mrs. Flipper and say we are
going on visit and we don't know wht n
we will return; or better, go to town,
| to see Mrs. Flipper. explain openly that
| viii never marry Frenchfied wax-doll,
but | want wife who knows how to keep D
a house in order, can cook. preserve,
sweep, bake. darn, sew, mend, dust, and
| as the advertisements say, make herself
generally useful. In short, woman like
my respected ma; and, so that you may
| Kill two birds with one stone, find cook
who can cook and fetch her back with
you"
An idea seemed to strike Mrs. Glenn
| mems, and she answered gaily, well,
Dick, everything is for the best. If you
| won't marry her, you won't. So III do as
you say"
After breakfast she made hurried toi-
| let, and took the first train for the city.
Toward evening she returned with as
pretty little girl as Dick had ever seen.
The dainty, curly-hared little woman
straightway went to the kitchen, and then
Mrs Clemmens informed her son that she
| had made matters all right with Mrs.
Flipper, and that the pretty girl was new
cook she had engaged
With the advent OF the new cook came
iuxuries such as had never been seen on
| the C!emmens table before. And Rich
ards stockings were mended so neatly
| that an old pair of socks were better than
new pair. His shirts, too, were washed
and ironed so perfectly, that their white
ness and gloss caused envy in the bosoms
of all his male friends.
| But another change had been effected
| by the cook. The pink-and-white young
| lady, whom the hottest fire never made
red was accustomed to take seat in the
sitting room in the evening and attend to
| her sewing-kitchen being locked up to
| save gas. Mrs. Z. said, and Dick remained
at home at night, something unusual Tor
him.
In fact, Dick was in love with the cook,
and he found hundred excuses day to
| 90 to the kitchen and have word or two
| with the curly-headed little woman.
At first she was very cold to him, but
gradually, as she saw his respect increase
with his love, the ice of her reserve began
to melt under the warmth of his passion.
and the young man was correspondingly
happy.
AT length Dick found himself so en-
tangled in the net of love that nothing
but marriage would free him. so he en-
tered the kitchen one afternoon, and pro-
posed marriage.
Twill you marry me ?" said he.
"No, will not" she answered.
Why
I'm cook and you're a gentleman"
| Ou It u lt' is Wcli Us a COuh, auu
fit 10 be a gentleman 8 wife,"
Il dare say am, but l don't want to
be u cook all my life"
Then marry me-"
"And work to support you'"
"Why. my dear. I'm rich "
you mean your mother is"
'Well she would deny me nothing"
IL don't know about that. You don't
know how she'd act If You married her
cook. Besides Eve no fancy for a man
who cant support himself and his wife
without help from his mother. | under
stand you, Dick, and admit that l love
YOU"
My daringP' he cried, embracing
her.
There, now stop. You wonldn't
manya wax-doll of a girl, who couldn't
keep house in order, cook, carve, pre-
serve. darn, mend, sew, dust and sweep.
| heard you say So"
That is true, ruefully remarked Dick.
"Well, will not marry man who
| t. tak- n