Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-08-08

grim silence had given place TO most oP-
en- fault finding, when Mr.. Malcolm was
not within hearing. The coffee was too
strong, the tea too weak, the chickens
underdone, the steaks burned, the eggs
boiled too hard, the rooms badly swept,
the shirts poorly ironed; and all these
complaints, with many more, the elder
spinster, confirmed by the younger, gave
her to understand originated with the
guest.
"What a hard man to please he must
be :" Molly said to herself, many times.
"And yet he has one of the handsomest
and kindest faces ever saw and he
spoke right pleasantly to me the first day
he came, and even offered me his hand
how Miss Cameron did frown but |
pretended not to see it, for | knew it was
not my place to shake hands with him.
1t is strange he should have become so
fractions. He was so good and merry
and kind when | was little girl. I've
heard father say often he'd rather shoe
horse for him than for any one else in the
village" And then she would fall to
thinking how grand he used to look to
her childish eyes when he came riding up
on his bay mare to the smithy, where
she spent half her time watching her
father at the forge: And he always
brought her gay picture-book, or a
pretty ribbon, or a box of candies. or a
bright new silver piece-one Christmas
it was a gold one-and claimed kiss
good gracious how her cheeks flushed
at the remembrance I! for payment
when he rode away again. How happy,
how very happy. she had been then,
with that dear father and dear old Aunt
Nanny so happy that she had scarcely
ever felt the loss of the mother who had
died in giving her birth. But when
Molly was fifteen, the blacksmith, 50
strong and ruddy that it seemed impossi-
ble pain or sickness could ever come near
him, fell sick, and after lingering, sorcly
crippled, for nearly two years, died, leav-
ing nothing to his darling but hard work.
Yes, there was one alternative TO be-
come Mrs. Jake Willow, and mistress of
the forge again but Jake was rough,
vulgar fellow, and Molly, inheriting the
delicate tastes and gentle ways of her
mother who had been a shy, pretty
young governess before she married the
handsome blacksmith, shrank from the
loud voice and rude laughter of her would
be husband And so, in preference to
accepting Jakes offer, she became-and
Heaven knows this was a hard enough
thing to do maid-of-all work in the
cottage of the Misses Cameron. Poor
Molly! prettier than many a princess,
with lovely, black fringed gray eyes, and
hair of the very darkest bro wn-hair
that would curl in spite of her, to Miss
Cameron's great displeasure. "lf had
such un,idy hair" that lady would Oft
ten declare, glancing approvingly into
the mirror at the fiat dried bands that
made triangle of her high narrow fore
head, I'D shave my head y and "We'd
certainly shave our heads" would echo
Miss Georgette.
The kitchen floor finished, the rugs
shaken and returned to their places, the
bread put away in the big stone jar in
the cupboard, Molly sought her own
room (which, truth to tell, was no room
at all, but corner of the garret rudely
partitioned of, with small skylight to
admit light and air-there were rooms
empty, unused rooms, in the attic, but
'.they were much too good for servant"
Miss Cameron said and every much too
good for servant" agreed her sister,
to make ready for her fitting. Molly
looked around it as she tied her straw
hat over her rebellious tresses, and again
the tears filled her eyes 1t had not
been happy place of rest to her, but it
had been place of rest, and shelter,
and she had been glad to have it, fearing
to leave it lest worse luck lay beyond.
And she would not have been COM
pelled to leave it had it not been
for that unfortunate mirror, and the un-
ceasing complaints of the old bachelor.
Old Bachelor. Why he couldn't be so
very old, after all, for he was only one
and-twenty (she was then between five
and six when he gave her the rib
bons and books and silver pieces, and she
gave him the kisses.
But the sound of closing shutters broke
| in on her reverie, and reminded her that
her departure was waited for, and taking
her bundle in her hand, she ran quickly
and lightly down the stairs to the parlor'
where the maiden ladies sat erect and
stern, their bonnets already on in readi-