Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-04-10
NO. 90.
Gales ano skettbes.
HOW MY FORTUNE CAME.

was patent to any and every one; the last
/ | hid as carefully as | could
One of my favorite dreams had been
that of suddenly finding myself Il rich wo-
man. thought of it as | followed my
daily duties; ! dreamed of it as | taught
Mrs. Browns four little daughters. When
| did a sum in interest for them, it was
simply calculating my own profits; and
when drew maps. it was only to mark
ont my future travels
q, yes, was a dreamer. And vet |
worked and worked as well as could,
for my dreams were my solaee and
strength.
/ 1t is said that only the unexpected hap
pens. That is mistake. | suddenly
found myself a rich woman, and though
| had confidently expected some day to be
rich. | will confess to little feeling of
surprise that was almost awe upon finding
my silent convictions verified.
had often fancied how | should feel
when this delightful state of things should
be attained. Truth compels me to say
! that my emotions were by no means of an
exhaulted character When it was borne
in upon my mind, my first thought was
that now | need not wear that rusty al
paca any longer. nor provide kindling for
the morning fire. | hated rusty alpaca,
| hated to think about the morning fire.
And had always had to think about such
things. As child | had dimlv realized
that we We're to make the wood or coal
the bread and butter, go as far as possible
and as woman, | had realized it as only
the woman can who has to put all her
strength of body and mind into the effort
to obtain the wherewithal to be fed and
clothed.
And, being Il dreamer, worked with
disadvantage. | was not thoroughly
skilled in any kind of work | taught,
but | am sure did not teach well.
Not that did not know eyough, for was
well educated, after a way of my own;
but had no systematic training for that
vocation doubt greatly if | could have
been Systematically trained
could play and sing, but could not
teach music. Still managed, for two or
three years, to pass the necessary examin-
ations, and got my certificate. and posi-
ton in the public schools. And as see
now what teaching is. and what it should
be, and how important the work of the
teacher, | am ready to beg pardon of the
boys and girls, now men and women, upon
whom inflicted my crudities in those davs.
Sewing | detested, that is, the part of that
required thought. If | sewed. | wanted a
long seam that needed no special attention
and so leave me free in mind to sit and
dream my dreams. | will saw, however.
that | have gained in this. Long practice
has made me perfect. and can make over
twist and turn, and give my old garments
quite the air of new ones.
Blessed be the latitude that the fashions
uiyp II has howayar IaynlonaJ u,s,>;a
ion in the female breast. | and all nv
sisters know that the long overskirts and
polonaises cover sham skirts, and bows
are put ON to cover seams; or if they do
not we think they do. lIousework did
at arms length, and if did not study
French while mixing bread, as one of the
Bronte sisters did, wove many romance
while engaged in kitchen warfare. As
consequence, both suffered: the romances
were nipped in the bud, and the bread was
the worse for being seasoned with poetry.
Sitting, to-day, removed by many years
and the blessedness of plenty, from that
time, | look back and see myself, poor,
plain, hungering with mighty hunger for
that which could not have and from the
standpoint of to-day pity the girl and the
woman of that bygone time. | see the
room empty of ornament and my eyes
ached for beauty; | see the thousand and
one little market bills, whereby the ends
were made to meet, and didn't ALWAYS
NEE ut that. | remember the time when
the want of Il fresh frll for my neck or a
bow for my hair was serious want. And
yet | am forced to say, in spite of all this,
| | was not an unhappy woman.
They said was happily constituted. |
! think was. but in Il different way from
what they meant.
My father left me his books. and better
legacy STILL his love for them. and had
never seen day. even when the meal-sack
was empty and the fire on the hearth low,
but what found these II refuge; and if
these failed me, was not the outside world
left and had not | a share in that? felt.
in no eeotstical sense, that the world was
fine, and that the world was mine: had
right of ownership in hill and dale, in
sky and tree and flower. think. indeed
know. that | got more ont of the oak
trees in my ncighbor's handsome grounds
than he did from his whole estate They
were mine, and from the moment the buds
began to swell in the spring, till the last
brown leaf had fallen, they were Il perpet-
J ual Joy; and these bare banches. delicate
ly outlined against the gray sky of winter,
pleased my eyes with pleasure he would
have no more understood than he would
the JOY of the seraphs.
| think ] had II rich nature. God was
good to give it to me. So in dark days
the sun shone.
And then there was that ship of mine
which was to come in with gold in the
ingots and silk in the bales" laden with
love and all the sweet delights the soul
cried out for. 1t was surely coming. and
it did come
1t was in those days when it was low
tide with me. the days when l made ac-
quaintance with want yea, when he sat at
my table, that met Robert Tremaine, the
son of my neighbor whose handsome
house overshadowed ours, and whose
beautiful grounds enjoyed more than he
did
1t was on his fathers grounds, under
one of his fathers oaks, that met him.
| had gone out with copy of Shelley. and
sat reading. and wondering at the fire that
burned so in this wonderful poets heart
wondering at the divine madness that