The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-09-12
MY LOWERS.
BY MARY N. PRESCOTT.

We were only shop-girls, you know,
and, for the matter Of that, we are shop
GIRLS still. But one day we had little
money left ns-iust trine-and IA we
were tired to death with pleasing Other
people, We decided to plense ourselves.
and take vacation at the beach.
"l'or once" said Lefty, "let us l..
grandees. Let us 60 in good style, if II
takes every cent. Let US go rs we might
have gonei if you hadn't been sentiments.
aud had married Mr.. Dunn"
Mr.. Dunn was bachelor, immensely
rich, bald and stout, and no longer
Young; not the lover ! had dreamed of.
not tho realization Of the "dlm, sweci
vision which had haunted my Thoughts
for even shop-girl has creams anl
fancics. / had been greatly surprised
when he asked mo to marry him, and
live on Beacon street. and drive in my
coupe. OF course he didn't mention
these things, but Lefty did; and / had
said, "No, thank you," Mt once. What
poetry could there be in marrying Mr.
Dump Living in luxury on Beacon
street would be pleasant enough, but it
would put love and romance and happi.
ness forever out Of the question.
thought. Lefty disapprovcd, / know,
aud No did Mr.. Dunn.
"Why don't Won love me?' he asked
"Oiher women have" and hesmiled and
biushod at tho confession.
"Oh, | like you very much as friend,
Mr., Dunn" | said, to soften the blow.
Friendship il easy enough to win,
But ono isn't loved every day."
he quoted.
1t was pretty show Mt the beach.
after the first excitement of arriving and
unpncking had worn off; after we had
gotten used to bathing, and sitting idl,
ON the piazza with the sea rolling at ON
feet, or reading novels in the hammock
or Watching tho nirtations and the
scheming. We didn't know anybody
you see, and there was nobody to intro
ducc us. We talked with some of tho
ladies', hut they seemed TO have know
each other before; and while they dis.
cllsscd this or that acquaintance, the
opera OF tho season past, tho soirccg
where they had met, we naturally
dropped out of the conversation. Then.
when there was dancing, we had no
partners, and 1t was not exactly pleasant
to play tho wall-ilower while others
were in the swing Of everything. Lefty
had said, 81 think we had better 70
home and use the balance of our cash in
joining the Harvard Annex, and improv.
ing our minds" when one evening, rs
we sat iorlorn on the piazza, who should
come to meet us but Mr.. Dunn
never was 80 glad to sec anybody in my
life before. Ho didn't seem to bear mt
any grudge for having refused him
He introduced us to all the young swell
and nabobs and their sisters rs his par
tcular friends; in fact, | believe he tol,
one of the dowagcrs that had decline,
10 become Mrs. Dunn. He didn't siay
great while; he was due somewhere els.
at somebody's country placc-and
was rather glad when he went; for al
though l had refused him, / couldn't
help feeling sort of ownership in him,
md when he hirtcd with the other wom-
en- | didn't like it. Ono doesn't like
ones discarded lover to recover toe
soon, if ut all. We were no longer wall
flowers; we danced and sang aud rowcd
and bowlcd with the best. We were
MIR. Dunn's friends. think perpaps
some OF the women were even grateful to
mo because had not married him.
However, it seemed to me that pres.
1 L.
Cuthbert began to fill themeasure Of my
thoughts completely. hardly knew II
anybody else existed. San men beside
wore to me like shadows" We sat to.
gether secluded on the piazza, or walked
ON tho sands by moonlight, or strolled
in tho Pine woods and read poetry, OF
sang together on the rocks with the surf
beating at our feet. He seemed the en-.
bodiment of all poetry and lofty senti-
ment and romance. lie had n voice like
tho wind in the pines, or an Eolian
harp full of tender meaning and deep
unfathomable feelings / believed; Ii,
was like the princess whose lips dropped
pearls and rubies of speech. lie read
Byron 80 beautifully that ono felt he
would have written tall if Byron hadn't,
md he had composed airs to some OF
Shcllys divine verses, which he taught
mo to sing. Oh, it seemed to me Just
then Us If L were real live heroine
breathing romance. About this time
happened to have O severe neuralgi,
headache, which confined mo in nv
room several days, and one evening whei
Lefty came up to bed she said.
Il don't know, If l were going to mar.
~ one or tho other, but should prefo,
Mr. Dunn to Cuthbert."
How disagreeable you are, Lcttvr
! SAID. You had better come !;
bed" o''ho
"Mr. Dunn is sincere at least II ho !.
bald" she pursued; "and he isn't g.
dreadful bald either"
"Well, Clarence isn't bald at ALL"
mo, but he's been going on will,
Miss Erskine as if you didn't exist
strolling in the woods, looking into he
Eyes, and repeating poetry. She showed
ne some lines he had written to her. apl
believe they were the very same n
to you, only brown eyes wcre
hanged TO blue"
LEFTY, don't believe word of II
rs only her vanity and your jealousy.