Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-03-20
IContinnc,l from first rage.

could not expand. SO that he gave You the
impression of having been forced into II
by hydraulic pressure and you hoped 1t
was strong, otherwise YOU feared that II he
laughed violently. or jumped. or used the
dumb-bells, something dreadful would hap
pen. Perhaps like misgiving was
implanted in his own mind, for he care
fully eschewed all eNertiOn and emotion.
He slept good deal. ate often, talked lit
tie, but was grand listener. His mono
syllable replies were not indeed invariably
happy, but the play of his eyebrows was
perfect. He had no profession, wife, or
other care except perpetual horror of
giving people troublel Kind, apiable
Cousin John How cruel it was to dis
turb the even current of your life with my
perplexed love affairs.
OF all the gloomy inhabitants of Brent
Green the most appalling was our next
door neighbor, Mrs. Maine | suspect
that Mrs. Maine was brevct for 1t is al
most unimaginable. that mortal courage
should ever have risen to such pitch OF
foolhardness rs TO enable any man to
share her bed and board.
If, however. any poor wretch had com
mitted that rash act, he had long since
fallen a victim, and had proyidentially left
no children behind him. But She must
have been spinster.
Although we lived under the same roof.
since each family occupied n Scmi-dctached
villa, we Were not on speaking terms.
Mrs. Maine highly dlsapproved of the phil
anthropic schemes in which my parents
were interested, and denounced them As an
encouragement To vice and crime. They
had once come to high words on the sub
iect, when Mrs. Maine was SO rude that
there had been Il cut ever since. Poor
thing what misfortune had sourcd her |
do not know. but she certainly was one OF
the most cantankerOus females that ever
secreted gall. Her servants were always
leaving, and workmen dreaded entering
her premises to do any necessary repairs.
Her pew faced ours at church, and the eX-
preston of her face used regularly to fasci-
nate me. in the rattlesnakc sense. with It's
sourness. In childhood took il into my
head that she was an ogress, and always
called her by that name, which became
common in the neighborhood and pleased
enough was whenthe quarrel came off. and
she discontinued her visits to our half of the
house. Little did | know how much
should one day regret an enlargement
which left me without an excuse for enter
ing her lair unchallenged. The ogreSs
procured a victim, and coveted it.
was nearly twenty-one: my direct sal
AIRY had risen to hundred year. and
commission money came to about thirty
pounds more so that | was amusing my
self with plans of emancipation from par
entail authority, and free though frugal
life in lodgings, when nv thoughts were
IivartaI into thic ntbnr .bnupnI npn
Sunday morning | went to church as usual
ensconced mvselfinth the accustomed corner
of our pew. and looked across at the ogrcss
She was there. but took no heed of her.
for seated by her side was an object which
simply dazzlcd me. Oh, the delicate nose
and ears oh. the pinchable, kiSsable baby
cheeks J.. on. the ripe form A for the
objects silky brown hair. it was almost
too lovely to be true; while her eyes had
a look of asking protection in them which
turned all my heart soft.
1t occurs to you that paid but little at
tention to the service paid none | did
not even hear the school children singing,
and they We're generally shrll enough too.
1t was very shocking, but then how absurd
it was to arrange pews in such manner
as to face the other What chance had "A
thoughtless adolescent Of nfamable mate
rials when exposed poini-bank Ia such a
battery OF charms? Why. there. was
dimple on her cheek and crease under
her chin, either of which would have alone
sufficed to blow my peace to pieces, Then
think what foil She had by her side
WAS there not some one in the ogress's
pew this morning ?" | inquired careless
ly at dinner; and leaned-for my dear
mother was bit OF II gossip-that the
celestial appartion was an orphan
niece of the ogress, and had left school to
come and live with her aunt.
Poor thing said |, with honest, heart
felt compassion: pity which was very
near akin indeed To love-twin sister,
should say.