The Republican journal., 1902-12-04
LOvEY MARY.

The Heroine of the New Story by the Author
of MRS. Wigs of the Cabbage Patch"
Following are the opening passages OF
Miss Alice Caldwell Hegans new story,
which begins in the December Century.
The first chapters carry Lovey Mary to
the Cabbage Patch, where the action OF
the story is chiefly laid.
Everything about Lovey Mary was
contradiction, from her hands and feet,
which seemed to have been meant for
big girl, to her high ideals and aspira-
tions, that ought to have belonged to
an amiable one. The only ingredient
which might have reconciled all the
conflicting elements in her chaotic little
bosom was one which no one had ever
taken the trouble to supply.
When Miss Bell, the matron of the
home, came to receive Lovey Mary's
confession of repentance, she found
her at an upstairs window making hid
eous faces and kicking the furniture.
The depth OF her repentance could al
ways be gagged by the violence of her
conduct Miss Bell looked at her as
she would have looked at one of the
hieroglyphs on the Obelisk. She had
been trying to decipher her for thirteen
years.
Miss Bell was stout and prim, COM
bination which was surely never in
tended by nature. Her gray dress and
tight linen collar and cuffs gave the I'M
comfortable impression of being sewed
on, while her rigid black water-waves
seemed irrevocably painted upon her
high forehead. She was a routinist;
she.believed in system, she believed in
order, and she believed that godliessn
was akin to cleanliness. When she
found an exception to a rule she regard
ed the exception in the light of an
error. AS she Stood brush in hand, be-
fore Lovey Mary, she thought for the
hundredth time that the child was an
exception
"Stand up" she said firmly but not
unkindly. 81 thought you had too
much sense to do your hair that way.
Come back to the bathroom, and will
| arrange it properly.
Lovey Mary gave farewell kick at
the wall before she followed Miss Bell.
, One side of her head was covered
with tight black ringlets, and the other
! bristled with curl-papers.
''When l was a little GIRL" said Miss
Bell, running the wet comb ruthlessly
, through the treasured curls, ''the
smoother my hair was the better | lik
ed it. | used to brush it down with
soap and water to make it stay
Lovey Mary looked at the water
waves and sighed.
eff you're ugly you never can get
married with anybody, can you, Miss
| inquiry.
Miss Bells back became sitter, if
! possible, than before.
world. The homelier you are the better
chance you have of being good. Now
the Lord meant you to be plain
sisting Providence by drawing the
braids SO tight that the girls eyebrows
were elevated with the strain. eff he
had meant YOU to have curls he would
| have given them to YOU
well, didn't he want me to have a
| mother and father" burst forth Lovey
Mary, Indignantly, cor clothes, or mon
ey, or nothing? Can't ever get nothing
at all cause l wasn't started out with
nothing?"
Miss Bell was too shocked to reply.
| She gave final brush to the sleek, wet
| head and turned sorrowfully away.
LOvey Mary ran after her and caught
her hand.
'I'm sorry, she cried impulsively. 81
J want to be good. Please-please-"
| Miss Bell drew her hand away coldly.
-"You needn't 60 to Sunday school this
morning." she said in an injured tone.
| "You can stay here and think over what
you have said. l am not angry with
you. | never allow myself to get angry.
don't understand, that's all, You are
such a good girl about some things and
so unreasonable about others With a
good home, good clothes, and kind treat
ment, what else could girl want?"
Receiving no answer to this inquiry,
| Miss Bell adj listed her cuffs and depart
ed with the conviction that she had
| done all that was possible to throw light
upon dark subject.
| Lovey Mary, left alone, shed bitter
tears on her clean bingham dress. Thir-
teen years ought to reconcile a person
even to Bingham dresses with white
china buttons down the back, and round
straw hats bought at wholesale. But
Lovey Mary's rebellion of spirit was
something that time only served to in
crease. 1t had started with Kate Rider,
who used to pinch her, and laugh at
her and tell the other girls to get on to
her curves" Curves had signifed
! something dreadful to Lovey Mary, she
would have experienced real relief could
l q 1yv0 hat c1o rlnC