The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1891-10-22
THREE YOUNG OLD-MAIDS
They Found Men Preferable to
Science, Art and Literature.

Lucy = Ouu0 nu6u ET6I6TdDl6 TO
Science, Art and Literature
mo, ! shall never marry" said Enid
Nor l." said Grace.
''Nor l." said Sophy.
u am welded to art" continued the
first speaker. a.
''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 res
olution being fulfilled, even in this
nineteenth 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
Enid the youngest of the three. The
sisters were both tall, fine girls, with
dark eyes, and hair. and white com
plexions, smooth and spotless as mar
BILE. Grace was beautiful, Sophy hand
some; Grace was the paler, her features
more delicately cut, her eyes softer.
Sophy was the more vivacious, her eyes
brighter, her smile more animated, 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
remainder curled about her forehead
She was 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 in common with each other?
MEN are so prosaic," said Enid.
"And SO stupid" said Sophy.
T. sand so Wicked" said Grace.
"We1l have none of Them" cried the
trio.
''Girls, have plan; listen. said
Enid.
'We three will go away to lonely
1isle-I don't mean a 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-
old from the day they entered till the
day they left.
Only a fortnight later and they were
settled in a big old house overlooking
the sea-
There had been obstacles to over
come in the form of protesting fathers
and scandalized mothers, but the pro-
posed exclusion of the stronger sex
pacified the fathers, and the fact that
Ends old nurse, 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 a thunder
storm occurring. Tho three aspirants
to celibacy led very simple life. They
breakfasted at nine, dined at one, had
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 library with skele-
ton and studied medicine; while the
bride of literature lay in 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 atten-
ticu that after the second Sunday peo-
pie began to call upon them; they
were prepared for this contingency,
and Rachel, Ends nurse, met all visit
.ors with very solemn face and the
same information, namely: THAT the
ladies were at home, but they did not
stay on the island. "
This reply did its intended work; in a
little place like Nantucket 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.
Nosdoubt they were delighted to have
gained this victory, though their shouts
of triumph seemed to grow weaker
, weekly.
"We won't receive men. 80 we can't
receive women" was their first watch
word; at the end of fortnight this
was changed to-
1--WE can't receive men, so we won't
receive women" at the end Of the
month it was
'.We would receive both, but they
won't give us the chance;" but this
was not spoken, it was not even whis-
pered, 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 APP
parently as devoted to study, while the
bride of literature was more absorbed
than ever in the imaginary world in
which she lived.
This seems rather long three
months" said Grace one day.
sit seems like three years to me, y
said Sophy, yawning.
''Itseems three centuries to me-" said
Enid, signing.
Let us go and climb to the top Of
that rock we noticed the other day
and have tea on it this afternoon, y
said Grace, aloud. II am sick to death
of pen and ink, she added, inwardly.
Anything for variety" said Enid
aloud. II hate the sight Of my paint.
and brushes" was her thought
ssIt will be q new sensation; anything