The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-02-16
THE MAIDS STORY.

Eyes, miss, certainly, I lived with
Mrs. Birch-Miss Grigg that was be-
fore she married Mr.. Birch. And I
knew all about that affair 1t was
very singular, indeed-very. I'm not
sure that l ought to mention it, for if
a lady's maid can't hold her tongue
she can't find good places. Dear me,
I'm no talker. I'm as mum as a
mouse. Bushels of pearl powder and
quarts of rouge have | applied with
my own hands, and never so much as
limited at. As for cotton, bless your
heart, I've never breathed about it,
and | did live with a lady once that
took arsenic regularly for her COM
plexion. That's no secret, for she
took too much one day, by accident,
and died.
There was an inquest, and it all
came out. It's well it did, for sus-
piCion pointed TO her husband. Some
how, it always seems to strike a Jury
that husband is the likeliest person
to wish a wife out of the way But
this isn't anything about paint; Miss
Grigg, being on the stage, made no Sc
cret of that. She played queens and
such, miss. I've often had tickets
given me and gone with my young
man to see her act. And when she
was naughty and curled her nose like,
miss, and looked at other folks, over
her shoulder, and talked away down
in her throat like pigeon gurgling
she was splendid, miss. 1t made me
think how nice it would be to be a
queen and to take airs over every ybody.
well, Miss Grigg was engaged to
be married. Mr. Birch had fallen in
love with her when she was playing
Hamlet's ma. Perhaps you have seen
the play, miss? The young man OBJ
jected to his ma getting married the
second time, so | seemed to make out,
and acted most impertinent, giving
sass to his ma and his step-pa, and
carrying on awful. And there was a
poor young lady quite out of her mind
that afterWard got drowned.
'Well, she was playing Hamlet's
ma, and Mr.. Birch fell in love with
her, and sent her letter, and called,
and made an offer all in no time. She
accepted him, of course, and the prep
arations for the wedding began. l
don't think my lady ever had so MANY
ye'vets and laces. Dear, dear; Madame
IS whole establishment was hard
at work for a month. and if I'd had
twenty fingers, instead of only ten, I'd
have had use for them all.
''At last everything was finished.
The trunks V ere packed, there we're
fifteen of EN-, miss, and fourteen were
to go on that afternoon, and one-the
one with the wedding and travelling
dresses-was, of course, to be left and
go with the bride when she started
next day She was to be married at
10 o'clock in church and then drive
home, have splendid breakfast,
change her dress and eaten the 8 o'clock
train. OF course / saw the trunks,
and | was very careful; but just whep
was needed most, just as the trunks
were going down stairs, Miss Grige
called me.
Miss Grigg was lady who didn't
like to wait. | went TO her IS once,
miss, as was my duty, and | said to
Bridget Duster, the chambernaid:
Bridget, watch the black trunB
and see that the men don't carry il
Off
Bridget understood with her ell
bows, of course, miss, and after I'd
been to the lands end for two yards
of blue ribbon of exactly such shade
as she wanted. aud got back, found
that she had sent off the black trunk
first of all, and was very proud of
having been so careful. The trunks
were all miles away by that time.
There was nothing for it but to tell
Miss Grigg. She flew at me, miss. ]
didn't blame her for being angry.
would forgive her in such case. She
flew at me violent, miss, and then,
miss, she had spasms. She beat the
sofa, she tore her hair, she screeched,
and me all the while saying,
Remember your eyes, miss. Think
how you'll look. Your nose is swell
ing dreadful. miss
Finally she came to and bathed
her face. Aud says she:
Flora, what-what shall-I do?'
81 don't know, miss, said /, 'un-
less you put off the wedding until you
telegraph for the trunk.
mo, said she, that's unlucky: be-
sides, one never knows. None amt
to be depended on.
ou might borrow dress, said ].
''As if Id be married in one that
didn't fit, said she. Stop, don't
speak word. I've an idea.
''She sat with one finger on her lips
for q lille. Then she said:
My embroidered dressing-gown.
The white one! That's hereP'
In the bureau. miss said |.
~ III I
ried in that. Telegraph for the trunk,
Flora.
The white dressing-gown?" said /.
nearly astonished out of my senses.
Yes, said she, the White dress
ing gown, goose, you don't think I'm
going to be married in church in that
/ ont put of the wedding, and
won't stand up before crowd in any
thing but my white satin dress! But
I'll be married at the appointed hour,
for all that. So telegraph for NV