Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1882-07-14

tax YOUR kindness. A stranger"
"Not at all the woman folks hav'
discovered an old friend. You ma,
have heard Hattie Coles speak of th'
Hammonds."
Speak of them! Haven't | bowed
in spirit before Miss Leonie's picture
and admired even to Hattie's content
the exquisite stories of Miss Lucy
And you are really DR.. Hammond%
"Really, and Mrs. Hammond il
waiting in the parlor to add her invi
tation to mine, and to see that you
have the proper number of pillows in
the carriage"
The reception and first impressions
of our hero, are best put in his own
words. lr a pile Of letters tied with q
ribbon, and tucked. away in Mrs
Coles's work table drawer, there was
one which read thus:
P, Dec. 1S-.
DEAR HATTIE-Iou were very an.
xious to have me write as soon as | had
seen your dear friend Leonie Ham
mond, and tell you how she impressed
me, so here goes for long letter.
First and foremost, YOU must 90 to
mother for the details of lucky fall
| had, and the subsequent invitation
to make DR.. Hammond's house my
home; then fancy me fairly domes-
ticated. i'll charming room, with that
dear old gentleman to pay me daily
visits, his stately wife 10 see that have
every comfort, and the young ladies
ilying in or out as the whIm takes
them. | have never been too sick to
20 down stairs, but appear daily in a
crimson wrapper that suits
my spanish complexion to nicely,
and slippers that would make any ybody
lazy.
But all this time you are waiting
to hear of your friend. Hattie, she is
even your yignette por-
trait is miserable libel. Such eyes
now full of fire now beaming with
mlrth, now melting with pathos -
such u queenly figure, such beautiful,
rich tresses. such sunny complexion
we'll, words DO her no justice. She
Is the most wonderfully heantiuiI
woman ! ever saw.
of Lucy. sse but little; she is
distracted arl+$ elf contained, spends
whole days shut up in the doctors
library. and seems TO pass her whole
time in dreaming ont her new stories
of poems, which are certainly worth
the trouble.
But, Hattie, why did YOU never tell
me Of the other one. Nettie, the house
hold fairy. the wee, witching, graceful
Cinderella to these lovely sisters: No,
not Cinderella, for the heroine was
abused and neglected, and Nettie just
wraps round her warm heart the love
IF the whole family. While Leonie is
riding. driving rr-21atIaG. GE sleeping
and Lucy is shut up in the library
'ewaIliug the sorrows of Aramenta or
creating Il situation for Clementina,
Ncttie is the home fairv. She appears
in the setting room daily with deli
,lous compounds which she informs
me she has manufactured for my es-
peciaI delight, though | notice there
IS always a duplicate dish for the
doctors dinner or supper. She comes
in dcmurely 10 sit down 10 great piles
Of " white stuff which she very gravelv
states To be the weeks mending,"
aud shoots tiny glittering needle in
and out, reducing long ends Of thread
to miserable inches in less time than
Il takes 10 tell It, her tongue all the
while keeping up merry rattle, or
tracing out deeper thought as the
whim takes her. The Others are very
lay and dazzle me night after night
by coming into twist round before the
pier glass as they start for a party,
sometimes dragging Nettie off, too,
spite OF her reluctance, 10 bring her
home fall Of pleasure at the admira-
tion layished upon her sisters.
Bnt the most charming time of all
IS the evening. DR.. Hammond is
generally at home, or when he is ont,
one Of the sisters remains On the
latter occasions, we have music and
small talk but when the doctor pre-
sides, then Nettie lets all her inner
self ont, and charming self it is, so
womanly, so true, pure and good. No
deeper thought to startle, but the quiet.
reliable intelligence Of child, frank
and questioning, yet full of beauty
She reads beautifully, and we have all
Lucy's stories, as she writes them,
varied by articles in the Lancet, the
news of the day. poetry, fiction, his
tory, anything that one of the trio
will suggest. She seldom plays when
her sisters are present but for the
doctor and myself to simple ballads,
which she sings with taste, in clear,
sweet but not very powerful voice,
often giving Inc the use of her fingers
to carry ont the tenor you are so fond
of. 1t is very beautiful to see how
they all love her. and rely upon her.
She can always produce the doctors s
lost spectacles or instrument case !;
knows exactly where her mother laid
her fan last evening; is always ready
to trim Leonie's dresses, and lend her
fnery, or braid her magnificent hair !;
has time to copy Lucy's articles, hunt
up her quotations, pet her headaches,
or find out the complimentary notices
in the papers. and feels amply reward
ed by teing kissed, petted, and impos-
ed upon by every member of the loving
family.
All! Leonie is superb. Lucy has
wonderful talent, but Hattie for a
home bird, for a. companion, friend
and wife, give me the ''other one"
1t created something of an excite
ment in the family when the million
aire, the gentlemanly invalid who had
won the affections of all, made his