The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-06-13
PRETTY MRS. 0GILyIE.

All the women are jealous of her;
there is no doubt about that. The first
time she appears in church with crisp
mauve muslins floating about her and a
dainty mauye erection on her head, which
presumably she calls q bonnet, L know at
once how it will be. And of course
the other sex will range themselves ON
her side to man; that is also beyond
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 l doubt
if any male creature in our musty little
church pays proper attention to the re-
sponses for ten minutes afterward. A
new face is great rarity with us, and
such new face one might not see more
than once in 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 modestly
over the glorious gray eyes, shall I own
that / steal glance of disapproval at
Mary Anne-my Mary Anne-the part
ner Of my joys and sorrows for twenty
years and the mother of my six chill
dren? Mary Anne's figure is some
what overbiown, her hair is tinged with
gray, aud the complexion of her good
humored face is slightly rubicund. But
she has been a good wife to me, and ]
feel, with twinge of conjunction, that
/ have no right to be critical, as l think
of shining spot on the top of my head,
and of a little box / received from the
dentist only a month ago, carefully se-
cured from observation. But as we
emerge from church draw myself up
and try to look my best as we pass the
trailing native robes. Jack, one of our
six, stumbles over the train, which gives
me an opportunity Of raising my hat
and apologizing for the brass awkward
ness, and | am rewarded with sweet
smile and an upward glance out of the
great gray eyes which is simply intoxi-
eating.
"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 her land
lord to find out if she is comfortable.
She is lady-like person." ] continue,
automatically forbearing to allude to
the obvious beauty; and / daresay,
my dear, you will find her an agreeable
neighbor."
fLady-ikep cries my wife, with a
ring of indignation in her voice.
don't call it lady-like to come to quiet
country church dressed as if she were go
ing to a flower-show. Besides, she is
painted. A color like that can't be
natural. But you men are all alike-al.
ways taken with a little outside show
and glitter"
"But, my dear,n / demonstrate, "per.
haps she did not know how very coun.
trified and bucolic our congregation is
-eally do think it will be very unneigh.
borly if we don't call. 1t must be very
dull for her to know no one.p / ignore
the remark about the paint, but in my
heart give the assertion an emphatic
contradiction.
Mrs. Ogilvie has rented small cot
tage which / own in the westrcountry
village In which Lam the principal doc
tor. She is the wife of a naval Officer
who is away in our Flying Squadron
and has settled in our sleepy little ham
let to live quietly during his absence
All her references have been quite un
exceptionable, and, indeed, she is slightly
known to our Squire, as is also her alb
sent husband. "a splendid fellow HI
is" Mr., Dillon tells me; "stands sil
feet in his stockings, and is as handsome
as Apollo; indeed, I don't believe tina
for good looks you could find such an
other couple in England"
The following day Mary Anne, witt
but little persuasion, agrees to accom-
pany me to the cottage to call on Mr.:
Ogiivie. The door is opened by nea
maid-servant. She is at home, and W
are issued into the drawing-room, whic
we almost fail to recognize, so change
is it.
Presently Mrs. Oglivie comes in, lool
ing, if possible, even lovelier than sh
did the day before. She is in simpl
white dress, with here and there kno
of blue ribbon about it; and she has
bit of blue also in her golden hair. He
manner is as charming as her looks, an
as she thanks my wife with pleasant, CO..
dial words for being the first OF he
neighbors to take compassion on he
loneliness, can see that my Mary Ann
whose heart is as large as her figur
basely deserts the female faction an
goes over to the enemy. Mrs. Ogilvie
very young, still quite a girl, thoug
she has been married three years ST
tells me.
1t is dreadful Frank should have
go away" she says, and the tears we
up in her large gray eyes; that is IL
worst of the service. See; here is
photograph" lifting a case from IL
table and handing it to Mary Anne.
he not handsomeP
He is most undeniable SO, il the lik
: ness speaks true, and we both say 8
Mary Anne, with the privilege of her 81
and age, addinga word as to the beau
Of the pair.
30, yes" replies Mrs. ogilvis wit