Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-11-10

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family in Boston)-ef he hadn't a writ an
asked them If 'twould be agreeable to he,
his darter May come an spend the summer
with 'em on the old place. He said hel
health was poor an the doctor advised
country air an quiet for her cher mother
WAS Waters, one Of the Waterses thai
| live down by the brook there, none Of 'en
never had no constitution, an guess She.
| Jest like 'em).
Wall, l remember the day that lettel
| come, jest as plain. l see Enoch Hodg
kins bringin' 1t in to 'em, an went oveI
to get rlsin' o yeast alters like tC
start new yeast with some O. theirn, If
get out. it seems better'n other folks
! (owin', l s'pose, to their raisin' heir owr
hopsl.
They was a gettin' dinner but they
stopped to read the letter. 1t was direct
ed to Mahala, she bein' the oldest, an she
read it and passed it to her sister an she
| read it an says, says she, Wall, I've nc
| objections as know on, an Mahala says
Nor |, neither an SO one of EN- writ
back to James to send the gal along.
Then them two commenced slickin' up
their two parts O. the house. an cookin
good things an polisbin' their silver, an
Diademma. she had the spare room, tha,
ened up, an the harnsomest risin' sun
bedquilt ever see. on the bed. (You
know risiu' sun Is all made o yeller pieces.
Stsrbird's picture framed In yeller ever
lastin' flowers, over the mantle tree piece
Wall. now. the room looked real pretty an
clean-my land There aint no better
housekeepers in the county than the two
Hemenwsy gals. An they did their pref
tiest, both on EN-, for they both set an aw-
ful sight by James, an they was bound to
treat his darter harnsome. Mahala d put
some of her pet white roses round In most
every room in the house exceptin' the
spare room, she wouldn't have touched
that an Demma wouldn't have stood ii ef
she had.
Wall. Jsmes's dsrter come on Mon
day. was there.-l went over to carry
EN- dish o rosb'rys for ea.-my vines
bore well that year. an thought 'twould
seem kind o neighborly like, an | will
confess | had a grain o curiosity TO see
how they'd manage it at the table. bout
keepin' their belongin's seperate.
But was glad to see they'd been rea-
sonahle enough to give In little bit, an
be more like sisters should be, SOS not TO
make 1t uncomfortable for May
The tea table looked real nice an ship
>hape, an Mahala's silver sugar-bowl an
resm-pitcher looked as sociable 1ongside
o the fiowered chaney cups an saucers, as
II they'd growed up together as you might
saw.
They had nice white biscuits an cold
sliced ham, an my rosb'rys. an plate o.
sage cheese, an sponge cake with yeiler
frostin' (Diademma must "a made that
an tea an milk. supper good enough for
anybody, | say; wall, jest as Mahala d put
the finishin' touch to the table with glass
of roses, up drove Enoch Hodgkins from
the station in his big carryall an in with
him, besides May, was her father an real
peart. hsrnsome young man, as ever |
looked at.
Il WAS real curious to know who on
airth he could be, 50 | stayed In the kitch-
en- close to the door o the settin' room,
where they couldn't see me, an saw EN-
come in an kiss an' shake hands all
around all but the young man-of course
them two old maids didn't kiss him, but
they did act most awful illustrated like
when James introduced him to EN- as Mr
Thomas Statbirt; of course il wasn't like
ly he was anyway related to their old beau
but it trds kind of shock To have that
name spoken so sudden like, that neither
% EN- SAD heard nor mentioned for 50
long
James explained that this Mr. Starbrd
was Mays young man an that they was
only wsith' for her to gain back her
strength after havin' typhoid fever, to be
married.
MY land. If you'd seen her cheeks
then you'd o'thought she want much OF
an invalid.
Nv all, while they was talkin' an get
tin their belongin's disposed of, | started
to slip home, the back way, unbeknownst
to 'em all, but as stepped acrost the back
entry, James he caught sight of me. an
he came right out an shook hands as cor
dial as could be, an nothin' would do but
must 90 in to the sittn'-room an be in
troduced all around. l felt kinder streak
ed, for want no ways dressed up TO see
company, but put the best foot forward,
an went in an said How do
you do all around, an finally, through
James urgin' so hard, | stayed to tea
wall, now l tell ye, twas a curious
sight to see them two old maids wait on
the table! Mahala, she poured the tea (it
looked to me 'sif she want williu' for Dia-
demma to hev the hapdln' o. her silver,
Demma she helped the meat, an they both
jest urged the vittles onto all on us, but
when il came to helpin' each other they
want no ways so particular, took no
tice.
Their bein' so kind o. stiff TO each
other threw a coolness over the whole on
US, but Mr.. Starbird made himself very
agreeable an praised the cookn' an James
an got to talkin over old times, an the
meal passed of pretty sociable after all
81 went home shortly after supper, an
didn't see no more on 'em for some days,
but May told me about it afterwards, an
l will have to tell IL to you second handed.
"Ye sees May bein' half an invalid an
fussy an Whitney, decided she wanted to
sleep down stairs, SO Mahala up an offered
her her room quick, fore Demms got .
chance, an then May thought she darsn't
sleep down stairs 'ithout her father was
down there TOO, so DENNY speaks up an
offers her room to him. never once thinkin'
how awkward 'twould be for themselves,
for them two hadn't slep' in the same bed,
nor even in the same room since they he'd
their fallin' out but now it looked 'sif
they'd have to, for there want but two
rooms upstairs, and the spare one that
DemDa'd fixed up for May he'd to be given
up to Mr.. Starbird. (He hadn't planned
to stay all night, KNOWN that they want
expectin' him at all. but they he'd to invite
him out o politeness, an he didn't need
any urgin' he was so glad to be with May
that much longer.)
May said her two aunts set up pretty
late that night, both on 'em, it's likely,
dreadin to go to bed with each other but
finally they did make out, but May said
she didn't believe either of 'em slep' wink
all that night, for in the morning they both
looked like ghosts.
"Well. May an her beau went for a
short walk that forenoon. before he went
back to the city, an while he was out he
told May about a picter he'd seen in the
room he'd slep in the night before an how
much it looked like his Uncle Tom, that
he was named for. He said he never see
his uncle, but he'd seen his father an his
grandfather look at that picter and talk
about the poor teller bein' a sailor, an
struck down with cholera, down South,
just a week after his wedding day. May
said the matter slipped her mind after her
Tom went away, an she never mentioned
it to either Of her aunts. Her curiosity
was reused up to know why the house was
painted up In such an outlandish fashion,
an why her two aunts were so awful cool
an high an mighty with each other, when
they was so amazin' good to everybody
else.
Mays like the Waterses an the Hemen-
ways both, In havin' an uncommon sight
O. perseverance, an when she sets out to
find out anytf ing, she's bound to do it, let
| come what will. but she's got sech a slick
coaxin' way with her that she'll wheedle
your eye-teeth right out O. your mouth
without your q knowin' wat she was do.
in, She found ont all she cOuld ahont tha