The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-11-18
One Girl in the World.
And Only One for Mine Host of the CaStine
House. Tom Saunders Tells His Heart Story
to Several of His Guests.

~
old Jed Prouty.
For year or two after Dick Golden
brought out his play with local Bucksport
coloring, several colloquial drummers
cry, sauntered up to Moses as he sat be-
hind the office desk, and sticking out
their hands, said:
''Mr. Prouty, am glad to see YOU"
For answer they received the largest lot
of assorted invective epithets ever deliver
ed in one bundle.
Literally paraphrased, Moses said that
Jed Prouty was beer begotten, low
down, impossible hayseed nightmare, and
Dick Golden was not any part of a man
and should hereafter 90 under the name
of Dora Wiley's husband.
AS far as he was concerned, he had
worked hard to make the Robinson house
decent, respectable hotel, which should
afford congenial entertainment for we'll
dressed, self respecting men; and to make
him responsible for such burlesque upon
good manners was outrage
Gus, SIR
After running on in this style for a
time, Mr. Moses would turn about and
look at the mirror until his visitors went
away.
AS there is no other hotel within IS
miles of his, humorous travellers have
learned that it is not wise to spring the
Jed Prouty idea in Bucksport, and so the
rN1ay Il hon,
in any other village in New England.
If a seeker for truth wants to find any
thing like a counterpart of old Jed in
Maine he must come to the Castine house,
in the village where gentle souled old Tom
Saunders has sat behind the rail for the
past half century, telling stories, retailing
cigars and raking in money with Yam
kee thrift that would have made million
aire in any large city of the world.
As it is, he is a frugal and chaste bach
elor, 50 years of age, and owns thou
sand dollars worth of property for every
year he has lived.
For more than so years people who
knew him best wondered why he had al
ways lived bachelor. He had been ask
ed about it in roundabout way dozens of
times, but never gave any satisfactory
answer. In summer time, when visitors
are here, he is too busy to talk about
himself and as soon as they are gone
checker playing comes in to put stop to
personal "reminiscences.
After half century of wondering the
people did not know a thing more about
old Tom than they did at first, and nearly
everybody put him down as a confirmed
woman Halter, until one evening, about
two weeks ago when the bottom dropped
ont of the W hole secret
Tom was sitting in an armchair beside
the office stove. At his rigl- were the
village doctor, drummer and retired
shipmaster, who had come in to smoke
and play checkers. To the left were
travelling agent for something and the
writer over near the window a girl was
trimming the evening lamps and getting
ready to light VI.
Outside the red eyed sun was putting
himself to bed in Il lot of fiery blankets
Tom had just hired d new boy about the
hotel who served i'll double capacity OF
'front.' and ''boots.' This boy Jun was
lately imported from Penobscot which is
not summer resort town, and therefore
not accustomed to any tunes younger than
those found IN Gospel hymns, No. 6.
As Jim was musical, he soon picked up
several melodies which haG come down
about the house singing them at all times
This night, while old Tom and his guests
held a Quaker meeting around the stove,
jim came from the stable roarin out.
There is only one girl in the world for NEE
Only one girl has my symna-thee.
Tom took his hands from his face and
listened, cooking his old ear to one side
like a chickadee.
True. true, every word of it," said
Tom, as the boy helped to place the lamps
in their brackets and sang louder than
ever.
What's true?' asked the doctor.
What Jim is asinging. Queer, ain
it, how things come up?"
wv hat has come up to you now?''
Nothing. | was thinking how strange
things come about in the word-that's
all. I've been saying what that song says
nearly all my life, and [ didn't know a
word of it until this summer 1t seems
as If the whole song was mine-belonged
TO me; it fits my case so well. | was in
love once myself
No? l never heard of it, though they
said you had secret somewhere. Tell
us about it.
"There S DO secret to it at all, lust
plain facts, which ! amt ashamed Of Ii
- WIN Wv Joui ''IS S'oN W huOW VIAL Il
blamed fool I've been L as soon tell as
not
OF course, everybody said it would do
good, and when the old man had been
persuaded for time he put his elbow on
the arm of his chair and said:
81 liked the girls as we'll as any of the
young fellows in my day. There was one
Carrie Marks, who lived over on the
road to Blue Hill-that | knew | loved.
and felt pretty sure she loved me, too. I
was 20 years old, and poor. She was
about my age and her folks were pretty
we'll to do.
IF we got married then she would have
to work hard, SO l said to myself |
would keep lookout for her and not ask
her to marry me until was worth s., 900.
Pretty soon had an offer to go to South
Carolina and get out hard pine ship tim
Der.
st was good job so | went, | stayed
there two years and made nearly SO, COO
When reached Castine with my money
did not stop anywhere, but hired horse
and drove over to see my girl At the
house they told me her father aud mother
had died and she had married au Orland
farmer.
''Tbat was p city tough, but after think
nj I said ypn1,ll 1n Il r