The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1880-06-03
A TALE OF A COAT TAIL.

sweet as May morning; but when
one lives on Esplanade street, 10 a
house with high wall around it,
with maiden out for duenna, and
a papa who scowls at the bare men,
ton of marriage" one runs poor
chance of meeting ones fate.
Mimi was just eighteen, and tho
she was brought up like recluse,
she began to think it was high time
she had a lover.
Ono evening, as she sat in the
company of her father and Aunt
Diane, she remarked suddenly, in a
plaintiee voice; Lucy Marshall was
married last Tuesday,
'And very silly, at her age!' re
torted Aunt Diane. "A mere chit
she ought to be at school,
Mimi had her own opinion upon
the subject, but she prudently kept
it to herself, merely remarking:-
'Millie Dupont is married too, and
she is six months younger than |
am
And what then p asked papa
looking up from his newspaper.
'Oh, nothiugp Mimi replied, sigh
ing profoundly. Harriet says she
was married at st. Louis, with ak
bridesmaids, and a veil, and train
three yards long
Harriet is an idle, gossiping SER
want, interrupted her aunt, 'who has
no business filling your head with
such nonsense
And does my little girl envy
these young ladies 2 MIR. Legrand
inquired.
'We.el,' returned Mimi, in non
committal tone, it must be very
nice. All my friends are married,
and-and l am getting to be quite
an old maid =
Marrying is not the chief end of
life,' said Miss Diane, severely
There are nobler, higher things to
which woman may devote herself
'Oh, bother!' and Mimi shrugged
her saucy shoulders.
Mimi, said her father, seriously
you must give up these foolish
thoughts. You might find great IN
happiness in lover
But, papa urged Mimi, 4 am
sure you married.
And bitterly repented it, 'her
father might have replied, looking
back upon his unhappy welded life;
but he only frowned and said: Let
us have no more of this folly, Mimi
Thus so ubbed, she did not dare to
say more; but she pouted and
thought to herself; Il might as we'll
be a fright, for no one ever sees me.
Unless | can slip away, | never can
go out walking without Aunt Diane,
and even then she makes me bundle
up my head in veil, until, no doubt,
every one thinks | have had small
pox. Az for walk on Canal street,
Aunt Diane says the men are impu>
dent add stare too much, so she
takes me round by all the alleys and
little two>cent streets. It's shame
that's what it is !
But the darkest cloud has silver
lining. One afternoon, when papa
was away at his business, and Aunt
Diane had Just stepped out to see
friend Mimi meditated upon what
she could make of her liberty. She
sat down to the piano and began Il
love my love- then jumped up with
yawn.
The only thing she could find in
the shape of romance was 'Fele~
machus;' but she soon flung it into
a corner, aud went out on the bal
cony.
1t was a lovely April day, and as
she bent over the flower boxes, there
came loud ring at the bell Hang
ing over the railing, regardless of
appearances, she deserted a hand.
some youth standing on the steps.
"A man = she exclaimed, inward
". 'Oh, joy
A few minutes later, Harriet came
up stairs and said: Miss Mimi,
dere's a genlem in de parlor, calm
hisself Mr.. Wolfe, an he wants to
see Miss Diany.'
'Aun. Diane is not at home,' an
swered Mimi.
Il done tple him dat already, au'
be says any OBJ the family III do jess
as good
i will see him. said Mimi, with
dignity.
DE law, miss will you 2 cried
Harriet, awestruck by such bravery;
adding discreetly, But what'll Miss
Diany say 2
whatever she chooses said the
little rebel, with a parting glance at
the mirror.
Meanwhile, George Wolfe was
around the old fashioned room, with
it's furnished gliding and spingle,
legged chairs, and decided that its
inhabitants must be dreadful set of
old fossils, when the door opened and
the sweetest little creature in the
world came in. George had never
seen curlier dark hair, or such soft,
laughing eyes.
Once 10 the presence of that aw
fol monster, Ian, against whom she
had so often been warned, Mimi lost
courage. and faltered out, turning