Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-07-31
A WOMAN'S HEART.

times think they won't get married aft
er ALL !"
''They will if marriage is to be their
lot" rejoined my hearer briskly. GIVE
seen an heard lot of strange things in
my time, miss. Did I ever tell you about
my cousin, Ann Elizabeth?'
"No," replied, looking up with a
considerable degree of interest. Mrs
Hopwood was famous for her stories,
and this afternoon, as we sat and had
tea together in homely way in her
clean little kitchen, our conversation
somehow turned upon the old but never
wornout topics of love and marriage.
told her one or two strange instances
which had come under my own observa
tion, and now was prepared to listen
to her.
"Well, it was funny thing. I must
say,' began Mrs. Hopwood, settling
herself more comfortably in her chair
and smoothing down her white apron
by way of preliminary. 'To begin with,
T must tell you that Ann Elizabeth was
in service with two old ladies-real
ladies they were. By some means or an
other they had become very much re-
duced in circumstances, an only kept
one servant where they had previously
kept half dozen, but they lived in a
nice little house an amused themselves
by doin light jobs an potterin about the
garden. Ann Elizabeth was happy
enough with them, can tell you.
"They took her when she was quite a
girl, not more than Is or Is. but as she
was a strong an willin lass she soon
learned the work, fallin into their ways,
until some Of the rest Of us young ones
used to laugh at her an tell her she was
becomin as old maidish as the ladies
themselves.
"But she soon showed us that she
wasn't goin to hear her mistresses made
fun Of She was very fond of 'em an
respected an admired 'em in a way that
seems to have gone out of fashion among
servants nowadays.
"Well, things went on very quiet for
some years, but when Ann Elizabeth
was about three and twenty she got a
young man. A very steady, respectable
young man he was-if he hadn't been,
Ann Elizabeth wouldn't have looked at
him. He was a rural postman, which
was of course regular work, an he was
able also to earn nice bit of money by
doin odd jobs, for he was handy fell
low, who could turn his hand to almost
anything-in the middle of the day
when he was free from his post work.
'The ladies never raised any objec-
tion to him-for they weren't like some
old maids, who, because they have never
anybody else to be-but they advised
Ann Elizabeth not to be i'll hurry.
"'I shan't be, says Ann Elizabeth.
4 know when I'm we'll off, an I'm not
goin to throw up a good home all in a
minute just for the sake of havin a hus-
band. I don't mean to be married until
both him an me has saved bit of mon-
ey, an if he isn't willin to fall in with
my views he must leave me an look out
for somebody else.'
"But Robert-Robert Jones his name
was, miss-said he was quite willin to
wait awhile, an that he would do his
best to work an save so as to take Ann
Elizabeth to comfortable home when
she became his wife.
$50 things settled down again, an
went on as quiet as they had gone be-
fore Robert went every Sunday regu-
larly an had tea with his sweetheart.
Then they walked to church together an
had an hours quiet talk in the kitchen
when they came back. The ladies were
always very kind, an Robert seemed to
fall into their ways as natural as Ann
Elizabeth had DONE Everything went
on in such steady groove that at last
thought they had got fairly fixed in it
an never meant to make any change.
''For ten years slipped by in this fash
ion. Yes, you may well laugh, miss; SO
did a good many Of the rest of us.
Most of them who had been Ann Eliza
beth's companions i'll childhood had
married an settled, while Ann Eliza
beth's long courtship became quite a
standin joke.
"But it was joke we kept to our
selves, for if you ventured on half
word to Ann Elizabeth she would say
nothin, but just look at you in way
that made you feel you had better mind
your own business.
81 think, though, that Robert got
chaffed a good bit, an at last he seemed
to make up his mind that he had wait
ed long enough. know that he had Of
ten before then asked Ann Elizabeth to
be married, but she had put him off,
sayin she didn't like to leave the old
ladies an would prefer goin on as she
was bit longer.
tBut, as said before, Robert at last
became determined that their courtship
should end. Both he an Ann Elizabeth
had by that time saved a nice bit of
money, an there was really nothin to
wait for. So he talked until he got her
in the mind, an she promised to marry
him as soon as things could be got ready.
''The ladies felt the prospective part
in with her good deal, but they were
too kind an unselfish to raise any objec-
tion. They helped Ann Elizabeth in ev-
cry way they could an bought the we'd
din dress-a gray silk fit for any lady
to wear.
IL was dHIduSCu olttt ALI EllZdUtGu
should stay with her mistresses right
up to her weddin day. When the morn
in came. she put on all her nice new
clothes, an when she was quite ready
drove to her mothers house, where she
expected to find Robert in readiness to
take her straight to church.
"Now I must tell you, miss, that Ann
Elizabeth was always what we called
rather odd She had some queer ways
an ideas Of her own, an she thought
plenty of herself, do assure you.
81 know she was fond of Robert
very fond of him-but she always felt
that he ought to be very much obliged
to her for havin him, an she made him
treat her in respectful sort of way that
seemed bit comical to me.
"I had been invited to the weddin, so
can tell you exactly what took place.
Twas at my aunt's when Ann Elizabeth
drove up, an gettin out O. the convey
ance came into the house. Very nice she
looked, must say, in her silk dress an
white bonnet, but before any of us had
time to make remark she says: