Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-11-18
The New CINDERELLA

When the WIDOW or Oon. SplccI lnaI-
ried my father she swore that l. his only
child, should be her first care. Unfortu-
nately, promises before marriage are
preverbially unsound. perishable as pie
crust. Those made by the Widow Spi-
Ger were singuluarly light pastry; before
the honeymoon was over she forgot she
had made any, and thenceforth her ma
ternal care of me was 4 dead letter.
My father was an embarrassed man
Mrs. Spicer brought him nothing but a
reaGy-made family; one son, Jack Spi-
Ger, already in the army, and two daugh,
tiers. When they first joined our do
nestle circle Cernelia and Adelaide Spi-
Ger looked to my juvenile eyes full
grown women; and yet it was curious
fact that five years later, when l had
changed from a child to missy OF
twelve, they were stillin their teens and
five additional years only seemed tc
have the effect of making them younger
The Spicer girls were no heauties
They took after their mother; they were
large-nosed, shrill-tongued women like
her; they spent their lives dressing and
dreaming of a possible marriage, but
each year seemed to make the struggle
more hopeless. Between them they LED
my poor father miserable life. He had
always been meek little man, but fIom
the moment he fell under the yoke OF
the Spicers he seemed to lose his identl,
ty and to be merged in them. 1t was
quite enough for Mrs. Spicer to say in
her stentorian voice: my girls must
have a season in town, William. Gin
dy's schooling must stand ever for an
other year." and so it stood over alto
gether. How l picked up desultery
education Heaven only knews. The on
ly branch that received any attention
was millenery; the Miss Spicers con-
ceived that / had a nice taste for trim
ming, and kept me pretty busy. and by
and-by Clementine, the French maid
transferred her work to mel She could
could not stand the temper Of 'ces Viel'
les flies she said, and after she left il
was not found convenient to fill hel
place. The constant drains made by the
Spicers generally on my fathers purse
were beginning to empty that long
enduring article. The seasons in town
were becoming matters of great Difficult
ty and each took a slice out of the pool
residue. My stepmother was killing
the goose with vengeance, and the
golden eggs were spent for no good
Each season saw the return of the Miss
Spicers crosser, older, thinner, sourer
Sometimes they would bring with them
some man who was supposed to have
taken fancy to either Cornelia or Ad.
elaide, and it was hoped that country.
house life might fan the languid flame
into healthy fire; but the old saying
Opportunity and Importantly seemed
to have the contrary effect on the Miss
Spicers' admirers; they made great in
roads on the larder, but no progress to-
ward matrimony.
During these visits l had strict orders
to remain in my own room. My STEP
sisters had strong dislike to any of
their so-called admirers seeing me. Men
have, unfortunately, preference for
fresh young faces, and in spite Of all the
nos runs that the Spicers spent little
fortune upon, each day increased the
difficulty of keeping up the fiction of
girihood. To do them justice they
worked hard. If they had been little
kinder to ME | could have found it in my
heart to pity them, for surely no labor
ers put in severer days toll. Morning,
noon, and night they were digging in
ungrateful soil, and the harvest seemed
never ripe.
Adelaide, being the youngest, was the
most gushing; she adored dancing, lawn
tennis, plcnics, and billiards. Cornelia,
On the contrary, was, as her mother re-
marked, steady as church. She haunt
ed the Rectory, where the Rev. Alfred
Pringle dwelt. solitary widower. She
made his life burden to him, and mar
riage almost a necessity; it VAS miracu-
lsus how he held out.
"My eldest girl is such help in the
parish" my stepmother would say. her
wide nostrils shifting the air; "she leads
the choir. and teaches the infant school,
and Is president Of the mothers meet
ing, the coal bag, and the Christmas din
ner; you'd find it hard to get OH without
her, Mr.. Pringle."
"It's wonderful how the children obey
Miss Cindy," the Reverend Alfred says,
shyly.
"Do you mean Sir Williams unfortu-
nate daughter. Mr.. Pringle? That girls
a heartbreak." answers my amiable Sec
ond mother. All the pains my girls take
,eem to do her no good"