The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-04-21
Grandmother 8 ReticuIe.


which claimed to have been Washingtons
headquarters. 1t was a large white gam
brel rooted house, with two little Win
dows, shaped like halfopened fans, in the
gable end; light like a wide-open fan
over the front door; wide windows in
three divisions at either end of the long
broad hall; a huge redtiled chimney,
with brass tire-dogs, no mantel-pieces,
but funny little closets high up and round
the corners of the deep lambs. The halls
on both floors were spacious and un-
broken. The stairs wound up in stingy
little space between two rooms: they
were shut in by door, and painted of Il
cold glaZy light blue, and had whitewash-
ed walls which gave perpetual reminder
to those who went up and down them.
The rooms were a little cold and bare,
with some handsome heavy old pieces,
such as mahogany secretaries, clothes
presses, and bureaus, glittering with brass
knobs and rings; a tall buffet with glass
doors so set in a twisted scrOll-Work of
wood that but little glass was left through
which to see the old yellow mugs and gilt
and white china coffee within. The chairs
were as uncomfortable as possible; those
which had not Tyre shaped backs and
horse hair seats had backs like the facade
Of a Gothic cathedral and cushions in
dim embroidery. one room contained a
sort of museum OF relics OF Washington
and of Revolutionary battletields. such as
a seagreen spectacle-case or Il piece Of
a t1int-ock musllet. And beyond these
the ornamentation of the house was of a
pale and meagre description. \ stiff
branch of brown sea-Weed balanced Il
sharks tooth on either side of tall light
green pier glass, in front OF which gilt
faced clock on four black stills ticked
with aggravating deliberation. An ivory
tusl1 leaned against the sloping chimney,
over which hung two painted wooden
hand-screens with long handles. In the
hall piece Of petritied wood kept com
pany with a se-hair sofa, an embroid
cred bird with wildly impossible colors,
and a sort of scliptural chart, in the Dor
der OF which Solomon slept and dreamed
on Queen Anne bedstead in the hall Of
Greek temple, and Abraham welcomed
fat well-tavored angel to a tWo-story
house, with a latticed window, in which
stood geraniums in red flower pots. Here,
too, an old iron movable fireplace, with
brass dogs and tall wire fender, occu-
pied the place of hall stove, and did not
keep any one warm.
But to make up for this, the old house
stood on little knoll, and every window
framed lovely view of sloping hills and
wide valleys, in mosaic OF every shade
OF green, tlecked here and there with the
diamond sparkle OF stream.
Here, under leave of Uncle Edward,
who had built for himself not far away IA
square and hideous brick house with a
tall cupola like long neck, Deborah and
Achsa Estey lived, taking care Of their
old father, gentle, pottering, unsuccess-
full man, with small clerkship some
where, meekly thankful for his brothers
bounty, and never wondering why the
rich old bachelor did not do more for his
pretty nieces.
Achsa was bright damsel of seven
teen, as modern and fashionable as it was
possible to be on no allowance whatever
She copied with fair success such styles
as penetrated to the sleepy town, wore
Montagues, picked up a little slang from
the girls at school, and tried to appear
very wide awake, with not too much sue
cess, for she was in reality simpleheart-
ed unspoiled little girl. Deborah was
her elder by four years, and much less
grish in her gentle way than she should
have been. On her fell the cares and
economies of their Strengthened life, and
the toll and effort to stretch an inelastic
sum of money over years which seemed
somehow to have more days, if not more
weeks, every time they came round, had
marked a tiny pucker in her forehead,
and given an anxious arch to her straight
black broWs. All her thought and care
was to contrive that her pretty Achsa
should 90 to church and to school dressed
as nearly as might be in the fashion, her
fresh and dimpled beauty set off by bright
cOlors and dainty fabrics. AS for herself.
it did not matter much, she had long ago
found press full of old dresses which
matched the house-short- wasted and
short sleeved dresses, many too rich and
! delicate for her use, but most of dark
cOlOrs, and of those old-time stutfs with
no wear out to them. Into these Deborah
| stepped with no waste Of time in altera-
| ton, and went about the old house like
the ghost of her grandmother, who smiled
at her in miniature from black painted
frame in the parlor In winter she cover
| ed what Achsa called her old-time rig
90 to church without distracting the
thoughts of the congregation; and in
| summer-well, in summer she did not 90,
for which we can scarcely blame her.
1t was a hot and dusty July day.
Achsa had gone to school picnic. Deb
orah had baked bread and made a rasp-
berry short cake; she had busted the
room they called the museum, and brought
in a handful of blazing red geraniums,
which, stuck in the half of an exploded
| shell in the midst of the relies, somehow
looked cool.
Finally, she had been to the barn and
smokehouse, and along the fence, where
hens of ill-regulated minds chose to lay,
and had brought in her narrow apron ten
warm, pink, glowing eggs, and as she
crossed the darkened hall to put them in
the cupboard, her sun daZzled eyes dimly
saw the figure of a young man, who stood,
hat in hand, just within the door. The
dusty young man had been there some
time, for, having vainly used the knocker,
which grinned at him mockingly, he had
finally tried the knob-one of those Wob-
bly,, uncertain brass knobs, slippery, and
too small to grasp, common to the doors
of our ancestors as it yielded, he
had entered the welcome shade, with the
happy consciousness Of not being tramp
or peddler And now in the gloom of the
hall tall young girl came toward him
blinking and frowning little in the effort
to see him, but smiling too, as if she did
not dispute his right to be there. Her
short-waisted gown had little putfs fol
sleeves, leaving her round pink arms