The Mineral argus., 1884-11-27
MIRANDA.
Chicago Tribune Prize Story.

for it was not much of n place, consist
Ing only of a dozen orso struggling
houses, two general stores" and a
meeting house, on a line of the Bosnia
wa and st. Paul railway. All the
buildings we're of wood, and most of
them painted a dark and hideous brown
though here and ther9 a verandah ct vi
vid green or a brilliant blue doc step
marked the dwelling of some unusually
ambitious Cornerer. All jewellers at
the Corners agreed that old Deacon
Tiffany's house was "the smartest in the
lot" and this certainly could not be de-
MED it stood on a small piece of rising
ground overlooking the railway
track,a somewhat conspicuous posi-
ton, where the eleven different
colors which ornamented its front
could not fail to be observed of all trav-
elers. These eleven colors were the
pride of the deacon's heart; he would
stand by the hour and contemplate with
PLACID satisfaction and modest pride
the green and yellow stripes of the We
randa, the slate-colored c%ornice, or, best
of all, the gorgeous new bow window
"to Mirandy's room" The deacon GER
tainly had, as was said admiringly at
the Corners, Fan eye for colors." Even
his bee-hives were all painted either
yellow or blue, and instead of being
clustered together in a corner, as is
generally the case, were scattered pro-
m~iscuously about the garden, according
to a new and original plan received by
their owner, to whom their appearance
afforded the keenest satisfaction. 1t
was his greatest pleasure in life
to stand at the gate of a sum-
mer evening, attired in a striped
flannel shirt, a palm-leaf hat and a pair
of trousers depending on the apparent
~ frail support of n suspender, luxu-
r%iously smoking a long-stemmed corn
cob pipe. and contemplating with inno-
cent and profound admiration his many
colored domicile and its surrounding
beehives. The prospect might have
been slightly married for some people
by the effect of Mrs. Tiffany's "wash-
ings," which were invariably in full
view on either side of the house-it was
a popularity of Mrs. Tiffany always to
have something "on the line" But the
deacon didn't mind; on the contrary,
he rather enjoyed the sight of few Ii
lac calico gowns and "rising sun u
terprnes tapping in the breeze. ut
kinder brightens things up, We see, he
used to say. But fond as he was of
bright colors and generously as he had
been able to crafty his taste it did
ones heart good to see how careful
the deacon was of his less FORUM
ate neighbors' feelings. He would
stroll down to the village of an evening,
and, gazing mildly at the particular
dull and dingy shade of brown which
ornamented the residence of his friend,
the blacksmith, would hypocritically
remark that lie didn't know but what
such a color as that wasn't best for the
ewes after all, " and that ''ef it hadn't
bin for Mirandy's coming home he
didn't know as he would hevput tibet
thar shade of blue onto the bow-win-
dop; but gals generally has a leanin' to
blue"
Miranda had been away for four years.
First at school in a far-distant eastern
city, and then without coming home
she went to Europe for a year, partly
as governess to the two little sisters of
former schoolmate, partly as. compan-
ion to their fussy invalid mother.
Mrs. Tiffany strongly dissaproved o.
these proceedings. She was not Miriam
da's own mother, and naturally her owl
girls, Ag and Liz, took precedence il
her eyes. She didn't see why tina
pale-faced Mirandy should have all thu
book-larnin' and ~travelin' thar Vas goin.
But on this point the deacon. usual,
mild and yielding, had been firm and
loyal to the memory of his first wife
the pretty, gentle, eastern girl, who's,
"book-larnin' had been almost her onl,
consolation in the pine soltitudes o
Romulus, and who had begged of hin
mot to let Miranda grow mp West.
And the deacon had promised and brave
ly kept his word, in spite of the scold
ings and lachrymose complainings @
Mrs. Tiffany the second and her girls
Twice during the four years did tn