The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-04-21

evening, in the winter, there, was fire
kindled in the parlor, the parlor lamp
was lit at dusk all the year round and
Maria's mother retired early that the
vounc people might "sit up" The ..sit-
limo up was no very formidable affair
now. whateverit might have been in the
first stages of the courtship. The need
of sleep over balanced sentiment in
those old lovers, and by ten o'clock at
the latest Maria's lamp was out and
David had wendell his solitary way to
his own home.
Leyden people had great curiosity
to know if David had ever actually
nopped the question to Maria, or if his
natural slowness was at fault in this as
in other things. Their curiosity had
been long exercised in vain. but Widow
Brewster, as she waxed older, grew To-
ouacious and one day told a neighbor,
who had dropped in in her daughters
absence, that ''David had never RELY
come to the pint. She supposed he
would some time; for her part, she
thought he had better; but them after all,
knowed Maria didn't care, and maybe
twas Jest as we'll as twas, only some
times she was afeard she should never
live to see the weddin' if they wasn't
spry." Then there had been hints con-
corning a certain pearl-colored silk which
Maria, having good chance to get at a
bargain, had purchased some twenty
years ago, when she thought, from sun
dry remarks, that David was coming to
the point, and it was further intimated
that the silk had been privately made up
ten years since, when Maria had again
surmised that the point was about VI Y
reached The neighbor went home IN a
state of great delight, having by skillful
manGuvring actually obtained aglimpse
of the pearl-colored silk.
1t was perfectly true that Maria did
not lay David's Hardness in putting the
important question very muchto heart.
She was too cheerful, too buS and too
much interested in her daily duties to
fret much about anything. There was
never at any time much o. the senti-
mental element in her composition, and
her feeling for David was eminently
practical in its nature. She, although
the woman, had the stronger character
of the two, and there was something
rather mother-like than loger-like in her
affection for him. 1t was through the
protecting care which chiefly character
lied her love that the OILY pain to her
came from their long cortship and post
ponement of marriage. It was true that,
years ago, when David had led her to
think, from certain hestating words
spoken at parting one Sunday night,
that he would certainly ask the mo-
mentous question soon, her heart had
gone into a happy fiuter. She had
bought the pearl-colored silk then.
Years after, her heart had huttered
again, but little less wildly this time.
David almost asked her another Sunday
night. Then she had made up the pearl
colored silk. She used to go and look
at it fondly and admiringly from time
to time; once in a while she would try
it on and survey herself in the glass,
and imagine herself Dwid's bride-a
faded bride, but happy and beloved
one.
She looked at the dress occasionally
now, but little sadly, as the conviction
was forcing itself upon her more and
more that she should never wear it. But
the sadness was always more for David s
sake than her own. She saw him grow
ing an old man, and the lonely uncered-
| for life that he led filed her heart with
tender pity and sorrow for him. She
did not confine her kind offices to the
Saturday baking. Every week his little
| house was tidied and set to rights, and
his mending looked after.
Once, on Sunday night, when she
spied a rip in his coat that had grown
long from the want of womanly fingers
constantly at hand, she had good cry
after he had left and she had gone into
her room. There was something more
pitiful to her, something that touched
her heart more deeply, in that rip in her
lovers Sunday coat than in all her long
years of waiting.
AS the years went on it was some,
times with a sad heart that Maria stood
and watched the poor lonely old figure
moving slower than ever down the street
to his lonely home; but the heart was
sad for him always and never for her
self. She used to wonder at him little
sometimes, though always with the most
loyal tenderness, that he should choose
to lead the solitary, cherries life that he
did, to 60 back to his dark, voiceless
home, when he might be so sheltered
and cared for in his old age. She firmly
believed that it was only owing to heI
inlover' incorrigible slowness, in this as
everything else. She never doubted for
an instant that he loved her. Some
women might have tried fastening mat.
tiers little themselves, but Maria, with
the delicacy which is sometimes more
inherent in steady, practical nature
like hers than in a more ardent one,
would have lost her self-respect forever
if she had done such thing.
So she lived cheerfully along, corded
her boots, though her fingers were get
ting. stiff, humored her mother, who was
getting feebler and more childish every
year, and did the best she could for her
poor foolish old lover.
When David was seventy, and she
sixty-eight, she gave away the pearl
colored silk to a Cousins daughter who
was going to be married. The girl was
young and pretty and happy, but she
was poor and the silk would make over
into a grander wedding dress for her
than she could hope to obtain in any
other way.
pnor old Mania e,,,~o+LoJ A. IA.