Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1894-12-08
MY MILKMI|yA!|LU.

Ii was delicious morning, "such
a one as dawns but once a season, .
one of those days in early summer
when one is glad only to be alive and
breathing the fragrant air.
was sitting on the side porch
hulling strawberries and watching
the big daisies nodding in the wind
over by the fence when the milkman's
bell rang.
Mary was washing, and my moth
er called to me from the kitchen to
get the milk. 1 took the milk pail
and went slowly down the long path
to the gate, more slowly because l
hated the milkman, dirty youth,
most fiirtatiously inclined.
1t was an agreeable surprise to
me when l reached the gate to find
a new face behind the milk cans, a
tired-looking man, with a we'll cut
profile and clean shaven face-clean
shaver and clean.
l gave him the pail, saying, 1.-TWO
quarts, please" quite sweetly, con-
sidering he was milkman, but still
in tone which would show him. if
he were observant, that l was unac-
customed to getting the milk and
felt it rather beneath my dignity.
AS he measured it out with the
long dipper there was a funny little
smile around his mouth and in his
eyes which rather exasperated me,
for considered myself in no way an
object of amusement to stray milk
men.
was very dignifed, therefore, in
my manner and went back to the
house with my head well in the air.
When l found my smaller brother
had decorated said head with a wav-
ing asparagus plume erect among
my cherished curls. I wished I had
tossed it less proudly, for I objected
to being ridiculous even before a
strange milkman.
That evening, when the bell rang,
| offered to go for the milk. l had
on pretty white gown, and my hair
was becomingly arranged. 1t was
not that l cared about the milkman,
although he was "different" from
others, but because. no girl would
like to be remembered looking like a
plumed hearse. I had the pleasure,
on reaching the wagon, of being
complimented on my appearance by
the firtatious milkman whom I de-
tested.
Young men were very few in the
village that summer, and SO my at.
tention was attracted by this new va
riety OF tradesman. l soon discov-
cred that he came only on the morn
ing round, and if was at home
would wander around to the kitchen
about the time he was due and offer
in the most artistically unconscious
manner in the world, to get the milk.
Our conversation for some weeks
was limited to "How much ?n and
"Two quarts, please" or "Only one
quart this morning." but one day,
after a heavy thunderstorm, during
which the lightning had struck tree
in our own yard, we broke through
the trammels of trade and discussed
electricity instead of milk.
l was charmed by his voice-low
cultured, pleasant. It was only an
accident of birth which had given
him such voice, I told myself, but
confessed it most charming acct
dent.
After that we chatted few mo-
ments every morning. I am even
afraid the people on the next block
had to wait very often for their milk.
l used to take myself to task Wig
orously for my growing interest in
this gray-eyed milkman, for I knew
well enough that my position pre-.
vented my making a friend of him.
" Sylvia Russell, II said one morn
ing, taking myself metaphorically by
the shoulders, show can you forget
yourself SO? Fancy asking him to
| dinner ~
l couldn't fancy it, but no more
could | imagine him committing a
solecism were he invited, so strong
~ did he impress one as a gentleman
in spite of the milk cans.
However, my self-administe e
shaking led me to forgo the pleasure
OF chatting With him that morning
and to go for walk to sthe village
instead.
As strolled slowly along under
| The shadow of The fhinh x,na,,1as j