The Portland daily press., 1879-09-13
[Harper's Bazar.l
A Kiss for q Blow.

[Harper's Bazar.l
A Kiss for q Blow.
ssThomas," said Miss Browne to the man
servant, ''what is the name of the family
living in the third house below us on this
side of the street.-the house with the ash
trees before it? Oliver says he name is
Thurston, but children can't be relied on in
the matter of Names"
''That be the name, miss" said Thomas.
1'Leastwse, it's Thurston on the door,"
''Thurston! A pretty set hey must be,
too! That Thurston boy pummels Oliver
within an inch of his life whenever he goes
into the street. l can't keep Oliver in the
house, and / can't bear this thing any long
err. Why, the poor child came home yester
day with his nose bleeding and mud on his
new suit, and l have made up Ahy mind to
send note to young ThurstonS father"
''Shall take it round, miss?
''Directly.'' And Miss Nora proceeded to
indte This frigid note.
Mr.. ThmStom
Dear Sir: You will doubtless be surprised at a
note from stranger; but feel obliged to call your
attention to the behaviour of your son toward our
little Oliver, who scarcely go into the street
without receiving blow from him. l have endured
this sort of thing till endurance is no longer virtue
and must request your early interference.
Respectfully, III. BROWNE.
To this she received the following reply:
Mr. Thurston regrets that Mrs. Browne has been
put to any Inconvenience by the conduct OF his
grandson, and begs to ask If Master Oliver did not
provoke the quarrel, and bear his part in it.
''Our Oliver. provoke a quarrelv' cried
Miss Nora. what an insolent old mane'
and straightway returned:
SRI cannot believe for an instant that our Oil
yer to blame in the affair." l have inquired in
to the matter, and it seems the blow was entirely
cd nn1N acton ha6
uphold your grandson in such grave fault.
H. BROWNE
Mr.. Thurston thinks that if you can secure a
faithful report of the affair from Master Oliver you
will find that it is six of one and half dozen of the
other, to speak, Mr.. Thurston also begs that you
will reorganize your own chids conduct before oner-
ing suggestions to your nelghDors.
cyl can secure faithful report from Oh
liver! When will impudence cease" And
woman-like, she meant to have the las word.
Mr.. ThnrstOn:
SIR:-1 can rely implicitly our divers word.
And if l fail to reorganize the manners of our boy,
it must be because your own furnishes him with
such evil examples. II. BROWNE.
''What an ass that Mrs Browne, is'"said
Grandpa Thurston to the person who had
been doing up this tender correspondence for
him. "Give it to the simpleton hot and
heavy this time Luce. You were not savage
enough in your last"
81 propose we drop the subject here. She's
born scold and will have the last word, say
what you will;' and as Grandpa Thurston
was paralyzed and could only write by proxy
the correspondence came to a stand-still.
''They found my last unanswerable',
thought Nora ''What common people they
must be to bring up child so badly! Shoddy
no doubt. l am glad l don't know them
that people are not obliged co know their
neighbors in the city. They must be insult
ferabler'
Miss Nora Browne had been left in charge
of her sisters household while that lady
and her husband travelled abroad, unham-
pered by Master divers presence. Her
home was some miles away inland, and her
acquaintance in the city were few and far
between, while even these few were gener-
ally out of town at this season of the year.
However, she was surprised one morning by
call from a friend, who, having become
tired of the mountains, had returned to the
city for few days.
''How lonesome you must be, NOra,' said
Miss Elphinstone. "You must drop in upon
us often: the horse cars run within a block
of our door. And We'll have such larks!
By the way, we are going down the harbor
tomorrow in Cousin Lucius's yacht-he's
just home from from Europe, you know
and you must join u.s."
''I'm sure | know" said Nora "never
heard of Cousin Lucius's existence before"
':Never heard of Cousin Lucius? Well,
live and learn. But you'll ,come"'
''Wild horses couldn't keep me at home,
thank you"
'sThe day Thomas and old Russell took
Nora down to the wharf, where the sunbeam
was ready to put out. What day it was
Not a cloud inthe wide heavens, and "Cous-
in Lucius on deck, brown-bearded and white
handed, with great liquid eyes, and smile
that set the pulses beating when it beamed
upon one, and that one happened to sbe
girl of twenty with an untenanted heart.
The party was quite family affair, Mr.. and
Mrs. Elphinstone, their sons and daughters,
with one or two friends making up the list.
''This is regular snare, Nora," said Ell
len Elphnstone, when they were dropping
down the harbor. Il don't know how you'll
feel about it my dear girl; but you see, we
are not going to sail for the day merely, but
out into the broad Atlantic, aud along the
coast, and Heaven knows where, just as
Cousin Lucius peases. We may be ship
wrecked or cast on desert shore. But we
shall be away a week at the very least"
''Oh, how superb, cried Nora; and then
her face heightened. ''But Nell, whatever
shall l do? have no things"
providence will provide. You see L had
no time to notify you after our change of
plan; bnt 1 packed up double supply of
things so don't worry"
''But there's the housekeeping, and the
servants and burglars
''But you've housekeever?"
'tAnd there's Oliver, and-Oh DEAR it's de-
lightful, but ought to be at home"
''But your nephew has nurse?'
''Why, he's eight years old. Nell. 10 be
sure his nurse lives with us still, and regards
him as the apple of her eye, and Thomas
looks after him like detective; still"
ooh come! throw your conscience over
board" begged Lucius, coming up to close
the argument.
'Tm afraid it's so light il will float"
laughed Nora. ''But l may as well enjoy
myself;' which she straightway proceeded
to do, after the most approved method of
Irritation, as Nell called it. Lucius got out
his chess-board and they played for hours
together.
''What ever can you see in that gamer"
Nell would harangue. Life isn't long
enough to learn it.'
at is linked sweetness long drawn out"
Lucius returned.
On wet days they read Browning below,
or repeated in turn all the old ballads they
could recall. or danced to NelFs violin. So
they drifted along the coast, touching here
and there at some port, going ashore In
merry groups for books, or mail or garden
party. Nora acknowledged she had never
had such gay time before in her life.
Oh, IL could live on yacht forever,
she said, one star-lit night when she and
Lucius were sitting apart, as they had con-
tracted habit of doing.
$50 you like sea-farng life?''
"Yes; how dull it will be to return to
commonplace just think, NJ. Elphin-
stone, a fortnight ago had never heard of
you; aren't you mortified?'
ssSuch is fame! And now?''
''Why, now feel as if l had known you
hundred years or more;' and then Nora
hung her head at her own words.