Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-10-22
The Force
Of Example.
BY VIOLA RosHBOR0.
1901. by The Century c

-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
MY1T was In the old time, and i
HI was the old story. A mar
s and a maid sat under tree
@Sy q little stream at their feet
and the lush summer all around. Tht
land was wild and beautiful. The cul
tlvated fields to be seen by a bird
above their heads were only little
irregular islands grouped through the
sea of forest. Near the pair-that is
not half q mile away-stood the lar
gest and best farmhouse within many
miles. It had q frame addition built
in front of the older log structure, q
big. rough. grassy yard, and at one side
a garden equally divided between flow.
ers and vegetables.
Two stout danes sat on the back gal.
lery, one knitting, one with folded
hands.
T tell you, Betty" said the idle one.
81 don't give my approval to the way
you're a-lettin Lucindy carry on. That
gal is the talk of the county"
Now, Sist' Emmy" replied the
other In IN aggrieved, long suffering
tone. that's a turrible way to talk.
It's Onjust. The talk Of the county,
she repeated. faring into little un-
usual vigor of utterance. sounds as II
the poor child had done somethin dis
respectable. and goodness knows |
don't know sence when there's a law
in the land that gyirl's got to marry
afore she's ready"
1.-The trouble with that gal" said
Sist' Emmy. "'pears to be that she
won't git married when she Is ready"
1t was the belief Of her relatives that
Mrs. Emmeline Simms persisted In say
ing "gaT for the express purpose of
mortifying and irritating them and
that she particularly loved to 80 desig.
nate Lucinda. Lucinda being the source
of certain Innovations In the family
English.
There she sits out there" said Mrs.
Simms. pointing to the pair visible as
small blots under the distant feathery
walnut tree, "a-lettin that poor fool
spark her and as like as not a-lettin
him pint the day ag'in, and then she'll
60 kick over the traces once more at
the last minute. And. talk about bein
the talk Of the county, do you reckon,
Betsey Ann, that anything is a-goin to
be more talked about on the footstool
than a gal breakin OF her weddin after
they've begun to bake the cake7 Do
you"
"Now, Sist' Emmy" began Lucinda's
mother, exactly as before. "you know
there was mighty Little cake baked.
You'd Jest come and hadn't fairly got
into the fruit cake, and Lucindy never
let 1t get that far afore, and she won't
ag'in, 'cept she's goin through with 1t.
You forgit the feelin's Of gyirl. They
don't alluz know their own minds.
Ethan Simms is only your nephew by
marriage. and Lucindy's your own
blood niece. and my feelin's is hurt,
Sist' Emmy
Betty Ann, don't begin like that.
You know I'm as fond Of Lucindy as II
she was my own child. but you never
did have no government, and do say
that to have all this courtin startin up
ag'in with that eejet-I think the mans
bewitched-when 1t was scan'al enough
to have the weddin broke of after the
invites was OUT Mrs. Simms stop
ped an instant, then escaped the laby-
rinth Of her own sentences by cutting
through directly to the main matter.
'oThe gal ought to be made to drop
him or take him."
Seems Us II it's more Ethan's busi-
ness than y-than anybody else's. and
he pears mighty anxious not to be
dropped, whether he's taken or not"
"Humphl Ethan's plumb eejet-
far be any denyin Of that from me
but Lucindy is full as eager about
keepin him danglin as he Is. and you
don't lift your finger about 1t. don't
know why the Lord sends families to
women with no government. but he
most certainly do"
OF course her own caprices were also
being discussed by Lucinda and her
lover under the walnut tree. Truth to
tell, these caprices had always furnish
ed them with conversational material,
q commodity which otherwise they Of
ten must have lacked.
For four years they had been court
In," and three times a wedding day had
been set. The last time, only three
months before. the usual retreat by
the unstable Lucinda had been delayed.
as we have already learned, until pub
licity and general condemnation were
its well merited portion.
Lucinda now stood under the walnut
tree a lamentably attractive and ap-
pealing figure of culprit. She was
only slip of a thing. though 10 years
were quoted warningly to her. There
were few unmarried girls In the settle
ment so old.
Little. tricksy brown curls had slip.
ped from the bands and knots she tried
90 hard to keep smooth. Her brown
eyes were swimming in tears. which
were falling one by one over brown
cheeks as round as child's. She
knotted her hands in her apron. though
It was her best one and just ironed. as
she said:
81 do care about you, Ethan; you
know do. want to marry you some
time: you know do. But-but don't
seem ready to settle down right OF.
It looks sort Of dreadful-everything
all fixed one way then for the rest Of
your life. flike being a gyirl." On this
last word this frivolous young person
caught her breath and began to sob.
"You wouldn't think that away II
you cared for me-" said the seated
Ethan gloomlly. prudently keeping his
honest. dust colored head turned from
the melting s,cht beside him.
II would, too-oo. A Cyril ain't like Z
man."
Nom; you're right, they amt. II
SAYS In all the books that women is
withoutcn 10 heart and mans destroy
er. That's the 'pinion Of the wise
men,"
1t was sunset before the two could
abandon the delights Of quarreling and
| return to the house. There the stir OF
Oatfing a comnanv sumner made pic
ture of kaleidoscope activity, hall