The Portland daily press., 1883-02-10

course is as clear as the day. Send 'chil'
to mater-familias N; tell her that YOU are
well-to-do in the world, own land and cattle,
men-serVants and maid-servants; that you
want 10 settle; that as whipper-snapper
you liked-no better say loved Miss Effie,
and ask her in plain English to come out and
marry you. Above all things, though, be
sure and send your photograph: you are not
such very, very bad looking chap, Sandy,
If you would only dress like Christian and
not like coolie."
$50 the letter was written, submitted to
lie Gestes inspection, sealing, posting, and
in due course of time was received by the
Mediums and created no small sensation in
their little household, and was much spelt
and pondered over, especially by the damsel
most concerned-still comedy, If even a
somewhat passe body-and who after q
while, consented to come out and wed her
sutton.
"After all, mother DEAR" she said, she
has house and home for me: maybe, by and
by, for you too, Jennie; and I'll help you all
l can. It's the best thing for me. And
really Mr.. McPhefson-or suppose ought
to call him Alexander-is yet young, and
not bad-looking. Quite the contrary-very,
very nice looking; see the photo he sent us"
And Miss Jennie quite agreed with her
elder sister that Mr.. Mcpherson was a
beauty.
swell my bairns," said the old lady,
II can't gainsay you that the portrait is
winsome and douce enough; but as call to
mind the boy Sandy, the son of the minister
he was not nearly so seemly and well ia
vored. But it is indeed lang sine set eyes
on him, and likely he has got handsomer as
he got older, some men do.''
Then everything being settled, Miss Need
UNI accepted her kismet, agreed to go out,
and herlover-o pen-handed honorable, true,
as I have already told you he was-sent the
wherewithalI, for her passage and outfit
And pending the many weeks that elaps-
ed, and while the good ship Queen of Ser
endib was sailing round the cape of her desti-
nation, a change, radical change came over
the life and habits of our bride-expectng
friend He cast into the limbo of things
done with his coarse ''cumlies" rough ''dun-
garees" and other country clothing, and
burst out into Europe muster linen,
tweeds and serges. He purchased largely
house furniture and nicknacks; he bought
lady's horse and a Peat's side-saddle; he
whose equine proclivities had never extend
ed beyond shaggy mountain pony, and a
tattered and torn pigskin. He told his old
flames and chums that he was going in for
the Benedict, and bashfully listened to the
''riles' and jeers of the one, and the chaff
and laugh of the other.
But, barring "The Great Unwashed'
himself, no one was more taken aback by the
course of events than Tamby, his longsery-
ing "appoo" or butler. That funetIoHary
saw coolie after coolie arrive at Ailsa Craig
with load upon load of unknown and unus-
ual goods; and although in the Lines" and
other native resorts, he might have expressed
his bewilderment, yet in his masters pres
ence he reserved a stolid silence. But when
one day string of "bandies" (carts) drew
up, and from beneath their leaf-covered tits
were dragged out mats and carpets, sofas,
chairs, tables, what not, then his apparent
Indifference and "nigger' tongue could hold
out no longer.
'''Why master kick up all this bobberee?
What for he want all desc tings on Waite
(estate)r' He inquired.
"a young lady is now on her way from
Scotland to marry me, Tamby.n
"Marryl Doray (master) going take wife,
after all dis plenty long time do too well
widoutp'
"Yesr'
"Den, master please, discharge you, sar.
No my custom stop wild lady in bungalow
Masters misses come, masters appoo GO
Master take chece.'
AS the time for the arrival of the Queen
of Serendib drew nigh, awful were the fid-
gets of our hero, as many days before it was
pOoSIUIS lOf Jl1dO SLOW anu sure CTdiJ 10 reach
her port, he was there walking about with a
big binoeular in his hands, looking seaward,
and entreatiDg all sorts and conditions of
men for the very earliest news of Der being
sighted. The fact was that the rough sea-
soned old fellow was on the tenterhooks of
anxiety and expectation, as nervous as q
schoolgirl, and behaving himself as such.
Then at last it was told him that the ves-
sci was in the offing, was rounding the point,
was at anchor in the harbor; and in the
and bedecked for the auspicious odcasioon,
Sandy Mcpherson, Esquire, of Ailsa Craig,
planter, rowed alongside ''same like Govern
OF" the native spectators observed.
Scrambling up the side, he took a hasty
glance at the many passengers assembled
on the poop; and instinctively guessing
that Miss Effie was not among them, he
dived below, and confronted the steward
ess.
'"Miss Medium on board and well?' ask
ed he.
'"Yes, sir, replied the matron; "and a
very nice, good, kind, pleasant young lady
she is, and I've taken the greatest care Of
herr She felt sure that the gent was Miss
Ms husband to be, and that there was mon
ey in his purse for gratuity, not with
standing that, according to the terms of the
passage money, stewards and stewardess's
1SCo WSAC inCtuuOu ACbLOll,
pleasant fiction, which you will find out
when you go down to the sea in ships.
'"Take this card to her." sid the pale
and trembling gentleman. cpl wait her
coming up in that far corner of this saloon.''
CHANGING at the pasteboard the woman
disappeared; and presently there assembled,
step by step, from the regions below, first a
neat straw hat, trimmed with bright ribbons,
beneath that hat face somewhat worn with
years and cares, but still fresh and comedy
enough; then slight compact figure, draped
in plain well-fitting garments, shawled, and
ready for the shore. Miss Efie, in propria
persona, stood before her hand-seeker,
blushing Celestial rosy red.''
He advanced from his coign of vantage to
greet her; but as he drew higher, instead of
the warm affectionate welcome he looked
for, there was a fixed stare, shudder, a
hasty retreat, and loud scream which
reseunded from stern to stem Of the big ship,
and brought everyone from decks and cabins
into the saloon.
'"Miss Needum-Efie, my dear girl what
on earth is the matterP" hurriediy stammer.
ed out the astonished Sandy.
'''Shiver my timbers, what ails the las
sie?' put in the captain. "Look out for
squalls, if you've annoyed herp' And all
the by-standers echoed the words in more
or less threatening terms. She was evident
ly favorite on board.
'"Oh, take him away cried the lady
piteonsly-"take him away from me some
one! dom know himl Pve been misled
deceived can't marry him-indeed, indeed
can't. He is not Mr.. Mcpherson who
wrote to me, to whom / came out to be
mar He is so ugly! Oh, such dreadful
fright! I'll return him his money! Pll work
my way back to my poor motheri I'll dc
anything, but 1 can't be his wife I'd rather
die firstr'
Miss Medium, don't indeed under
stand this" said the taken aback and COM
pletely fabbergasted one. 'What does it all
mean? Are we not engaged? Have you not
come out of your own free will to accept the
home and the love l effer you? Did | not
send you my likeAess?'
'''No, nor"
'"Surely did. 1t was taken by Colo
dion our best photographer; and when he
gave it to me he said, Mr.. Mcpherson, sir,
there is no fatterY ere; your worst hene-
mics would admit that Why, myself put
it inside the letter to your mother"
'"I repeat, no-decdedly and emphatical-
ly, mol Lock at this" and drawing from
her bosom little loo yet, she opened it, and
displayed the head and face of younger,
much handsomer, and in every outward
respect more lovable man than the one now
before her. 1t was the counterfeit present
&c ~ To- IL n