Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-09-17
HE NAMED THE DAY.

was O carpenter "to his trade" Hel
name Was Melis, and she was old Binks
daughter, and the neat little brass plat,
affixed 10 the door Of her modest abod,
bore the inscription. Miss Binks
Dressmh hker."
Miss Binks was very genteel youn(
woman and in aspiring to keep com
pany with her Jim Kitchens was con
sidered 10 be decidedly lettering" him
| self.
Keeping company being. 1t should b
observed, o sort Of intermediary process
something between mere ordinary &C
quaintah hceship and that more definite
and satisfactory condition which is rs
sumed only on being actually invited Il
name he day."
Conse huently, when repeat that jim
Kitchen and Miss Binks were keeping
company, do not wish to imply thai
| they wete by any means arrived at that
blissful condition which, in a higher
walk Of life, is known as being en-
gagged F"
Oh, dkar, no! Matters were not near
ly so far advanced as that, though II
was pos ible that. with time md care,
they might reach such q point.
Jim Kitchens had not been keeping
tompany with Miss Binks for more
than Is years ut stretch, and those
people who insisted ON reckoning the
time as 10 did not really know the ins
and outs Of the affair half so well as
they pretended. the additional ten years
which thby thus indiscriminately tackled
on TO thk period Of probation having
merely btcn passed in u species Of light
skirmish Ing and entirely without preju'
dice
And 81 they kept company.
Every Sunday afternoon at 80 Jim,
in all the unaccustomed glory OF clean
shave and his Sunday suit-you could
tell his sunday suit at the end Of the
street by the creases in it-called for
Miss BIZ ks, and they made u solemn
progress 'tdown street" or 'up street,
Ms inclinhtion or the force Of circum
stances d| |rected.
There ,Eas not great deal of conver
sation INDUCED in. because in order to
converse brilliantly it is. If not neces
sary. at least advisable to have some
topic on which to express opinions.
Consequently, as Miss Binks had nc
opinions outside her own business, and
always Ia |ked most freely with row Of
pins betw BEN her teeth, and Jim Hitch
ems was Equally circumscribed in his
ideas, not many words passed between
them on these occasions.
Just as the gentleman was on the
point Of taking his departure the lady
would be apparently struck by All orig
inal idea.
Il s'pos % you wouldn't come in and
take u cup O. tea along O. father and
me-" she W. I'D inquire with modest
diffidence.
This unexpected invitation. though
repeated sunday after Sunday as the
years rolfeh by. never failed to take Mr..
Kitchens q htirely by surprise.
We'll. '" rubbing his left whlsker, II
dunno, but O. course II You puts it that
way, Miss Binks, why
Then sh, would open the door, and
he would fbllow her meekly into little
room wherb little old man would be
dozing peat t|efully in AL elbow chair, with
blue cottb bn handkerchief spotted with
white over his head.
Miss Binks would take of the kettle,
and then turning to the little old man
bend down and shout in his ear:
"Fa- -athe F, here's Mr.. 'Itchens come
to take tea hlong O. you.
Whereupbn her little old parent would
whisk the lIlue cotton handkerchief of
his head ami betray vast astonishment
ut the sight Of the visitor.
"Lor', nJw, to think o. that, Mister
'Itchens! Well, bless me, this is o sur
prise
After te Jim invariably escorted
Miss Binks TO chapel and sat beside her
in the galle y.
His wordb OH parting from her at the
door-for matters were not advanced to
the state that he could expect to be
asked to 50 pper. supper being a more
confidential and compromising meal
than tea-wlould be something In this
style: -.
IL dunnol Miss Binks, whether you d
be thinkin a. takin a walk next Sunday
if the wealth er 'olds up?"
To which Miss Binks would reply
with maiderlly hesitation:
well, 'ardly know what 70 say
about it, NIL. 'Itchens. You see, it de-
pends upon father. He's gettin on and
well, il yJu care to walk down this
way it don't take me long to put ON my
bonnet
By this arid the foregoing examples
it will be se,In that the interesting pair
had not yet larrived at that degree OF
intimacy THAI would warrant the use OF
Christian nal mes.
One day, However. old Binks woke up
from his afternoon nap, and drawing
aside the blub veil OF mystery IN which
he was wonl to enshroud his wrinkled
countenance during these periods od
somnolency made the following re.
markable ASSERTION:
'Melia. my ga" regarding his
daughter as she brought all the re-
sources Of heF art to bear upon dress
she was turn|n for the butchers wife
at the cornt r., 'Melia, my gal" be
piped, lyon 10 a-gettin on. amt your
Miss Binhb with her mind engrossed
with the subject Of box plaits, to Say
nothing Of having made q temporary
pincushion oil her mouth, refused under
these circumstances to commit herself
to anything beyond monosyllabl'
grunt.
"That youhg man o. yourn, 'Melia
he's been corhin ere gettin ON fur some
time nowH
Again Miis Binks assented, or dis
sented, for thu sound was noncommittal
and wondered what father" was dfiv
ing at-a Question which he at ouct
proceeded TO answer for her.
II s'pose, tMelia, he amt begun Il
say nothin TO you bout II intention
yet awhiler
"No," snasQed Miss Binks, taking
row or two ok pins out Of her moutl
and stabbinf|s . refractory box plait II
its most vulnerable part. mot Jet b
Amt"
"'Pears I'd me, ,Melia," oontinue'
her parent, ,bho had apparently beel
thinking hard before he again spoke
"that It's tirhe - somethin were ~
by one or t'otbef. I fcourted your moth
q fowerteen tear and three month. anl