Middletown transcript., 1897-02-06

nothing, but she sent the invitations
neverthelt SIS. Father and mother a.
ways let me do as I like and have th
things want, because / am the onl
daughter. Girls with a shoal of sister
don't get nearly as much of their owl
way as do. People always thin
more of an odd cup and saucer than o
whole tea set; and yet sometime
think it must be jollier to be one of
teaset, after all.
"You are too fond Of acting as al
amateur Providence, Madge," mothe
said; ''but I don't mind helping yol
this once"
/ Mother always says this once
about kind things she has done every
day in the past, and will do every day
in the future; but she seems to thinl
that the expression protects her from
the well founded charge of over-indul
gence.
So Uncle James and Miss Stubs
came to stay with US. My uncle ar
rived first; and as he sat with mother
and me in the morning room, he asked
Is anyone else staying with you JaneP''
"Only Miss Stubbs." replied mother
'an d she arrives this afternoon. We
met her at Lucerne, you know"
"Ohl some girl that Madge took a
great fancy to, isn't sheP''
81 took great fancy to her," an
swered; 'sbut she isn't girl. She is
quite DID,
"What nuisancel" said Uncle
James, in his sharp manner. 81 hate
old women, and old maids especially. -
"You won't hate her, James," said
mother, soothingly; "she is SO quiet,
and unobtrusive that you'll hardly
know she is in the house," Then she
smiled slyly at me, and 1 felt my matri-
moninl plans foredoomed to failure.
cat that moment Miss Stubbs ar
rived, and mother and I ran into the
hall to meet her. She looked as faded
and washed-out as ever, and as l fol-
lowed her and mother into the morn
ing room I sighed over the futility of
my Well-meant scheme.
"Let me introduce my brother to
you" mother began. "James this is !"
But before she could finish her sem
tence Uncle James jumped up and
seized Miss Stubs by both hands, cry
ing: "Why, Anniel you don't mean to
say that it is you, come back to me af-
ter all these years2" And there was
look on his face that the rendered pork
chops and the safest investments had
never been able to call forth.
Miss Stnbbs was quite flushed, and
trembling all over. "And it is really
you, James? never dreamed that I
should see you again."
s'This is Annie Lorimer that used
to tell you about, Jane," explained un-
Gle James, turning to mother, but still
keeping Miss Stubb's hands in his, "but
why on earth did you call her Miss
Stubbs-
Miss Stubbs answered for mother.
"They only knew me as Miss Stubbs,
James. When my father came into
that estate which proved such a disap-
pointment to him he had to give up the
name of Lorimer and take that of
Stubbs; and I suppose I never men,
toned that my name had once been
Lorimer.''
As we all sat at tea together 1 med
itated deeply on the romantic situation
and thought how sad it must be to be
parted from fine, handsome man,
such as Miss Stubs had described to
me, and from a golden-haired fairy
such as uncle used to talk about to
mother; and then to meet them five
and-twenty years afterward, trans
formed into fat old bachelor and
a faded old maid. But my cup of
amazement was full when heard Un-
Gle James say.
"What have you been doing to keep
yourself SO young, Annie2 You hardly
look a day older than when last saw
you."
And Miss Stubbs replied: ''You also
are scarcely altered bit, James. r
should have known you anywhere"
This fairly knocked me over. It is
absurd to say that love is blind. Love
not only sees beauties and virtues no
one else sees, but what it has once seen
it sees always. It is very funny and
interestingl
The next day l said to Miss Stubbs:
Whatever made 700 say Uncle
James was tall when you described
him to me?D
''Because he is tall. Don't you
think your uncle is very fine man my
dearf"
sI don't know; he always seemed
rather short to me, somehow I STAN.
mered awkardly.
Miss Stubbs smiled. l"To you, yes;
but you are SO exceptionally tall, you
know.
Whereby I learned that height is af-
ter all, only ;question of proportion. |
Not long after this Uncle James
asked me in his sharp masterful way, |
"What possessed you, Madge, when
you told me that Annie was oldp Why
she is no more old than am"
I felt confused. '.She seemed rather
old to me, somehow l stammered.
Ny uncle smiled. "You, yes; but
you are so absurdly young, You know. ;,
Whereby learned that age also is |
question Of proportion.
On the day that Uncle James and |
Aunt Annie were married and mother
said to me. think that Providence
helped my managing little girl with
her plans this time.u