Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1884-01-17
Miscellaneous.
Miss Lirripip's Lovers.

Miss l.rripip had 4 pretty face ana i've
thousand year, MT 10 ,peak Of expecia-
tions. Pretty faces are common enough.
even IN these DAYS Of agricultural dcpres-
SION and s,agnan, trade but a girl with i've
thousand wear * rarity and girl with
five thousand year and pretty face INTO
the bargain Is A positive phenomenon. and.
as such. cannot ia!! 10 be greatly admired b,
a number of more or less eligible Young
men with a taste for beauty of the most sub
stantlai kind. Even middle aged bachelors
awokr from their hahitua. indifference when.
on being introduced To a lovel, damsel Of
twO-and twenty, th.I are conscious that the
posse,soT Of considerable fortune stands
before them; for although money is the
root Of all evil. II is root which mos, peo-
pie very willingly undertake the risk of cul-
ti,ating
Since lydia Lirripip was thus beautiful
and thus rich, II is not surprising that she
had not only admirers-men who dared 10
wish uncertain things but lovers, too-men
who had the presumption TO nope II is
true that LYDIA encouraged none of them.
for she vas quite satisfied TO live al home
alth her father, General LIrripip. IN Bruton
street. Gros, ,enor-square. and to ride IN
Rotten Row in the morning. and to drive IN
the park IN the afternoon. But. fortunately.
Young men DO not require encouragement
nav, III certain affairs the less encourage
ment they receive the greater their persist
ency becomes and considering that h, a!th-
Iiy constituted Young women seldom, II ever,
give any encouragement 10 Young men. the
persistency of these latter IN the face Of
alarming difficulties is a matter on which all
OF US MAY heartily congratulate ourselves
Indeed, but for persistency who knows
whether the world would 90 round
II was the height Of the London season.
and LYDIA Lirripip went with her father one
evening. 10 a great ball at the Countess of
Carnab,'s. Everybody was there-ever,-
body, that Is. Of rank and fashion and ere
she had been in the brightly lighted rooms
Tor i've minutes lydia was engaged for every
dance on the programme. Now, 10 most Of
her partners she was Only engaged for a
single valse or polka. but. for old acquaint-
ance's sake, or for some other reason, She
allowed three gentlemen To take three
dances each. IL was no doubt, very inds-
Greet of her to do so. But in one case, at
least, It was very good natured OF her. for
she permitted old Sir Pertinax Popinjay,
who. every one knew. was far too stiff
and gouty to move about properly, to put
dewn his name for the onl, two sets OF Ian
Gers. SIR PvrtinaA was etfusively gratefu!
and smiled has sweetest upon her as he re-
turned her programme and L,dia instead of
regreiiing her kindness. felt thorough, re-
~arded by seeing that She wa, giving pleas
uTe to the gra, haired Baronet. who. thirty
Years before, had been noted dandy, but
who now struck her as being simply prosy
old fellow. whom very few girls would be
likely TO dance with. Lydia's other favored
partners were Mr.. Horace Freake-a ,oung
artist who had that year. for the first time,
exhibited at the Rcysl Academy-and Mr..
Merton Murley. a man VINO had no profes-
sion and no occupation, and who, if he had
private income. derived it from source
not generally known even to his friends
In this world many strange condolences
happen. Two chemists have been known to
make exactly the same discovery on the same
day and two astronomers have claimed to
catch sight OF new comet at almost the
same moment. Ii Is not, therefore, lncTed-
lbe that, while dancing these six dances
with her three favored partners, Lydia cas-
ually mentioned to each of them that upon
the following evening her father was going
to take the chair at the annual meeting OF
the Society for the Encouragement Of Cold
water Bathing on the Continent; that she
wished that girls were able like men to
amuse themselves and that she envied her
partners, their clubs. their theatres and their
sociable smoking concerts. Now is it in
credible that, having heard this, Sir Perti-
max Popinjay, Mr. Horace Freake and Mr.
Merton Murley all made up their minds to
call upon Miss Lirrpip upon the following
evening, and TO make to her certain avowals
which, although they had long medi,ated
them, they now felt impelled to make as
soon as possible, without any unnecessary
delay. What these avowals were NAV be
guessed but why the three gentlemen all
determined at the same time TO make them
is question which cannot be explained al
though the fact that Lydia that evening
looked even prettier than usual NAV posi-.
bly, have been one of the causes of the ex-
traordinary coincidence.
lydia little dreamed, when in the small
hours of morning she dropped off to
sleep. of what was hanging over her. Sir
Pertinax had made no sign; Mr.. Murley
had not been more attentive than had for
some time been his wont |; and Mr.. Freake
had been actually more dull and uninterest.
ing than Miss Lirripip had ever seen him.
She therefore slept soundly, and was un-
disturbed BY fears Of the coming evening
and its visitors.
The followin: dsy was wet. The Gener-
al who bad lived for many years in India,
and had a liver which caused him to be
somewhat irascible, shut himself up in bis
library and savagely studied the statistics Of
Cold-~ ater Bathing and Lydia, who could
not 90 out, painted in her boudoir. The