The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-02-13
A HANDSOME WOMAN.
Her Quaint Courtship by the Lord
Bishop of Manchester.

MISS JollDefU was handsome woman.
There were people who said she was cold
looking, and people who said she was
passee, and people who said she had a de-
cided will of her own; but no one who
denisl that she was handsome And they
generally added, with nod and a lowering
of the voice: "And richl" in a way which
seemed to say that, if Miss Jollibert's looks
were undeniable, yet still more undeniable
were her riches.
People were quite right-Miss Jollibert
was cold-looking. She was woman with
an athletic upright figure a haughtily-cut
brunette face, rather high Roman nose.
and a rather high color. And Miss Jollibert
had decided will of her own; her eyes
were of the dark, lazy, mysterious type,
which are as good as a sign-post pointing to
it, As for being passee-of course, strictly
speaking, she was passee; Miss Jollibert
was thlrty-three: and most women are
passee at twenty-seven, let alone thirty
three. Mince matters as one likes, that is
the long and the short of it,
On the other hand many women of Miss
Jolllbert's type are positively handsomer
at sixty than at thirty three People saw
OF them then: What grand old woman!
From the extreme dignity of Miss Jollibert,s
mlen, 1T seemed as if she had always in her
illluur SHG Stlleu, WlUD ne1 nead nigh, past
the simpering schoolgirls of Manchester:
Poor, poor things at thirty-three, people
say of me that am handsome: and al sixty
they will call me grand old woman What
will they say of youn
There is no doubt whatever that Miss
Jolilbert was simply admiring the distant
landscape; but it seemed to the school
girls that she was repeating this, and they
resented it by saying she was cold-looking
and passee. Even they, however, never
failed to add that Miss Jollibert was a
handsome woman.
Manchester was a busy, poDulous MANN
featuring town, and Miss Jollibert's father
an extremely weaehy paint manufactur-
er-had died Mayor of it. So that it was of
course incumbent on Miss Jollibert to in
habit house in one of the most fashion
able suburbs; and that the house, like her
self, should be handsome and dignified.
She kept great many women-servants
and two indoor men-servants and a large
carriage with large and very vivid crest;
as was only befitting the daughter of so
large paint manufacturer.
1t was really quite pretty sight to see
handsome Miss Jollibert, in her handsome
blue silk dress, and seated in her
handsome blue barouche, and with
her handsome blue-livered servants and
handsome blue-gray horses, drive forth
under the shadow of her azure parasol upon
smiling summers day. She generally
looked straight before her, between the
horses heads; she didn't turn aside to recog-
nize everybody. She had little way of
drawing herself up and signing 'HltB,m
like genuine bee, which was enough to
make the most impertinent heart quail
Nevertheless when Miss Jollibert liked, she
could smile out of her deep brown eyes to
this side and to that, too, not "a little
sweetly. 1t was marvel to all the world
why she persisted in remaining Miss Jolli-
bert. When the weather was rainy, the
open barouche was substituted by dark
red carriage, with scarlet wheels. When il
showed again, she spun away over the
sparkling surface, her sleigh, a heterogen-
Gus but artistic confusion of sealskn sable
tail and ermine, herself study in peacock
blue.
When it showed. 1t was showing very
hard one winters night that Miss Jollibert
sat alone before her drawing-room fire IL
was magnificent fire. and the drawing
room was simply blaze of magniiicence,
and Miss Jollibert was indeed magnificent
in diamonds and rose-colored velvet dress
so bright that it made her perhaps too
brilliant complexion look quite pale in
comparison; as probably she knew. Every
thing, from the superb Eastern knick-
knaclIs in the brackets, to the dollhouse
flowers on the tables, spoke Of wealth.
You looked at all parts of the room and
you said What expenditure Then you
looked at Miss Jollibert herself, and re-
peated What expenditure more emphat-
ically than before, And il you were
sensitive person of quick thought you
added to yourself: chow would a poor
man feel IN this room"
Miss Jollibert, at all events, appeared to
feel very comfortable. Her diamonds
flashed in the freight, as she lay back in a
luxurious armchair and toyed with the
folds of her rose-colored velvet. The peo-
pie of Mnlchester said il was ridiculous
Miss Jollibert should dress herself up in a
Tose-colored velvet and diamonds when she