The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-08-28
A Monday Romance.


She, that is, Miss Lanra, had city lover.
She captured him, or he had captured her,
or they had mutually captured each other,
while she was on visit to her step-brother's
sister-in-law,
Miss Laura's home was In the country
not on a farm, where, presumably, the good
things abound-milk and butter, cream and
cottage cheese; eggs and chickens: or at
least pork, with, perhaps, string beans or
cabbage. She lived in small village,
through which the express train rushed
without a nod of recognition, without a
glance, and where the accommodation"
paused barely long enough for a "howdy."
This village had no green grocery store, and
only two fresh-meat days in the week. 1t
had no ice, hence no ice-cream, no lemon
ade.
Miss Laura's father lived by his wits OF
course, then, he made no garden.
Miss Laura earned precarious pin-money
by making an occasional dress, by trimming
an occasional bonnet, by crocheting an occa-
sional decorative piece, by giving an occa-
sional music lesson at fifteen cents the les
son. Of course, then, she did not raise
chickens or make butter. Neither did she
do any kitchen work or house drudgery.
Her time was reckoned too precious for such
use, since even when her hands were not
engaged, she had her thinking" to do,
plans to lay for the capture of music pu-
pill, or for securing an order for tidy. Her
ears had to be kept in a receptive condition
to catch the flying words about the villagers
buyings. Whenever a dress-pattern was
among these, she felt it her duty to throw
out mantua- makers bait.
Another part of Miss Laura's duty was to
do the buying for the house. AS to who did
the paying this writer could not speak with
deiniteness. 1t is often impossible for a
wrifar n learn oil ahout aasa
SoDhronia, sister aged fourteen and
three-quarters, presided over the drudgery.
She knew how to boil potatoes and to stir
mush; and she thought she knew how to
make coffee and griddle-cakes.
On certain Monday, the president of the
drudgery was wrestling with the family
washing; and all through the wash-boarding,
the boiling, the rinsing, the wringing, the
blueing, the starching, there was running a
title vein of envy-envy of the elder sister
removed from the slop and steam, in the
cool middle room, fitting yellow calico
dress to SISSY Fishback.
As she was wringing the last of the boiled
clothes, Sophronia was entertaining vague
wishes in connection with Mr.. j. G. Gumms.
He was the city lover about whom Miss
Laura had made some blushing confessions.
Sophronia was wishing that he would come
along" and do something or other" There
as a MUM az tuC ilOnb QOOEs Cut
it above the creak of the wringer and the
splash and drip of the rinse water. She
paused, listening, with one hand on the
wringer handle and the other holding Miss
Laura's stocking to the rubber lips. There
was hurried, rushing noise in the middle
room; the kitchen door was opened with
precipitation. and in ran Miss Laura.
'Its Mr.. Gumms at the front doorr' she
exclaimed, neryously working at the curl
papers which kept up her banged hair.
"You must go to the door, Phrone."
'Why, can't go. See what fright l
am" said Sophronia.
Her sleeves were rolled to the shoulder,
her skirts were half way to the knee; her
bare feet were splashed with blueing-water
and dabbed with starch.
mo matter about your looks" said Miss
Laura, breathing fast; "he'll take you to be
the hired girl. Please go, Phrone," she
added with urgent pleading, ''There! he's
knocking again." she went on in panicky
way, twitching and pulling at the curl pa
pers. do go along, Phrone! I'd do as
much for you; and 1 will do great deal
more when l am able to, as probably shall
be at an early day. can't possibly go till
get my bangs arranged and my dress changed
Go along. Please do, Phrony, and make
haste, or he'll go away. You can act like a
hired girl and speak incorrectly; call me
Miss Laury, and he'll never know the differ
ence.o
''Until he's my brother-in-law. and then
he'll prosecute me for getting a brother-in-
under false pretences." Sophronia was be-
ginning to make ready, by ''sudsing'' off
her arms. Then she went forward to the
front door, feeling awkward enough for the
role of servant girl.
SISSY was dismissed by the back way
she might have been sent to the door, if the
idea had occurred to Miss Laura's bewil-
dered brain. Mr.. j. c. GUINNESS card was
soon brought to the destined trembling
hand. And at length, the bangs and the
dress being arranged, Miss Laura went to
the happy meeting.
Do not imagine that you are to be told
what transpired at the happy meeting.
Doubtless Sophronia could have told some
what, since she made prolonged keyhole OBJ
servations before returning to the washing.
1t is abodt the interruption to the happy
meeting that you are to hear. This oc-
CURED about twelve minutes before twelve,
when the improVised servant maid put a
head in at the parlor door, and intimated
with an IIish brogue which was not above
suspicion, that ''a word was wanted with
the misthress.o
The red of Miss Laura's face was deeper
than rose, as she went forth to the interview
with Mr.. GUINNESS whispered entreaty tina
her absence might be made short.
What is to be done about dinnerp' said
Sophronia, her face in pucker.
"Why, il isn't dinner time" said Miss
Laura in a tone of injured surprise and re-
monstrance.
''It's nearly twelve" said Sophronia.
"Why you must be mistaken; it can't be
much after ten," Laura expostulated.
Time runs like mill to folks that are
courting,' said Sophronia, ''but it's a very
little way from noon, and you've got to say
what's to be done about dinner"
"Oh, dear! nobody has particle of sym
pathy with me-" Miss Laura complained.
"My sakes you talk as if had been put
ting the sun forward, and been straighten-
ing the shadows all over place. It's near
noon, and I've got to know what's to be
done about diuner," Sophronia persisted,
giving her sleeve an additional roll-up.
Miss Laura was pestered to the tear point.
"Can't you put off dinner?" she said with
unusual meekness "Have it aboat two
O'Clock. I'm not particle hungry"
'But l am" said Sophronia stoutly dis
corning that for once she had the vantage
ground usually held by the elder sister
'Pve been at the washtub all the morning,
and haven't had any love to feed on, so Pm
ferociously hungry"
"Well, you can just take "a piece" said
Miss Laura in soothing tones, and prepar-
ing for return to Mr.. Gumms.
"But," said Sophronia, with OBTAINING in
sistence of tone and manner, "there's not a
bite in the house for "a piece and besides,
pas in the back yard come for his dinner"
swell, you can make someP coffee and
have some griddle-cakes; they are aquickly
got" Miss Laura turned to go.
Coffee and griddle-cakesp' cried Sophro-
mia, sthere's not grain of coffee in the
house, and there's no -four or eggs for grid
dle-cakes; and besides, there's no lard to
fry them"
''Then fry some potatoes" said Miss
Laura.
FRY potatoes without lard p cried Sophro-
mia. Besides, there isn't potato on the
place."
'Well, what is THEREOF demanded Miss
Laura with tears in her eyes.
''Nothing but quart of corn meal'
"Then make some mush," and Miss Lau-
"a turned suddenly serene as if earth had no
more sorrow, and glided away to the spot of
her felicity.
The next interruption was one minute be-
fore twelve, when again Sophronia's head
appeared at the parlor door, and again an
interview was solicited in Irishy- English
"What is it Dow?" demanded Miss Laura
when she had shut Mr.. Gumms in the par
lor and herself in the kitchen. Her face
was very, very red, and she famed it very
fast and looked very vexed.
81 want to know if your fellow is coming