Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-11-07
A SUMNER BY THE SEA.

Bessie Bolton was delighted.
Five minutes ago Bessie had been IL
despair-and her gentle sister Eolia re-
flected on her moods like a human look
ing-glass.
Eolia Bolton had not been well. II
was no; exactly decline, but she had
lost her appetite, grown pale and coughed
and Bessie's quick affection had taker
alarm at once.
Miss Bolton ought to 20 into the
county, the doctor sail-and before
Eolia could demonstrate, her sister had
given up the room they occupied in tbe
CITY, and consulted the nearest real estate
agent. Bu, il was easy to talk about
1.-The country" Malaria reigned su-
preme in this place, clouds of mosquitoes
drove away the rural aspirant in another
high fares blockaded third, and thus i,
went on, until Bessie began to think 1t
was a moral impossibili,y to obey tn {
doctors edict.
Until one day, walking sadly by the
seashore, they came unexpectedly upon a
low, rambling old arm.house, with It's
gray stone walls half covered with creep
ers, and wilderness of hollyhccks, sweet
williams and crimson roses all tangled
t,ge,her in the back yard, while, in full
view upon the front, battered placard'
"To Let" swung idly to and fro in the
wind.
And then it itwas-and ,here-that Bes-
sie's lead weighted heart gave the onward
spring.
Eolia," she cried, ",his is just the
place for US. Smell the sea air Look
at those delicious sea waves creeping over
the sands below Observe the pic,ur-
esque old pile, with the house leeks grow
ing on its roofs and the vines blowing
about in the breeze -
I'm afraid we can't afford it, Bes
sic" said Eolia.
"Inquire at the next house below" saiC
Bessie, decipbering the worn inscription
on the paper. Come, Eolis, come-lvs
a presentiment that we shall meet exactl!
what we want here.
The next house below, however, was
full mile distant, over stretch OF ship
perry sands half-fiooded by the foam oi
the incoming tide-it was Inhabited b.
a deaf old woman who didn't know
" she couldn't say" Was the rent high
She couldn't say for certain-she be
lieved it was about twelve dollars
month, but she didn't know" Wer
the premises in good repair Could the,
have the key: "Well, she wasn't Ger
tain. P'raps they could. Sometimes he
old man had it in his coat pocket, but
Yes. here it was. There was deposl
to be paid-the first months rent, II
oh. ,hankee, kindly. She was very muc
obliged, she was sure"
And Bessie came running out to Eoll
triumphantly waving the key over hs
head.
" Business is business, Eo y she erie
exul,inply. "And we are the ladies
the manor now. Well sleep under th'
pretty sloping roof tonight"
| And they did, having succeeded
borrowing sofa-bedstead and two
three chairs from the neighbors cottag'
Joyfully they wandered over the o
rooms, peeping through the dust-hlm'
lattices, opening the green, three-corne
ed cupboard, inspecting their new prer
ises with all the delight of day -old pr
prietresses.
For Bessie colored photographs 81
Eolia designed wall paper, calico patter
and title decorations, and they requir
"stuoio' facing the north, and plen
of ROOM They were no luxurious bt
terflies, these sisters, but two war
hearted, diiigent working girls, W
earned their own bread, and ate it VI
a sense of honest pnde.