Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-15
MISS NANCY'S ENGAGEMENT,

IL ali came about in this way. Old Mrs
Whelan had rheumatism in her hands til
they were knotted up SO that she could
scarcely use them at all but she was good
tempered, cheerful-spirited old body, anC
she always said what a mercy it was thai
it settled in her hands instead of her feet
for she weighed two hundred pounds if sh,
weighed an ounce, and Nancy and Saral
Jane would have had double handful
with her. 1t was Nancy who proposed
that she should read out loud to them while
they worked; and it quite chirked the old
lady up TO think she could be of that much
use. So they agreed to have solid reading
81 mornings while they were doing their
plain sewing-they took in plain sewing
and did ii every stitch bv hand-and novels
anu poetry IN the evening, when they did
fancy work. They were great hands for
fancy work, and their parler always re-
minded one Of table at Il fair; one could
hardly sit down for the tides. or walk
about for the mats and rugs.
Mrs. Whelan liked Trollope's novels
she said be always made her think of her
grandmother, and fairly hear her talk but
the girls laughed at him, and only got his
books out TO please their mother. Besides.
there was not great deal to choose from
the circulating library. and sometimes they
had Just 10 take what they could get They
bad one out called The Fixed Period. =
about the time you are hearing of, and
Nancy was cut of all patience with Trollope
-ascrblng TO him, rather unfairly, the
cold blooded theories of his fictitious states
man-Then they finished it, She was al
ways free-spOken, with pretty good notion
OF her own opinions. and She vowed shed
never listen to another book of his after
that
The old cannibal !" she said. The
idea Of bis sitting down in cold blood and
saying folks ought to be killed when they
reach certain age He'd better have read
little history before he wrote that story.
and posted himself on some of the good
work that's been done by people enough
older than his wonderful Fixed Period. ,
l suppose he thinks he's wiser than Proyi-
dence - or thought, I'd better say. for |
reckon he's found out a little more than he
cares 10 know by this time. There's one
comfort - he was taken off himself lust
about the time he set for the rest of the
world. J declare-its Just struck mel
wouldnt wonder bit if be did it himselfr'
But, Nancy" said Sarah Jane 1.-The
way he wanted it done was with a great
fuss and parade; you don't suppose he'd
have taken himself off quietly like that,
without any procession or anything, and
not even telling he was going TO do it ?''
Yes, do suppose just that" and Miss
Nancy nodded wisely, provided he had
the courage to do it at all Everybody
hates the sight of blood-its human nature
and If folks must needs 90 before they're
called, and | had to be one of them, |
should Just light fire in the charcoal fur
mace, the way they do in France, and take
1t up tony room, and lie down on my own
goosefeather bed, and die comfortable,
without knowing anything about it ~
Nancy, for gracious sake hush You
fairly make my blood run cold" said Mrs
Whelan But Nancy only laughed and
said:
Now, mother, dom put on airs You read
that horrible thing right straight through
without struggle or a groan, and if that
didn't make your blood run cold, | can't
say anything that would. But if that poor
deluded soul was living yet, / could put
him up to writing story called The Fixed
Period that would have some sense in it.
You know | went to Squire Renshaw' s
yesterday to see Lucilla's wedding outfit.
thought at first she called it her trousers,
but she said it was French word, that
meant wedding outfit: and, | can't help it
if it was wicked, felt as if | fairly turned
green with envy
They say the man she's going to marry
is well oil, to begin with, and has a good
business besides, so that it's presumable
she can buy all the clothes she wants in
reason but there was enough put away in
the bureau and wardrobe to last her the
rest of her natural life, and the room lust
running over full with all sorts of pretty
and useful things-glass, and china, and
books, and pictures, and some elegant table
linen, and 4 great lovely easy chair that
would set you up, mother. | wondered q
little to see that, when her father furnished
the house, they say, from garnet to cellar
and ali handsome or good of its kind, but
there was a strip of embroidery running
down the middle of the satin, with long
tailed birds all over it, and Lucilla said one
of her school friends gave it to her because
she wanted 10 give her own work. And by
the same token, Sarah Jane, If you'll en-
broider strip on canvas III rip up that old
black satin skirt Aunt Laura gave you. and
we could take the cane-seat rocking-chaiI
and stuff it with some of the hair out OF
that big mattress we're going to make over
and have a real iiercelooking chair. But
where was l? Oh, yes there was a solid
silver tea-set, and dear knows how many
pretty plated things, and ali sorts of knick.
knackS to make a table look nice and TASTY
and l suppose it was wicked, for were
commanded not to covet, hut | couldn't
help thinking how tenth part of all that
would brighten things up for us. love
pretty things as much as anybody. and
whenever go where they know whats
pretty, and have the money to buy it.
come home out OF all conceit with oul
cheap fixings and makeShift decorations
Now, il isn't likely either you or | will
every marry, Sarah Jane"
Speak for yourself, Nancy" SAYS Sarah
Jane, maybe a little bit tart. You're al
but 40, and I'm only %, and that's good
bit of difference"
well, then, ii isn't likely that | will
ever marry" says Nancy. not a bit ruffied
for I'm all but 40, that's a fact, and it:
like old Uncle Jackson used to say abou
himself-don't YOU remember he'd say
The reasons plain why l never married
any woman I'd "a had wouldn't have me
and any woman that would have me III,
devil wouldn't have.
II wish you wouldn't say that, dear >
put in Mrs. Whelan " it sounds lik,
swearing
Il was only quoting. mother: do let M
get on. Now ! think that when woman
is forty years old. and will own up to il
she ou6bt to have her outfit, and her pre-
senls, and everything. just as If she wa
going to be married, only little more Sc
on account of there being no husband
and do believe if girl knew for certain
that she would have it all just the same o
better than if she married, there'd be a goo
deal less marrying done"
But suppose she gets married after all
suggested Sarah Jane " it would be it'll
hard on her folks and all her friends, to d
it twice over and, what's more. l don't be
leve most of them would and | shouldn
blame thayn other ~
settled all that when thought it out,
said Miss Nancy, composedly. She
ought TO sign an agreement, a kind of quiz
tance, for each one of them. 1t wouldn
be any more trouble than to write the hur
dred and odd notes of thanks that Lucill
told me she'd had to write. Then, il sh
was fool enough to marry after she wa
forty, nobody feel tired with her on tbs
score. Now, there's a Fixed Period ide
that's worth something, and | only wis
somebody'd make story out of that"
Why don't you do it yourself?" sal
Sarah Jane, laughing-fos Nancy locke
dreadfully earnest about it
Because / can't; you know that yer
we'll It's hard work for me to write s
much as letter think l see myse
writing story But, if ever get bold I