New-York tribune., 1897-01-24

old maid?' T.. ,o,s" re-
n,ed: "he is far too old. But should like to see
Miss Stubbs comfortably settled. ana am SUI
she would be good. peacefui' itt'e VIZ e, rer-
sides. Uncle James isn't exactly the sort OF per-
sor to win beautiful princess for MS priue.
Poor James. And yet he had his beau'iiu'
princess once. like other men. ,o,.. rsan
Tell me about II. mother. You dont mean
that that prosaic old uncle OF mine was ever III
lover
II do, though: he.was dreadfully in love once.
years and years ago. He used to tell me 40.
about the girl. and how happy he would pe II
only he could win her. though he hardly oareu @
to hope she would ever look at him. neN.n
knew exactly what happened; but he wrote 10
me saying that the thing was nnally az an ehu'
and begging me never to mention Annie ior,. LOTT
mers name to him again And l never nave
done So .. .ooo"
"What pretty name! Was she pretty. too!
81 never saw her replied mother. "but JAMES James
used to say she was lovely: dainty. eNqu,s,1, .,
fairy-ike girl. fragile as bit OF emma. WIN
golden hair and blue eyes and lovely compieA-
ion. She danced beautifully. and was 1usl tne
type to attract James. who had aiways s o.en a, a.
customed to big, strong women tMother Is
quite as tall as am. ana my graho'i'o'"e' wac
even taer) . ..
Poor Uncle James, I said. ut Is funny r,' TO
imagine his caring for anything except PUN
chops and safe Investments ,a
"He cared enough for Annie Lormer fve-and-
twenty years ago. replied mother. ..o
When our Swiss trip was over ana we VIZ
settled at home again, induced mother 10 IN
vite Uncle James and Miss Stubbs TO pay us d
visit at the same time She SAID II was ,h;no an nD
but she sent the invitations. nevertneiess.
Father and mother always let me DO as IKE ,.
and have the things want because am VIZ
only daughter Girls with a shoal or Sisters
don't get nearly as much OF their own way as
do People always think more or an odd cup anu
saucer than Of whole tea set ana YET I so,l,e .ne
times think 1t must be jollier to be one OF TEA
You are too fond Of acting as an amateur
Providence. Madge," mother said; "pu' uo"
.>.S..1 hall.
Mother always says this once about KIND
things she has done every day In the past anu
will do every day In the future; but she seems %
to think that the expression protects her from
the we'll founded charge Of over-ndugence.
So Uncle James and Miss Stubbs came TO sta!
with us. My uncle arrived first; ana as ne sso e
with mother and me in the morning room ne
asked: Is any one else staying with YOU Jane
"Only Miss Stubbs." replied mother; and sne
arrives this afternoon. We met her al Lucerhe'
"Oh. some girl that Madge took great fancy
to. isn't she?"
II took great fancy to her" answered.
hut she isn't girl. She is quite old 49,
what n nuisance" said Uncle James, IN MS
sharp manner Il hate old women. and old
maids especially
soothingly: "she is quiet and unobtrusive that
you'll hardly know she is in the house Then
she smiled slyly at me- and feit my h'a'r'''oh'a'
plans foredoomed to failure.
At that momcnt Miss Stubbs arrived. and
mother and ran into the hall to meet her. She
looked faded and washed-out as ever. ana Gas a.
| followed her and mother into the morning room
| I sighed over the futility OF my wel-meah'
| scheme. ..
hogan James. this is But before she could
| fnish her sentence Uncle James jumped UP and
| seized Miss Stubbs by both hands, CRYING: why,
Annie. you don't mean to say that IL Is YOU coIl
| back to me after all these years. And there
| was look his fsce that the tenderest pork
| chops and the safest investments had never Deen
able to call forth.
Miss Stubbs was quite flushed and trembling
all over And it is really you, James? never
dreamed that should see you again. .,u ,.ou
"Thjs Is Annie Lormer that used TO tell you
about Jane" explained Uncle James, turning 70
mother but still keeping Miss Stubbs's hands IN
his but why earth did you call her MISS
Miss Stubbs answered for mother "They only
knew me az Miss Stubbs. James. When my father
came into that estate which proved such as
! appointment to him he had to give up the name
~ Jorimer and take that OF Stubbs; and ! sup
pose | never mentioned that my name mad once
been Lorimer." ,,, s,
on the romantic situation. and thought how SAD
| II must be to be parted from fine, handsome
| man such as Miss Stubbs had described TO me-
and from golden-haired fairy such as uncIe
| used to talk about to mother; and then 10 meet
| them fve-and twenty years afterward trans
| formed into a fat old bachelor and faded old
| maid But my cup OF amaZement was iuh WIZ"
| heard Uncle James say:
What have YOU been doing to keep yourself so
| Young Annie? You hardly look day older than
| when last YOU.
! And Miss Stubbs replied: you also are scarce
| lv altered a bit, James should have known you
| anywhere. , ,, =.
| COW that Love Is blind Love not only sees beau
t,es and virtues no one else sees but what II has
once seen it sees always 1t is very funny ana IN
| teresting! ,,. ..,,-,.o
| -,ode YOU sav Uncle James was tall when you
| described him 10 me? =,
| because he Is tall. Don you tnlnK your uhcie
| my
| II don't know: he always seemed rather short 10
| me- somehow" stammered. awkwardly.
| Miss Stubbs smiled ITO YOU yes; Dut you are
| SO exceptionally tall. YOU know.
Whereby learned that height is' after all OIL!
| n 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 OLD
| WHY. she is no more old than am
| I felt confused. she seemed rather old 10 me-
| somehow" stammered.
NV uncle smiled ~ ou, yes' pu' you are So az
| surdly young. you know.
| Whereby learned that age also Is a question
| of proportion. AGO.. ,,o
| were married mother said to me: Il think that
| providence helped M managing little girl win
/ her plans this time or..,,oo .oo,, :,
| ont NJ nv hands altogether and finished the busi-
| ress alone and did il a million times better than
| / could have imagined
| Mother smiled
| "yom see" continued my scheme was "a
| bring two rather uninterestng. middle-aged peo-
| ple together and insure A dun ana comiortaple
old age for them: but Providences pan Mas -, ~
| reunite two true lovers who had waited ior each
| other for a quarter Of a century. and MAKE tnehl
young again and happy with the highest sor. OF
| happiness. The ways OF providence are pe.,e' o,
| than our ways after all: aren't they mother?
| "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
said mother. softly.-(The Woman at Home
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OrEEN IICTORIA'S PETS.