Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-01-07
CHAPTER TX.

night In tie SOCIAL Circle vi tilt
MorningStars. and Ollie. dressed
L In her best furbelows. was seated
In the front room, which was never
opened except on the Sabbath. Ollie
was awaiting the arrival OF her fol
lower" She was looking very com
placent as she rocked herself III th;:
big, stuffed rocking chair. She had
been slower than most Of the girls IN
the neighborhood in attracting Il
suitor. and now that young man OF
means who owned his own farm clear
had begun to wait u'on her with sig
nifcant regularity every Sunday night
she was feeling encouraged.
Eunice was seated near her at one o!
the windows. IN open Bible OH heI
lap.
She was not like Ollie. dressed in
her Sunday clothes. The truth was
Eunice did not have any Sunda!
clothes. But the fresh giEShan
kitchen gown of dark blue which she
wore. with bit of cheap lace aroan"
her neck. threw out the fairness o;
her face and hair and did for her what
all Olie's finery could not do for that
young woman's fat, round visage.
A few feet away. in the open door
way leading out to the porch. DR.. Kin
ross sat smoking pipe and reading Il
Sunday paper. Unlike Mr.. Morning
star and Abe, he did not celebrate the
day of rest by sitting about In toilet
consisting Of Sunday pants. white
shirt without a collar and no vest or
coat He wore his overalls as usual.
His reading of his newspaper was
varied with speculations as to VIII!
Eunice SO industrially read the Bible.
Was she devout? He had always be
lieved that he had constitutional dis
like of devOIt people-unless they
were Roman Catholics. in which case
they were rather picturesque. But
evangelical devoutness. even IN the
illiterate. from whom one expected no
better, was generally nauseating. Or
was 1t the girls mental hunger which
led her to read the only book per-
mitted on the Sabbath to any one over
whom Mr.. Morningstar had any au-
thority?
Ollie MorningStar was regarding
with pride the furnishings of the best
front room. Her parlOr boosted OF
some elegancies that no other parlor
in the township possessed, for besides
the inevitable plaster OF paris cat
and crazy jug (the latter consisting Of
q large sized bottle covered with putty
and succeed with various objects
such as buttons. beans. pieces Of glass,
and so forth. and the whole gilded
over to produce a wonderful effect
there was the large. elegant colored
picture-Swift & Co.'s advertisement
of lard-portraying two great, fat,
oval hogs leaning drowsily against a
fence, with lurid sunset in the back
ground. Ollie thought 1t lovely
though Of course not so beautiful as
"Rock Of Ages" framed in red plush
and gilt, representing a young lady
in q nightgown hanging to cross,
the angry pillows dashing against the
rocks on which she kneels and her
long and remarkably abundant hair
flowing in ripples far down her back.
These things were among the compen-
sations Of Ollie's sordid lot.
Presently her complacent expectation
and the reading of Kinross and Eunice
were interrupted by Georgiana and
Daisy, who strolled into the parlor
and seated themselves, Daisy on the
front doorstep near Peter and Geor-
glana on the window sill beside Eu-
nice. Georgiana carried over her arm
the skirt and waist Of pretty white
gown. She and Daisy. having held
counsel and reasoned that the girl
Eunice must feel her shabbiness in
contrast with Ollie's gorgeousness. had
decided to Offer her few of their
own garments. beginning with this
white dress of Georgiana's.
at may serve to develop the girls
latent aesthetic sense to give her some
pretty Clothes" Georgiana had sug-
sested Tasteful clothing is often
really educative."
"Yes." Daisy had gravely agreed
sand can Imagine that Eunlce might
look awfully fetching If she sported
up. But" she added rather fretfully.
81 suppose she feels there isn't any In
ducement to sport up out herewith
not man about the place that isn't
as woozy-excuse me. GeOrgiana-but
that Eunice Is too NICE looking to care
for Abe. Have you noticed how stuck
on her he is? She'd be an awful goose
to throw herself away-as nice looking