Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-06-22
Gales aud Skftehes.
MAMIE.

/ cannot set down in so many words
Just when or how it came to be understood
between my partner, John Stillman. and
myself, that | was to marry his daughter.
Mamie, when she was old enough.
have an impression that she was in long
! clothes at the time we first talked of it.
Her mother died when she was little
girl, and old Mrs. Sti.lman took her home
TO the family house at Owls Corner, one
OF the prettiest little villages ever had
| the good fortune to see. But Mamie was
Is when first met her as a woman. and
| this was the scene of the meeting.
John had sent for me to come to Owps
Corner on certain July day, promising
| to drive over to the station and meet me.
| as my elderly legs covered the ground but
slowly. We had retired from business.
rich men both, some five years before and
corresponded regularly. But had been
abroad, and this was my first visit to Owls
Corner in ten years. remembered Nan
ME as romplng child, fond of swinging
on the gates, climbing up grape-arbors.
and imperiling her neck fifty times day
on each OCCASION
shes little wild, but she'll get over
that
! waited al the station for half an hour
then, seeing no sign of John, started to
walk home. 1t was midday and fearfully
hot, and when | had accomplished half the
distance | turned off the road and started
through grove that gave me longer
walk, but thick shade. | was resting
there on broad stone. completely hidden
by the bushes on every side, when | heard
Johns voice:
Where have you beenp"
There was such dismay and astonish-
| mcnt in the voice that looked up in sur
| prise, to find that he was not greeting me,
but a tall, slender girl coming toward him.
Such sight She was dark and beautiful.
| dressed in a thin dress of rose-pink, fault
less about the face and throat, but from
| the waist down, clinging TO her. one mass
OF the greenest, blackest, thickest mud
and water.
"In the duck pond she answered with
| a voice as clear and musical as chime of
bells. "Don't come near me-
"Iou are enough to wear a man into
his gravel"
There don't scold," was the coaxing
reply; little Bob Ryan fell in face down.
| 1t did not make any material difference in
| his costume. but was afraid he would
smother, so | waded in after him. The
water is not over two feet deep, but the
mud goes clear through to China, imag-
inc. 1t is rather pity about my new
dress, isn't it9n
"A PITY roared John; you'll come
| to an untimely end some day with your
| freaks. As il there was nobody to pick
little brat out OF the duck pond but you ~
There actually was nobody else about.
There, now, don't be angry. I'll 60 up to
the house and put on that bewitching
white affair that came from New York last
week, and be all ready to drive over to the
station with you, at what time ?"
About 3. Lawrence is coming on the
, 10 train"
And bad come on the II 10. This ac-
counted for the failure to meet me.
kept snug in my retreat until John and
Mamie were well on their way home
ward, wondering little how many young
ladies in my circle of friends would have
recklessly sacrificed a new dress to pick
up a beggars brat out of the mud
When |. in my turn reached the house,
John was on the porch, waiting for Nam
| nie's r. appearance. He gave me most
cordial welcome, or rather luncheon,
called Mamie, his mother, and man to
go for my trunk. all in one breath, and
seemed really rejoiced to see me.
Presently slender GIRL with a truly
bewitching" white dress, trimmed with
dashes of scarlet ribbon, and smoothly
braided black hair, tied with scarlet bows,
came demurely into the room and was in
troduced. Never however, In that first
hour could the widest imagination have
pictured Mamie Stillman wading into a
duck-pond. But the ha)f-shy, half-digni-
fed company manner soon wore away,
and Mamie and were fast friends before
dinner. She sang for me in voice as
deliciously fresh as birds carol; she
took me TO see her pets. the new horse
that was her last birthday gift from
papa" the ugly little Scotch terrier with
the beautiful brown eyes, the rabbits,
Guinea hens. and the superannuated old
pony, who had preceded the new horse.
In a week | was as much in love as
even John could have desired. Mamie
was the most bewitching maiden | had
ever met, childlike and yet womanly,
frank, bright and full of girlish freaks and
boyish mischief, and yet well educated,
with really wonderful musical gifts, and
of noble thoughts. She was a perfect
idol in the village, her friends and neigh
bors thinking no party complete without
her, while the poor fairly worshpped her.
John allowed her an almost unlimited
supply of pocket money, and she lavish
in all charity, from blankets for old wO-
men, tobacco for old men, to candies for
the children, and rides on horseback for
the urchins And she had way of con-
ferring iavors that never wounded the
pride of the most sensitive.
We rode together every morning; we
walked in the cool evening hours, we
spent much time at the piano, and dis
cussed our favorite authors, and one day
when asked Mamie to be my wife, she
said, coolly:
why, of course; | thought that was
all understood long ago"
was rather amazed at such mattefAot-
fact wooing. but delighted at thenr6eH4.
How could | expect any softss bla[flg
speeches ? suppose Iranksd lpetg -
John and Nannie's grandmtlh her ~ m
her affections. ss4A .12sfwr2 go. 49, -
But one mornipgs vhsn MnAna
was shipping her epFaei1ne ~ qyi947k
ing's newspapers, Nsn1l ( u. Esr
beautsulEfn Efno6 q1bnuoev. het 49, sbright