Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-07-23

Matilda Jane and the Minister.
Iramieieh is a sleepy looking town. Ite
village street IS draped with drowsliy dfoop-
ing eims The sea j. Just far enough ava,
10 whisper a> sleepI.y The wind 10 he
leaves Few people are abroad IN the dav
time The birds ai.gh, and sing on ,ae
mos~y town pump. The church, unich i, 80
hite that Il makes one wink to gaze upon
II. slts IN the midst OF an ancient burning
ground. and calls the people of a SUNDAY
w.th the s!rrp,esJ bell possible DAISIES
and buiiercups nod in the path which leads
10 the door Of the town hail, and an AdVen-
lgtou, tramp Of c.ematIs or,eps out OF
neighbur.ug meadow and look. IN at the
windows. 'faiana - white blossoms over
the sill. he green blinds Of the ancient
white houses are all closed along the street.
and in The tai. gras, which fills the shaded
front wards grow ;tv sleep, looking
flowers. such lI.Ie. OF the valley, gray and
crimson poppirs. "old maids pInks." and
great c.ump> oi ,il,ery green ''liye forever"
" hen the clock strikes . the whole " oTld
prepares FOR bed, and ii light Is seen g,im-
mtFihS rom one ot thc windows Tor more
'han hAlI an houT a'ltT thdi time II is sale
TO conclude ihat either some one = III IN the
house, or some one has beau in an ad-
Sauced stage of ouurtship. sui a long so
JOurn m Bfgm,igh teaches one that IL :
never by any means sleepy as il seems
tha, every shutup. Growsy looking Old buIid
ing has vide awake eyes and ears on every
SIDE. and that even the lanA haired, draw
ing JH,eh!it j. on the alert Tor happening
Ny 'And'adY' Mr>. brsEdon. lives nile
away from me village, but nearly every
"hI>prr thai y hreathed there hnd' its way
70 me lAfih-'he 'hfl'iinS news that Mis-
te''f laf.ry i gong 10 haNe her sitting
room ht"H papeT'd' that the minister
noAsh' his ne" coat up 10 boston, that John
Hhe" went nome Win Lucy While from the
'ast evening meeting, and the SUI more
tnrhi"s news that Ms Oh'er Norton and
Mis- Lemuel stacy have fallen out and do
ho' speak 20 each o'heT MIS- Bragdon de
c'afts 'na' Sht viii no' s.eep "ink tll She
hears whether they are pleased again or not.
t' she expresses H. "She does Ike To have
something s"in on And when last ia'l,
all Ler summer ho4rdeF' had taken flight
win 'He exception o' myself the cows mad
all been sold but two and the light harvest
was oeins gathered IN with The assistance OF
but TWO hired men, she declared She had too
much spare time and was b.ue as "het,tun
that TIE village was duler than no,hin'
at all; She never was SO put TO it for news
IN hef NE.
spare time nam "61t ants me, gram
h!ed Alfonso, The to" headed son of the
house; kent get minute ter set IN the
store ihats why YOU don't hear no news.
Z "t at : loot YOU don't sIt no news when
you do 20 TO the corner evenins. You
don sci IN the store no way You just
dangie round tNfus Parker gate to see II
YOU Ken glt glimpse OF Mirandy But,
Lor 1t You Ken mad out en!thlng that's
a-goln on IN the word, YOU might es well
60 Gown along tef-nish'. There Il be pump
kins to cut erenin's by nhy, n there won't
F he no gitin on then
30, making himself very brilliant a, 10
ms ieet and very much periumed as to his
! head, Alfonso sets OH down the road as
4 soon as ms evening chores are accomplished.
. he llght OF ms lantern flashes from between
( the branches OF trees, and we hear him sing
inS ~ very Jolly ard confident strain, as
/ ne disappears round TIE corner, "tell
carry YOU thro.
ell, l don as shall be kerried
thro ef that boy don't bring no word Of
/ enybody or enything, says ms mother, seat
ing herself by the 1re with her knitting
work.
There Is frosty tlnge in the air, and
the scarlet glow OF the open hre IS exceed
ingy grateful to the senses. The hired
girl and the hired man are courtlng IN the
kitchen. Pussy-cat WASHES her face on the
hearth rug. The erickeis are piping PEN
sively under the floor. | am absorbed IN
the fortunes OF captain Franeasse, Just the
wltching, wonderful sort of story TO read By
the freight of long evening and Mrs.
Bragdon, who likes company, looks misera-
bic TO the last degree.
look up and catching glimpse OF her
woe-begone face, am touched with real pity.
know with what dehght may NIL her
soul If choose TO reveal secret which l
have plousy concealed since my hrst years
soJourn IN bramleish-a delicate tale, which
tor wonder, has not been whispered around
the hearth-slde OF the village nor discussed
under the dlm, religious ilgnt.
put aside nv book, ana say fashiy oe-
tore l nave really decided to tell, MRS:
Bragdon, did you ever know what broke on
the engagement between Miss Matilda Jane
Snow and the minister
lhe sudden Frightening up OF Mrs. Brag-
dons face Is something amazing She drops
her knitting work at once and clasps her