The Press., 1895-11-14
A WOMAN'S HEART.

"Yes; they've been counting ten years, I said refectively, and I some7 times think they won't get married aft CT all" -.
 ''They will if marriage is to be their lot, {" rejoined my nearer briskly.F "I've seen an heard lot of strange things in my time, miss. Did lever tell you about my cousin, Ann Elizabeth?"
 "No," replied, looking up with 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. I 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. 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, I 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 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 girl, not more than 15 or 16. 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 goiu to hear her mistresses made fun of She was very fond of 'em an respected an admired lem 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 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 8 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 been married themselves, never want anybody else to be-but they advised Ann Elizabeth not to be in hurry.
 "'I shan't be- says Ann Elizabeth. I know when I'm well off, an I'm not goin to throw up a good home all in 8 minute just for the sake of havin 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-Roberk 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.
 "So 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