Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-04-23
KIND MISS CARLYLE.
How She Saved" Pretty Servant Girl.

"Whst do You mean to do with her?'
said Mic. caressing his chin.
Mic always broke in on bis cousins
little eBthusiasms in that way.
Save herr said Miss Carlyle, mag
nifcently.
From what9"
From her friends, of course; Just
what every pretty woman needs salvation
from"
"Her friends ? Didn't know she had
any. Who are they P'
"Men."
"Ohl" said Mic, innocently.
Miss Carlyle had a genius for beneVo-
lence. A kind of breezy. contagious
benevolence, that made every one she
talked with swear he would go the next
day and commit some rash act of gener-
osty. Every one but Nc Someryille.
His genius, il he had any, lay entirely in
the region of painting and idleness.
Mic himself had some faint glimmer-
ing on the subjec! of his dormant ability,
aud vontured to question his cousin one
day.
"Do you really think have any talent,
cousin Inez?" he had said with astonish-
ing meekness.
"Yes, for going to the dogs" said
Inez cruelty, and the conversation
dropped.
Nevertheless Miss Carlyle eontrived to
furnish him with luxurious apartments
and artists materials, and Mic lounged on
his way rejoicing. Privately, Inez had
great deal OF faith in her cousins
genius. BY and by, when be should ac-
complish something worth while. she
meant TO send him abroad. Ia the mean
time, no amount OF dependence could
crush Mics spirit. He sat in Miss Car
lyIe's chairs with his feet on her mantel,
and ridicued Miss Carlyle's fondness for
picturesque beggcry. Yesterday it was
blind musician; tomorrow it would be
pennlless poet. to-day it was Mathilde.
IL mean 10 make her tidy. industri-
Gus servant. Mic; she is just the kind Of
a girl to pick up foolish notions, and |
mean to prevent it ~
"But it will never 10, Insz. There is
something deucedly imper,inent in the
tact OF a servant being handsome. It's
an insult 10 ones friends. What woman
wants to be overshadowed by maid p
Nonsense Matilda shall wear cap
something dainty and subdued. The
child is no. 10 blame Tor her beauty
Certainly not; what reason under
heaven is there for hiding it under a cap?
Whist is the boasted freedom OF this re-
public, il every man with fine eyes must
don spectacles, and every woman with
pretty loot, wear wooden shoes' You
astonish me, lnez!'
Nonsense !" repeated Inez.
Nevertheless M.thilde wore a cap.
The merest suggestion Of lace and Paris
muslin. very dainty and subdued a itself,
but developing q demure coquetry on
Mathilde's Swedish golden hair. Miss
Carlyle contemplated the result, and told
Ma,hilde she need not wear caps. they
were bad Tor tho scalp.
You sec, was right, Inezi the girl
will never make over into servant {;
might as we'll try TO make lady oil Biddy
Ryan in me kitchen. You can't smother
8 lot OF pale yellow hair and blush rose
complexion with square OF muslin and
yard Of Valenciennes. It's reform
against nature"
"What would yon have me to do,
theu?n demanded Miss Carlyle; "the
poor child must work or starye."
"Of course it's none OF my business,
Inez, but unless you can make lady OF
her, it seems to me there would be po.
elical propriety in letting her starye. If
/ were a girl, with big sky-blue eyes and
long lashes, I'm sure I'd rather die IN a
tragic, horrible way, and be made over
into d poem, than have my beauty snuffed
out with cap. It's barbarous. Why
not try making q companion OF her."
"a companion Don't mention it!
When l am thoroughly tired of my own
society, l will poison myself. Besides
she can't read or write. Women 90 not
make companions of pretty idiots; they
leave that tor men,"
"Oh ~ said Mic, with the most densely
innocent air.
The fact is" pursued Miss Carlyle,
"Mathilde is q happy, biddsble little
thing, who doesn't know she is pretty.
and will make an excellent servant il no
one tells her,"
"She doesn't know she is pretty OF
course then; my dear cousin. take back
everything. l have been laboring under
a moustrous error. l supposed Mathilde
stuck those liule blue bows in her hair,
and hung those bits of coral in her ears
from some spirit of vanity. No doubt
there is q severe utility in such things,
beyond my ken. Excuse me. What an
ass have been making of myselfm and
Mic sauntered lszily out OF the room.
Matbilde certainly was handy little
thing. She fitted about Miss Csrlyle's