Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-08-11
KITCHEN LOVE.

KITCHEN LOVE.
very pretty Irish girl was ny one do
mestic, Katie McCarty, very pink and white
as to complexion. very plump cs to figure,
blue eyed, black haired, trim tidy and with
out rival in the art and science Of broLing
steak, making coffee, sweeping, busting
and setting a room 10 rights She was Only
SIX months over from Ireland when she came
TO my door but she had evidently had good
training somewhere, and had protited BY IL
She had not reigned long in my kitchen be
fore the butchers man and the grocer lin
gered little as they delivered parcels, and
the coaehman cast admiring glances at her
as she opened the door when his ''nlissus"
made her calls In fact, one OF the first
coaehmen in the ward, one who wore the
most elegant livery and drove the finest turn
out in the most distinguished manner, openly
| expressed his admiration at Christmas time
! By card Of very magnificent proportions
and bottle Of very pronounced perfnmery.
| The stout young butcher declared to her one
day that he sent the tenderest cuts in his
shop 20 US all for her sake. Clearly Katie
could have been quite belle in her own
circle L11 slf CHOSEN, UuL sHs NV
! little inclination for the distinction.
For in spite Of Katie's blithe manner, and
she carried CHEEKY face, there seemed TO
| lurk a shadow Of something like sorrow IN
her blue eyes. there was look that made me
think Of that in the face Of Eyangeline.
The smile Of derision with which this state
ment was received by the head OF the house
would have quite demolished any one less
positive than /. In the eyes Of my friends
was tho veriest dreamer, a romancer, who
saw what was not there.
| In my own estimation / was a woman OF
remarkable penetration and insight. Circum-
stances confirmed this view often enough TO
enable me to keep fair confidence in myI
own intuitive powers; occasional failures
kept my friends from a like confidence in me.
She was performing some small service IN
my room one morning, and / was silently
admiring the careful dexterity Of her move
ments, when observed what thought to be
a little extra pensiveness about her. There
was a depression in the set Of her busting
cap that did not escape me.
She was only an Irish servant girl, one Of
the many who come and go and are forgot
ten, but she wa, a woman, friendless, or so
thought in a strange country. She was a
member Of my household 1t was not idle
curiosity that led me to say to her, Katie,
you look a little sad this morning. has any
thing gone wrong, anything that can helpi
You must consider me friend when you
need one"
Thank you, ma am, " she said, thank you
kindly. It's all along o the coachman, Pat
rick Mcclure. He's that fond of me, ma am,
that he'll not be takin' no at all, and that's
all the word | can spake to him"
. M a
is he uotf
81 He Is that, rna'am."
STEADY, honest and ndustriousF
"Sure, he is.
lie is good looking, and pleasant and
kind heard Mrs Gray say they never had
ono they bad more confidence in in every
way"
Good looking he is, maam, wild honest
eye, and pleasant SMILE and a man to be
trusted, I've no fear"
Il suppose he has saved up little money
aud could give you comfortable snug little
home, where you could live and be happy
with some one who would love you and take
good care of you"
I've heard say he had little money an
he loves me, he swears it by the Holy
Mother"
well Katie, it is very much to have the
love Of good man, to have pleasant, com
Portable home; working hard in your own
house, for those who are dear TO you, and
who loves you, is vastly better and pleas
anter thing than working for even so nice
mistress as am
She looked up with a smile and said Sure
it's good mistress that you are; but, ma am,
there's something you haven't said and it
seems strange to me you haven't. You
haven't said word about my lovin' zoe
man. Is it "a fair thing to take "a mans love
and all he can give you an give him nothing
back for it, Shall woman sell herself for
roof over her head and a fire to sit by, an
she with two strong handsi It's not Kate
Mccarthy could do that"
mo, Katie, no woman should do that, but
| d d not know And you do not love himr
Not bit, ma'am: know he is good an
true an lovln, but my heart Is like stone
in my breast even when he SAYS the tinderest
things to me, just as cold an just as heavy"
And don't you think you might learn to
| love hiuf | asked.
! Learn to love him, is it you sayl Sure,
| ma am, it seems to me the love you have to
learn is a poor sort Seems to ME, ma'am,
when you have to be botherin' yourself that
way you just better let it all 60. No, ma'am,
| can't learn to love Patrick Mcclure The
love you don't have to learn is the sort you
don't forget, maam, an'-love neither
comes nor goes wild the biddin.n
Here the color surged over the girls face
! and she sighed
There's some one else, Katie
! 1.-The dinner must be put over she SAID ir-
relevantly, and sped away to the kitchen.
With all her franEness she had reserve
that forbade further questioning, so the sub
| ject was bauished. She grew daily little
| quieter in her ways, she sang less at her
work, but She just faithful in her ser
vice, and just attractive ever in the
eyes o. her followers
One morning she said, There's to be a
masquerade at the rink tomorrow night
maam, the coachmen of the city will be Civ
ing it. All the incest girls | know are a
goin', and I've said Id so, though it's little
care about such doin's."
And are you going with Mr.. Mcclure as
your escortf
"No, maam two or three of us girls are
going together, maam. I'd not he going
wild any young man, besides we don't want
any one to know us, you know"
That will answer. | think" | replied
Dress warmly, do not be out very late and
let me see you before you go. want to see
/ if | will kno., you
Very pretty the three Irish girls looked as
they stepped INTO my room the next night to
be looked at and admired Their ideas of
costuming III character were not very we'll
defined, 81 their means for carving out
their ideas were limited, but did not mar
their pleasure 10y criticism. left the incon-
sistencies pass, and said they looked very
nicely, which was true
Katie only had made no attempt at dis