The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1880-05-13
An April Story.

dlt potdiotS lOI bGttkldSl. l1tI Cdl j..
Spice, sat on the sill, surveying her mis-
tess' proceeding in serene anticipation !;
and the small servant, who, with Spice,
formed the whole of Miss Parsons limited
establishment, was Vigorously sweeping
the narrow passage, with 4 broom much
too long for her, the handle Of which kept
up a perpetual knocking accompaniment
against the walls.
1t was a beautiful day, sunny and
balmy, with a fresh, delicious perfume Of
sprlnging grass and budding leaves ON
the soft atmosphere. \ row of crocuseS
under the window, thrust their yellow
heads above their spiky green leaves:
and a few opening blossoms were sprink-
led like new fallen snowtlakcs on the
branches of the old pear tree. Miss
Mahtablc divided her attention be
tween these, the sausages and potatoes,
and the contemplation of the three Speck
led hens, which she intended to ''set" to-
morrow She had Just arrived at a close
mental computation of what would be the
net proceeds Of the hatchng, when the
small servant rushed in, wonder in her
eyes and a letter III her hand
40, mum :" says She, holding up tine
misslve. lest see what | found tucked in
under the street door"
Miss Parsons correspondence was not
an extensive one. With thecXception of
married sister in California, from whom
she heard once in sin months, or cousin
in a town some thirty miles distant, who
wrote to her about twice in three years,
She boasted no regular correspondent
She, therefore, surveying with interest
the birthstone colorcd envelope, which
the small servant held up. and wiping her
finger and thumb on her apron, took it
glngerly by one corner, and examined it
with microscopic scrutiny.
"'Mlss Mehttyhle Parsons, Present :"
No stamp nor postmark. Nothin' in it
that can feel Of Name spelled wrong
too Who could have sent 1t: What
can it be about, ! wonder! Put under
the door too, without knocking. du
wonder what its about, and who it's
from ?"
As the most direct means of enlightcn-
ing her mind upon these obscure points.
Miss Parsons at length bethought herself
Of opening the letter. She sat down,
carefully opened the envelope, urtolded
the enclosure and read aloud its contents
written in an awkward, schoolboN hand,
ana embellished With sundr} blojs and
craSures:
Miss MEHITWBgE PAhsoN>-l Madam take
the liberty to inform you thar as there Is no peace
nor quiet III the ntIbyrhood, nor is likely to be SO
long a. yOr cat treSpas on my pTemersls, and set
my dog barklu, all night, and the nelbors throw
IN booUacks and threatenin to shut hun | hereby
woodshed ruff. the garding fence | will shut
your cat and glt some pease and quiet
lnrs, respectfully, CAPTAIN TELLER.
Miss Mahitable gave gasp, and let her
hands drop neryelessly in her lap.
The land, Who ever heard o the
like? Why the man must be stick, stark
crazy"
Then her eyes flashed with just indig-
nation.
TO think of sich assurance and to
me, the darter Of Deacon Parsons. In
all the forty five years sense | was born
in this very house, I've never had such an
outrageous thing happen to me-never -
Her lip quiyered-her eyes filled with
tears.
If there was man of any sort in the
house, he wouldn't a dared to write that
letter. 1t all comes o my being a poor,
lone, unprotected woman And he wants
to shoot my poor Spice
Here suddenly arOusing to a sense of
Spices danger, she hastily turned to the
window, but the eat had disappeared.
sally Sally run into the garden,
quick and bring in the eat That dread
tul man may be getting his gun at this
Very minute. Run
please, IN" says Sally, neryously.
peeping through the window, as though
a tribe of Indians in War-paint We're am
buscading behind the sage and goose
berry bushes please, IN don't see her
nowheres."
"Then 60 and look for her-quick
He'll skeercely dare to shoot you, you
little coward ~
AS sally disappeared, her mistress
turned to the tizziing sacsages and pota-
toes which, having been neglected in her
excitement, We're now giving out an odor
OF burning.
She had hardly time to turn them when
the small servant rushed in, pale, and
with Wide-open eyes, bearing Spice in
her arms, carefully wrapped in her check
apron.
"Oh, mum. Cap'n Teller's over in his
yard, and he do lock ortul~
Miss Mahltable peeped from her Win
dow. There indeed, was her next door
neighbor, bareheaded, an axe in his
hand, slowly rolling up his shirt sleeve,
as he glared at Spice, who had suddenly
resumed her favorite seat in the window.
trn t,
sad Miss Mahtable, with a flushed face
and rather dangerous sparkle in her eye,
"I'll let him know whether or not I'm to
be imposed on, if am lone woman
III make him understand that there's Il
law in the land !"
1t was only three weeks since Captain
Teller had taken the little cottage next
that Of Miss Mahitable Parsons. He had
formerly lived at quite the opposite end
of the town, where his sister Patty had
kept house for him.
But Patty having taken it into her
head to marry and leave him, and the
neighbors having kept an incessant watch
on the captain, to see how he would get
along without a housekeeper-and the
widows in special having been extremely
otticious in offers Of advice and assistance
Captain Teller had in disgust, removed
himself, his dog Pickle and his few goods
and chattels, to the opposite end of the
town.
Here he had fondly hoped to live in
peace in the intervals Of his voyaging ;
for the Captain, be it known, was com
mander of the gallant barque Dauntless,
on which he periodically breasted the
turbid waves of the canal with cargoes of
grain, timber, and other such articles of
commerce.
On his return from these expeditions
he had been accustomed to find his house
set in order for his arrival; his clothes
washed and mended, and his meals nicely
cooked and served but, since Patty's
marriage had thrown him upon his own
resources, the Captain had found woe
full change in his home.
His friends had suggested that he
should follow his sisters example, and
take unto himself helpmate, but the
Captain was rather ditfident on this point
and averred that he had no time to waste
in courtship. If the right woman were
to turn up who would marry him right