Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-24
LITERARY.
A MODERN CINDERELLA.

der OF my physician, that | received
Jack Morgans wedding invitation. To
say was astonished could hardly ex-
press it. for it was only six months
previous that had left Jack apparent
| ly confirmed bachelor of thirty five,
with a half-cOncealed contempt for
wOman.j Not that he was not human
enough to admire their loneliness, but
| beyond that he gave them little credit
| for brain, or, as he said, IF they pos
sessed that desirable article, they were
sure to lack the quality commonsense"
| When he was boy going on to man.
| hood he had more love affairs. or cases
as we called them in boys vernacular
| than any one l ever knew-danced and
| f!rted and made love; but by the time
he was twenty five he seemed all at
once to have outgrown all proclivities
in that direction. Whether it was be-
cause pretty and lively Nellie Chase,
| whom he used to take out a good deal
had suddenly surprised everyone by
marrying a man whose mental capacity
seemed limited, except in the art of
dressing WELL and thereby, to Jacks
mind showed want of sense in not pre-
ferring himself, do not know. 1t may
have been only a coincidence, but from
| that time women seemed to have lost
| their fascination for him.
| So for a few minutes / was speech
less, after l had read that Mr.. and
| Mrs. Burton l.. Craig requested my
presence at the marriage of their
daughter, Marie Louise, to Mr.. Jack
| Winthrop Morgan" Immediately be-
gan to conjecture what kind of a girl
Marie Louise was. Was she pretty?
Yes. she must be, for Jack was very
partial TO beauty in everything, taste
he had inherited from his grandfather,
| who had been an artist Was she
brainy? Well. | couldn't decide that
point And did she have commonsense :?
There felt positive. But finally gave
it up, this picturing other peoples
brides, and strolled out to call on a
charming little patriot of mine who
was sojourning at a nearby hotel,
thinking on the way that perhaps
Jacks example might be we'll to fol-
low. But this isn't my story
i When / returned to America a few
months later, one of the first persons
who came into my office to welcome
me was Jack. He looked like another
man from the one l had said good bye
to- His face had lost the blase, bored
look it bad, and the thoughtful gray
eyes actually had twinkle in them.
We grasped hands and greeted one an
other warmly. | said: Never was SO
surprised. Jack; do tell me how it hap
pened. and I've brought you trifie in
memory of the event, something |
picked up in Italy
Just then he glanced up at the clock
and said hurriedly, You know I'm liv-
ing in the suburbs now, in M; only
d minute to catch my train. Come out
, and dine with US. See-today' S
, Wednesday-well say Friday, at six.
Goodbye"
| had silent laugh to myself as I
thought of Jack hurrying to catch a
/ train in order to be in time for dinner.
, In his bachelor days, with an over-in-
dulgent mother and sister, he took his
time and If he came in two hours late
a hot repast would always be waiting
for him. No word of reproach, but
only smiles, as if they were thankful he
had returned at all.
. When arrived in Nj found Jack
waiting for me with pretty little dog
cart. to which was harnessed smart
little cob. We were soon bowling over
the well-kept country roads.
I'VE live near" said Jack, land as
we have a few minutes to spare, will
show you a little bit of country.
After a pleasant drive through the
refreshing air, we finally drew up at a
house. the lower part of which was
made of light bricks, while the upper
part was of shingles painted green.
Part way around it ran a broad piazza,
which to my mind, alone suggests hos
pitality. The house stood in the mid
die of a well-kept lawn, part of which
gently rolled. The roses were in full
bloom for it was June Altogether the
whole suggested an ideal place for two
people to begin the world together in.
A boy relieved my friend of the horse.
AS we walked up the path and ascend
ed the piazza, a graceful figure in some
kind of a blue gown came forward and
Jack said. Marie, this is my old friend,
Dick Richards
Mrs. Morgan held out her hand and
welcomed me cordially. We sat on the
veranda for awhile until dinner was
announced. Contrary to my expecta
tions, Mrs. Morgan was not handsome
woman until she talked or smiled
Then she showed an even row of white
teeth. and her whole face seemed to
change. That is the way it is; some
people the golden art of silence suits
while others need the silver of speech
to bring out their charms She was
above medium height, and yet not too
tall. Jack was so tall himself that she
looked very well standing beside him.
She was well built. with a suggestion
of strength, without losing any FEM
ininity. The pose of her head on, her
shoulders was delightful, shown more
to advantage by the square, open cut
neck of the gown she wore.
Dinner was all that could be desired.
Before it was over | had found out my
friends wife was both brainy and
witty, as her repartee showed. and l
concluded Jack certainly had won a
treasure. My curiosity was up to learn
where he had found her from among
so many.
L After dinner we strolled over the
| grounds lingering among the rose
bushes. inhaling their sweet perfume,
until the twilight came. Then we re-
turned to the piazza, ana as the even