Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-01-29

! suauVe, anu Always tcouOmlcai'
Young Mr.. Ellis only brother, Amy''
uncle Charles, was prosperous New
York merchant. who had remained a
bachelor and true to memory up TO tho
age ol fiity-fve. Then the memory ma
terialized itself in the shape OF the widow
Graham. fair and fat and only trillc
over forty. who seemed as attractive in
his eyes as in the old days when he loved
and lost her, ere she became Mrs. Gra-
- 70me rumor of this disappoint-
men, b. l,ated up to Tunxis at the
time OF IL, cr1-rence; but it was not
thought thai obr # the Rossells would
heed wound OF the heart inflicted by q
seventeen-year-old girl after lapse OF
three-and-twenty years-a few months
before our story opens-when 1t was
known that Charles had married the rich
widow who as poor maiden, was his
first love. there was genuine flutter OF
surprise, in which Amy, who had nover
seen her new relations. shared.
"Oh, auntie," said Amy. rushing into
the kitchen. where Miss Car'liue was
peeling speCked apples for pies one
bright October morning, guess whom
it's iromm
She held up letter as she spoke. She
had just returned from her morning
walk to the post-ofiice. a mile away. and
the fresh wind had heightened her color
and blown her silky brown hair into
beautiful disorder. She was evidently
the recipient OF an important message.
Miss Car'line made no effort 10 guess.
1t is not the way of the Connecticut peo-
pie. former. chroniclers 10 the contrary
Notwithstanding. They draw inferences
pretty freely, but they do nothing by
guess-work.
"0h, you never could guess" said
Amy. pausiug only long enough to catch
her breath, 80 shall have 10 tell you.
It is from my new cousin, Gabrielle Gra-
ham, and she wants me 10 visit her and
spend the whole month Of November in
New York. I.n't that splendid?" Then
her couutenance suddenly fell. "Auntie,
mas. have new silk"
Don't be foolish" child" said Miss
Car'line. You can have your old dress
made over, and you've got that new
cashmere. Besides. 'taint at all likely
your father will let you GO"
Now. auntie, it is you who are fool
ish," said Amy. earnestly. al have
turned that old silk, and trimmed it and
patched it and made it over, ill it is
utterly beyond redemption, and there is
no health in it,"
Child" said Miss Car'line, solemuly,
when WAS of your age, girls thought
OF something besides dresses. They
were satisfied to wear plain clothes, and
improve their minds, and help their par
eats to get rich"
"Oh dear" said Amy, and with that
she hurried ont OF the room, stamping
her little feet as she went. and going just
in time TO save herself from saying some
thing saucy against those impossible
young women whose existence has
always antedated current history by tfiy
years. and who cared nothing for their
personal adornment. She sought her
room and pondered solemnly on the stu
alton. To go to New York without q
new dress was out OF the question. To
give up the idea of the journey was
equally out oil the question. To coax
the money from her father. after that un-
known crime which Congress bad COM
mitted, was impossible. She tried to re-
member how the heroines of novels had
possessed themselves OF money in great
emergencies. Some OF them had knit
socks and sold them, and others had
written poems and sold them; but there
was no market tor either socks or poems
In Tunxis. and Amy could not have pro-
duced the commodities if there had been.
She looked at her small white hands,
which had been saved By the unselhsh-
ness of Miss Car'line from the hardships
of labor, and thought how useless they
were, and then how useless the novels
were as mediums OF information on ques-
tions OF finance.
As she looked out at the window and
tried 10 concentrate her mind on the alb
sorbing matter OF money-getting. her at
tention was distracted by the approach
of q peddler's wagon. II was larger.
gaudier, and more brilliantly painted
than any wagon she had ever seen, and
It was drawn by four beautiful black
horses. which dashed up 10 the door as
proud as the famous steeds which the
tairy godmother evolutionized out oi
rats for the benefit of Cinderella and
more remotely OF MIR. Charles Darwin.
Amy was down stairs in moment
The advent of a peddier was no small
event in Tupxis. If he found lew GUS
toners Tor his wares. he was sure to fine
an abundant curiosity, satisfied only by
close inspection OF all his goods. Miss
| Car,lina was he M means eXempt from
this general failing. Before Amy coulG
reach the door, the worthy spinster hao