Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-22
NOT TIE PRETTY Mss PTRDY.

PIE the Yita'S out OF Lily and she'd never
murmur The worst of it is, she spOilS my
plans and it's too bad, when she hasn't the
shadow of a chance herself, that she will per-
sist in acting the part Of dog in the manger
i should think, considering the Self-sacrihclng
and uncomfortable role she's chosen for her
self, the fact of securing her idol In the family
would hold some charm for her; out the rltlc,
HlGus display she makes of her unrequited
affection is gradually bringing to ruin all our
available prospects,
Miss Blanche tossed the egg-ShellS from her
HngerS and looked about her in diSdain upon
the cOmfOTtless breakfaStr0Om and its APP
purtenanCeS. The house which the PurdyS
occupied had been rather an imposing one
some years since, but the burden of unpaid
taxes and assessments had broken its once
high spirit. and its chief aud only charm now
lay in the paTlOr floor. Poor Mr.. Purdy had
long since given up AL IDEA OF redeeminS the
place from its legal bondage; and indeed, as
the mortgage was long overdue. 1t began to
be apparent to even his hopeful nature that
the properly was slipping out of his hold He
cODSOIed himself with the prospect of legal
SGuabble with the mortgage, and as Mr..
PUTdy was lawyer himself, and held one or
the town offices, he thought his chances were
good for another year. In the mean Time,
IeIhapS something would turn up; and I'M
consciously his thoughts reverted to the eN-
traOTdinary charms of his eldest daughter
Blanche. He was scarcely to be blamed for
this, as great many thoughts ran in the same
happy direction. so alluTing Were these
charms, so blue were her eyes, so golden her
hair, so perfect her lips and the pearls within,
So vivid her color, SO 1.-THE and graceful her
form, so shapely her feet and hands, she was
known far and near as The pretty Miss
PuTdy." Then she could talk so well, and
could smile so archly, and blush so readily,
and dance, and row, and swim, and skate,
and sing. and play. and pose so diylneIy!
What they would have done without her at
the church fairs, where she always reigned at
the flower stand, and threw in with each buI
So priceless a Smile-hOw they would have dis
penSed with her i'll the charadeS and tableauX
and val iOuS COntTivances by which the big
church annually tided over its financial dill
cuIties-it would be hard to say. But nObody
thought of doing without the pretty Miss
PuTGy: indeed II was generally conceded
that the teacher of the Bib.e class, Mr.. Henry
Howe, meant 10 secure her as a permanently
for the town of SeabrOOk and its vicinity He
had been known to strongly object to the
title of the pretty Miss Purdy," and was
really the most available party that could do
away with it. She was rather coll and CO.
QUettiSh and shy, as became her exalted pO
sitiOn, but nobody but a fool would refuse the
prOffer of the fine house and landed property,
and handsome person, majestic manners, I'M
bounded perquiSites in trade and in society,
that belonged to Mr.. Henry Howe, The
pretty Miss Purdy was not fool, by any
means, so this magnificent man and this
lovely. engaging woman were drifting to-
gether in this natural fitness of things, when
a queer-almOst an abSurd-ObStacle pre-
sented itself.
The Younger sister of the pretty Miss Purdy
fell hOpeleSsly in love with Mr.. Howe. IL
seemed like a joke at first, Miss Lily was so
young she had scarcely reached her eigh
teenth year. and had Just entered society.
Then she was plain. so hOpeleSSly plain, It
was such a misfortune, the folks of SeabrOOk
said, TO name girl Lily, till you could form
some idea Of what her complexion would be:
and, dear me- how very murky and dark and
thick and turpid was the skin OF poor Lily
PuTdy. And her hair was so abundant and
straight and heavy, it was almost Impossible
to arrange il becOmingly. when IL was ire
bly, fastened TO the head in that way: il
was SO much more easily manipulated w1en
untTammeed by these natural ties. She ind
fine eyes, to be sure, large and dark; bat
what were eyes in a case like this? She WIS
little and dumpy and dull; and then Just
think of the disadvantages the poor child Ia
bored under! To be known, in cOntraliS-
tinctiOn to her sister, as not the pretty Miss
Purdy. When the goSSipS OF SeabrOOk were
descanting upon the success or failure of
this or that entertainment, it was so natural
to say, Miss .Purdy was there-TaOt the
pretty Miss Purdy, but that plai little sister
of hers, you know" 1t was sad for the poor
child, very sad; and, to crown al, she must
go and fall desperately IN love with MIR. Henry
Howe, the richest, the handsomest, altogether
the finest man in the place. At first her pas
sion was set aside as the foolish, rather for
ward preference of a child; Mr.. Howe had
been visiting there long while, little more
pronounced in his attentions than the Other
suitOrs OF Blanche, and gradually grayitating
dered his footing in the household an easy
one, and his bearing to the younger sister was
gentle and encouraging and familiar, as was
natural under the circumstances. IL began
to be apparent that Lily chung to his presence
peTtinaciOusly-tOO much so altogether for the
comfortable American custom of letting
young people arrange their matrimonial af-
fairs for themselves. Blanche endeavored in
vain to get rid of this stumbling block 10 her
progress hints and winkS and frOHnS and lit
tie eTands were unavailing: at last the pa
rental authority was called in, and the parlor
floor became BlancheS undivided empire.
But there was the Bible class which Lily al
ways attended in storm or sunshine, and OF
course 1t was impossible TO restrict the chiid'S
religious privileges, Lily had not mastered
enough Of Bible literature to make herself
either a help or nuisance to her teacher; the
poor girl was not even hard student, or a
blue stocking of any kind. don't know that
il would have prOSpered her unfortunate plS-
sion if she had been l think it rarely does;
but. anyway, | may as we'll confess canduly
that am not holding back any capaGiIiIi in
.IilyS mind or person that will sud lenly
sweep away all obstacles to her happiness
Her mind appeared To be as sluggish as her
blood, and her Whole beng seemed so com
pletely dominated by this OverpOwering al
lection that it overlooked 10 the surface, and
uncODSciOuSly TO herself she was the talk OF
the class. When she entered society her
foolish partiality had been for a short time
the talk of the place-Only short time, be
cause the subject was too absurd and unim-
pOrtant to occupy the gOSSips of SeabrOOk long,
but il was long enough TO make Mr.: Howe
uncOmfortable-very uncomfortable indeed.
His maiden sister, who superintendent his
home, began one morning to inVeigh in no
measured terms against this unbecoming
conduct on the part of Miss Purdy.
WI lhC plClt1 MISS uihS. Sail
Miss Howe. II must say, although | don't
altogether fancy the pretty Miss Purdy' lit
would be hard to say who Miss Howe did al
together fancy, i've no fault to find with
her manners or appearance"
There IS no fault 10 find, Jane" said her
brother. And as for this outrageous talk
about Lily, us the most monStrOuS thing
ever heard Of"
Well said Jane, with an eloquent sniff of
her thin high nose, I'm glad your conscience
IS easy. l should hate TO believe that you had
led the girl into this unseemly id6latry |
have been forced into giving the matter some
attention myself"
These cOnfOunded tattle-mongerS of Sea-
brook said Mr.. Howe. Then paused. re-
membeTlng that his maiden sister was at the
head Of This set.
some attention myself" pursued Miss
Howe, who never allowed herself To be dis
turbed by these fraternal OutburSts: and I
have zen that she never takes her eyes frJm
your face, that she is ObSequiOuS in her at
tentiOpS TO you, that she bushes with delight
when you speak 10 her, and absolutely
trembles at your frOwn."
Stuff and nOnStnSen' said Mr.. Howe. "I'll
put an end TO this" And soon thereafter
mounting his horse and riding in q familiar
direction, he became so yeXed in spirit AMI
out of temper with the world in general that
his high-bred nag caught the infection, and
began in unison.
Mr.. Howe had determined when he left the
house to give the final blew To all this gossip
by proposing at oEce for the hand of the
pretty Miss Purdy. He would have done so
long ago but for some faStidious qualms he