Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-08-07
THREE YOUNG OLD MAIDS OF
NANTUCKET
BY barley Dare.

by barley Dare.
mo, | shall never marry, said Enid.
"Nor |, " said Grace.
Nor |, " said Sophy.
81 am welded to art, continued the
first speaker.
And | to literature, said the second,
"And to science, said the third.
They were all young, they were all rich,
they were all pretty, so that the chances
were against the above resolution being
fulfilled, even III this 18th century, when
brides are sCarCer than they used to be, and
the votaries of science and art and litera-
ture more numerous.
Sophy and Grace were sisters, Enid was
their friend. Grace was the eldest, End
the youngest of the three. The sisters were
both tall, fine girls, with dark eyes and
hair. and white compilations, smooth and
spotless as marble. Grace was beautiful,
Sophy handsome; Grace was the paler, her
features more dellcately cut, her eyes
softer. Sophy was the more vivacious,
her eyes brighter, her smile more anlmat-
ed, her laugh merrier
Enid was not the least like her friends
eyes and quantity of pale golden hair,
ulOSl VI WulCu was GOllJb iIbO q Nl'"l vi
the top of her head, and the remainder
curled about her forehead. She was
dressed in the aesthetic style, and was one
of the very few who can do so with i'm
punity.
Max Leslie, brother to Sophy and Grace,
was hopelessly in love with her, but he
was a lawyer, while Enid was the bride of
art, and what have law and art i'll common
with each other?
MEN are so prosjaC, said Enid.
"And so stupid, said Sophy.
"And so wicked, " said Grace.
We'll have none of them,' cried the
trio.
"Girls, have plan, listen" said
Enid.
1--WE three will go away to a lovely isle
i don't mean desert island but to
Nantucket, or the Shoals.
1t was to Nantucket that they deter
mined to go, agreeing to take house
for three months, and solemnly vowing
that not man should cross its thresh-
hold from the day they entered till the day
they left.
Only fortnight later and they were
settled in a big old house overlooking the
sea.
There had been obstacles to overcome in
the form of protesting fathers and scan.
dalized mothers, but the proposed exclu-
sion of the stronger sex pacifed the
fathers, and the fact that Ends old nurse,
a veritable duenna was to make one
of the party, allayed all material 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 a thunder
storm occurring. The three aspirants to
ceibacy led a very simple life They
breakfasted at 9, dined at /, and tea
when they felt inclined, and supped at six.
In the mornings the bride of art sketched
from nature or painted in her studio; the
bride of science shut herself up in the Ii
brary with the skeleton and studied medi-
cine; while bride of literature lay in a
hammock and evolved the plot of three
volume novel which was to take the world
by storm.
On Sunday they drove 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, Enid s
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 on the island.
This reply did its intended work, in a
little place like Nantucket il 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
bessie yed were left in peace.
No doubt they were delighted to have
gained this victory though their shouts of
triumph seemed to grow weaker weekly.
1--WE won receive men, so we can't re-
ceive women" was their first watch
word; at the end of a fortnight this we
changed to
1--WE cant receive men, so We won't re-
ceive women at the end of the month it
was
1--WE would receive both, but they won t
give US the chance but this was not
spoken, it was not even whispered, yet
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 Boston, the
bride of science was apparently az devoted
to study. while the bride of literature was
more absorbed than ever in the ina ginary
world in which she lived.
This seems rather long three months, ="
said Grace one day.
They seem ike three years to me, "
said Sophy, yawning.
1T seems three centuries to me, said
Enid, signing
Let us 90 and climb to the top Of the
rock we noticed the other day and have
tea on it this afternoon, and Grace aloud.
II am sick to death Of pen and ink, she
added inwardly.
Anything for variety, said Enid
aloud, 81 hate the sight of my paints and
brushes, =" was her thought
ut will be a nex sensation; anything
for that, said Sophy; she thought, IF