The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1885-09-04
a MONDAY ROMANCE.

She, that is, Miss Laura had city
lover. She captured him, or he had cap
tured her, or they had mu ually cap
turel each other while shc was on q
visit to her step-mother's sister-in-law.
Miss Lauras home was in the country
mot on q farm, where, presumably, tho
good things abound-milk and butter,
cream and cottage cheese; eggs and
chickens or at least pork, with per-
haps, string beans, or cabbage. She
lived in o small village, through which
the express train rushed without nod
of recognition, without % glance, and
where the accommodation paused
barely long enough for "howdy."
This village had no green grocery store
and only two freshmeat days in tho
week. 1t had no ice, hence no icc-cream,
no lemonade
Miss La,lra's father lived by his wits
OF course, then. he made no garden.
Miss Laura earned precarious pin
money by making an occasional dress,
ly trimming an occasional bonnet, by
crocheting an occasional decorative
piece, by giving an occasional music les
son at fifteen cents the lesson. OF
course, then, she did not raise chickens
or make butter. Neither did she any
1.itchen-work, nor house drudgery.
Her time was reckoned 700 precious for
such use, since even when her hands
were not engaged, she had her think
ing to do, plans to lay for the capture
OF a music pupil, or for securing IN
order for q tidy. Her ears had to be
kept in o receptive condition to catch
The flying words about the villagers
buyings. Whenever o dress pattern
was among these, she felt it her duty to
throw out mantua-makers bait.
Another part of Miss Laura's duty
vas to do the buying for the house. Az
TO who did the paying, this writer could
rot speak with defniteness. It is often
impossible for W tier to learn all about
6 case.
Sophronia, sister aged fourteen and
ttlree-quarters, presided over the druid
gerry She knew how to boil potatoes
end to stir mush; and she thought she
new how to make coffee and griddle-
cakes.
One certain Monday, the president of
The drudgery was wrestling with the fam
lily washing; and all through the wash
boarding, the boiling, the rinsing, the
wringing, the blueing, the starching,
there was running little vein of envy
envy OF the elder sister-removed
from the slop and steam, in the cool
middle room, fitting yellow calico
dress to ''Sissy" Fishback.
As she was wringing the las of tho
boiled clothes, Sophronia was entertain
ing vague wishes in connection with Mr..
j. c. Gumms. He was the city lover
about whom Miss Laura had made some
blushing confessions. Sophronia was
wishing that he would "come along"
and do something or other" There
was knock at the front door. She
heard it above the creak of the wrinSer
and the splash and drip of the rinse
water. She paused, listening, with one
hand on the wringer-handle and the
ether holding Miss Lauras stocking to
the rubber lips. There was a hurried,
rushing noise in the middle room the
kitchen door was opened with precipita-
ton, and in ran Miss Laura.
Its Mr.. Gumms at the front door
che exclaimed, nervously working at the
curl papers which kept up her banged
hair. ''You must so to the door,
Phrone."
"Why, can't so. See what fright
/ am" said Sophronia.
Her sleeves were rolled to the shoul-
der, her skirts were halfway to the
knee; her bare feet were well splashed
with the blueing- and dabbed
with starch.
"No matter about your looks" said
Miss Laura, breathing fast he'll take
You to be the hired girl. Please &C
Phrone," she added with earnest plead
ing. There he's knocking again. she