The Van Buren press., 1897-03-13

reople always think more Of an odd cup
md saucer than of whole tea set; and
vet sometimes think il must be jol-
lier To be one of a teaset after all
you are too fond Of acting as an
npntenr Providence. Madge.' mother
said; s.but don't mind helping yon this
once"
Mother always says 'this ohee' about
kind things she has done every day in
The past and win do every day in the
future. but she seems to think that
the expression protects her from the
well-founded charge Of over-indui-
gence
So rneIe J ames and Miss stubhs came
10 stay with US Ny uncle arrived first;
and as he sat with mother and me in
the morning room. heaskea: lsanyone
else staying with you, Jane2"
Only Miss Stubbs," replied mother;
'and she arrives this afternoon. We met
her at Lueerhe. YOU know
oh some girl that Madge took
great fancy to isn't she2s
II took a great fancy to her" an
swered; "but she isn't a girl She is
quite old
What nuisaneei" said Uncle
James. in his sharp manner Il hate old
women. and old maids, especially"
you won't hate her, James" said
mother, soothingly; she is so quiet
and unebtfusiYe that you'll hardly know
she is in the house, Then she smiled
slyly at me, and felt my matrimonial
plans foreaoemed 10 failure
At that moment Miss stnbbs arrived.
and mother and ran into the hall 10
Ineet her She looked as faded and
washed-odt as ever, and as I followed
her and mother into the morhisg-room
I sighed over the futility of my we'll
meant scheme.
let me Introduce my brother to yoa,p
mother began James, this is--9 But
before she conld finish her sentence
Uncle James jumped upand seized Miss
Stubbs by both hands, crying. .sWhy,
Anniei You don't mean to say that
it is You, come back to me after all
these years?" And there was lock
on his face that the tendefest pork
chops and the safest investments had
never been able to call forth
Miss stubbs was quite flushed, and
trembling all over. and it is really
you James? l never dreamed that
should see you again"
This is Annie Loritner that I used to
tell yoa about, Jane" explained Uncle
james, turning to mother, but still
keeping Miss Stubbs' hands in hisj
but why on earth do You call her Miss
stubbs9r
Miss stubbs answered for mother
"1'ney only knew me as Miss Stubbs,
james When my father cameintot that
estate which proved such disappoint
nent to him he had to give up the name
of Ierimer and taie that of Stubbs;
and | supposed never mentioned that
my name had once been Lorimer"
As we all sat al tea together / medi-
tated deeply on the romantic situation
and thought how sad il must be 10 be
ported from fine, handsome man, such
as Miss Stnbbs had described to me,
and from a golden-haired fniry such as
uncle used to talk about TO mother;
ava then to meet them five and twenty
years afterN9ard, Transformed intoa fat
old bachelor and faded old maid But
NV cup Of amazement was full when
heard Uncle james sny;
"What have YOU been doing to keep
,..,lF rr<,,,,.. ..,,,;,,p Va, had
" lool, day older than when I last
saw YOU"
And Miss Stubbs replied. "You also
are scarcely altered a Bit, James
should have known you anywhere
This fairly knocked me over II is
absurd to say that Love is Blind. Love.
not only sees beauties and virtues no
one else sees, but what il has once seen
II sees always II is very funny aud IN
terestingi
The next day I said to Miss Stubbs:
Whatever made sou say Uncle James
was tall when you described him to
me9"
"Becanse he il tall Don't you thinl,
your uncle is very fine man, my dear2"
ST don't know; he always seemed
rather short to me, somehow / stam-
hicred, awltwardly
Miss Stubbs smiled. "To YOU, yes;
but you are so exceptionally tall, you
kncw''
Whereby 7 learned chat height is,
after all, only a question Of proper
ton
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"
felt confused "She seemed rather
old to me, somehow" stammered.
Ny uncle smiled. "Yon, yes; but YOU
are so absurdly young. you know"
Whereby learned that age also is
a question OF proportion.
On the day that Uncle James and
Aunt Annie were married mother snid
to me: II think that Proyidence helped
my managing litile girl with hcr plans
This timef
"No, mother i answered. "Provi-
dence took it out Of MY hands altoeeth-
err and finished the business alone. and
did il a million times better than !
could have imagined"
Mother smiled
You see" 7 continued, "ny scheme
was 10 bring two rather uninteresfing
nliddle-aged people together and insure
a duh and comfortable old age for them,
but Providnce's plan was to mite two
true lovers who had waited for each
other for a quarter OF q century and
make them youne again ard happy
with the highest sort Of happiness
The ways Of Providence are better thar