Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-04-11
Written for the american.
HER OWN CHOICE.
BY A. Z. AUSTIN.

Though fools spurn Hymcn's gentle powers
We who improve his golden hours,
llY sweet experience know
That marriage, rightly understood,
Gives to the tender and the good
paradise below"
Viola Haywood was. beyond doubt, the
prettiest girl in all Hancock county.
have heard her features criticised over
and over again, until she was completely
stripped of all pretensions to beauty, and
yet those very critics, The next time they
saw her, found their hearts melting under
the influence of witchery which, from
whatever source It sprang, was generally
felt and acknowledged.
When flashing with merriment or with
Indignation, her eyes seemed to be jet
black; but when her soul looked kindly
through them, the color melted into
liquid brown which was perfectly en-
chanting.
Her lips were like rich, ripe stra"
berries, and the melody that came gushing
through them a she tripped through the
farmhouse. or stood in the choir on Sun
day, seemed like the warbling of nest
Of nightingales.
1t WAS well for the singer that curtain
ran across the gallery, which could be
drawn at pleasure-ot otherwise the warm
glaces directed towards poor Viola from
below, must surely have done fearful ex-
ecution.
Even old Deacon Carleton, who was
reared up under the blue-law system, and
regarded it a deadly sin to look at
woman on the Sabbath, was more than
once detected in stealing glance at
Viola, who was performing brilliant
figure, and when rallied on the subject,
excused himself by saying: Truly, the
damsel hath wondrous voice, and she
remindeth me of Rebekahat the well, IN
the great Bible" This was the old mans
idea of female beauty, and higher praise
was not in his power to bestow
1t is not to be supposed that Viola Hay
wood, such as | have imperfectly descrlb-
ed, had reached her nineteenth year With
out plenty of lovers, in the place where
beautiful girls were at premium.
Almost every marrageable man in La
moline had been found with his horse
tied at Farmer lluyWood's gate, while Its
owner WAS trying to make the agreeable
to the fair Viola.
But this was by no means an easy
task. The golden fruit was guarded, II
not by dragon, yet by two individuals
nearly as fierce and rs Vigllant.
Farmer Haywood prided himself ON his
E.
"Mayhower," and in virtue of his Puritan
ancestry, though, it incumbered on nm
to be exceedingly strict in the government
OF his household
He eschewed all kind OF merriment,
especially the foolish and vain amuse-
ment OF "song singing" and though
compelled to tolerate the warbling OF
Viola, would never suffer any of her
young companions to join their voices
with her, beneath his roof, unless IN
singing church music.
He knew that the fair Viola was the
cynosure of all eyes in Lamoine, and
inwardly determining that not one OF all
who had yet made their appearance
should bear off the prize, set hlmsell
quietly at work to counteract their opera
tions.
In this he was able assisted by his wife,
Aunt Eliza, who thought Viola, as the
only daughter and heiress OF the nay
woods, ought to command the very hrse
match in the whole county. She was,
therefore, ever on the alert when young
or good looking man entered the house,
and generally contrived to substitute
her own company for that OF VIOLA VINO
was sent away on various pretences.
Then, if these obstacles were sur
mounted, there was the damsel herself
bewitching as fairy, but If the truth
must be told, mischievous as marmoset'
and quite as unwilling to be caught.
Woe to the unlucky wight whose suit
awakened the displeasure of the provok-