Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-09-13
THREE OLD MAIDS.

IL
II am welded to art" continued the
first speaker. "And l to literature"
said the second. "And l to SCIENCE"
said the third. The combined ages of
these damsels would have fallen several
years short of the allotted three score and
ten. but if each speaker had seen seventy
summers she could not have spoken with
more decision.
They were all young, they were all
rich, they were all pretty, so that the
chances were against the above resolu-
ton being fulfilled, even in this Nine
teenth century, when civilization has
run to seed and brides are scarcer than
they used to be, and the votaries of sci
ence and art and literature more numer-
ous
Sophy and Grace were sisters, Enid
was their friend. Grace was the eldest,
Enid the youngest, Of the three. The
sisters were both tall, fine girls, with
dark eyes and hair and thick, white
compilations, smooth and spotless as
marble. Grace was beautiful, Sophy
handsome; Grace was the paler, her
features more delicately cut, her eyes
softer. Sophy was the more vivacious,
her eyes brighter, her smile more ami
mated, her laugh merrier.
Enid was not the least like her friends;
she was small and very fair, with blue
eyes and quantity of pale golden hair,
most of which was coiled into a crown
on the top of her head, and the re-
mainder curled about her forehead. She
dressed in the aesthetic style, and was
one of the very few who can do so with
impunity.
Max Leslie, brother to Sophy and
Grace, was hopelessly in love with her.
but he was lawyer, while Enid was the
bride of art, and what have law and art
n common with each other?
Men are 80 prosaic," said Enid.
And so stupid" said Sophy.
And so wicked" said Grace.
We'll have none of them" said the
trio.
"Girls, have a plan, listen," said
Enid. 1--WE three will go away to
lonely isle-I don't mean desert island
but to Alderney, or one of the Orkneys
or to the Isle Of Mani
mo, not to Man, we will have nothing
to do with Man; let us go to one of the
Channel isles, there are no men there, at
least, only few officers-about one to
twenty girls, interrupted Sophy.
ITO the Channel isles be it then; we
will take house for three months. and
we will make solemn vow not man
shall cross the threshold from the day
we enter till the day we leave" con-
tinued Enid.
Carried, mem. CON-" cried the sis
tiers, and a fortnight later saw them set
tied in large house overlooking one of
the loveliest Of the Jersey bays.
There had been obstacles to overcome
in the form of protesting fathers and
scandalized mothers. but the proposed
exclusion Of the stronger sex pacified
the fathers, and the fact that Ends old
nurse, a veritable duenna, was to make
one Of the party allayed all maternal
fears, and in the end the young people
got their own way. as young people
mostly do nowadays.
The first month passed away without
anything more exciting than thunder
storm occurring. The three aspirants to
celibacy led very simple life. They
breakfasted at 8, dined at |, had tea
when they felt inclined and supped at 8.
In the mornings the bride of art sketched
from nature or painted in her studio, the
bride Of science shut herself up in the
library with skeleton and studied medi-
cine. while the bride of literature lay in
hammock and evolved the plot of
three volume novel which was to take
the world by storm.
NJ, 10 hax i,t1 81;
to church, where they attracted so much
attention that after the second Sunday
people began to call upon them. They
were prepared for this contingency, and
Rachel. Ends nurse, met all visitors
with very solemn face and the same
information, namely, that the ladies
were at home, but they did not intend
to receive visitors during their stay in
the island"
This reply did its intended work; in a
little place like Jersey it soon reached
the ears of everybody who was anybody,
and, as few people cared to be snubbed
in this style, the besiegers retired and
the besieged were left in peace.
No doubt they were delighted to have
gained this victory, though their shouts
of triumph seemed to grow weaker
weekly.
I'VE won't receive men, so we can't
receive women" was their first watch
word; at the end of a fortnight this was
changed to:
1--WE can't receive men, SO we won't
receive women" at the end of month
it was:
1--WE would receive both, but they
won't give us a chance;" but this was
not spoken; it was not even whispered,
but deep down in the heart of each
maiden it was the secret cry.
Outwardly the bride of art was as true
to her spouse as when they left London,
the bride of science was apparently as