The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-06-12
had carted away her potatoes, adding

nHo carted away her potatoes, adding
that he was practical gardener.
When she told me this / was sorry
.nat had not more carefully noticed
Ine man. l was a trihe disappointed
tnat she was not to marry some one
III a higher station, for both my hus.
Dano ana | chung to the idea that Mar.
garet was fitted to fill almost any
grade In social life. l asked a number
OF other questions about her betroth.
ed, but she was as reticent about this
as she had been about all matters nor
tanning to herself.
Margaret would not leave mo lin
had tried several persons to take her
place. Finally l found woman who
was fairly satisfactory, and l insisted
on parting with Margaret, for knew
that she wished to spend her time pres
pairing for her wedding. | felt that I
was losing companion rather than a
servant, and she seemed to have form
ed some attachment for me.
LET me know when the wedding Is
to come off," l said.
you will certainly receive an invi-
tation," was her reply.
One morning in June 1t came. 1t
was an engraved note stating that
Mrs. Elihu Sayles would be pleased to
see me at tho wedding of her daughter
Margaret, at the residence of Mr.. VIII
liam Ferguson. There was nothing
about 1t that bespoke the servant. In
deed, there was everything indicating
that the parties concerned were of the
better class
On the day Of the nuptials l drove
up to the house of Mr.. Ferguson, which
found on first class residence street.
Other vehicles were arriving, and those
alighting were In costumes appropriate
to wedding in high life. There were
perhaps fifty guests In all. At noon
the couple took their position before
the officiating clergyman, and in the
groom, attired In Prince Albert coat
and gray trousers, I recognized the
man who had carted away Margaret's
potatoes. The bride was In travelling
costume
After the ceremony / passed the
bride with the throng Of guests, and
her mother, saying that she would like
to make me acquainted with her broth
or, Mr.. Ferguson, took me to him. Ho
beckoned me to follow him to another
room and then and there explained the
mystery Of Margaret and her potato
crop.
III were young man seeking a
helpmate," he said, II should consider
myself most fortunate If l could Sc
cure my niece Margaret. Her father
brought her up In comfort, but prac-
tically. He considered the basis of a
woman's education cookery and sent
his daughter to a cooking school. He
died a few years ago, and she has
since, up to the time she went to you,
made her living by some plan connect
ed with cooking. She became engaged
to the man she has just married a
year ago. He has been studying agri-
culture and has Just been graduated,
but had no funds. Seeing your adver-
tisement, 1t occurred to Margaret that
by accepting a position with you she
might secure the use Of ground with
out cost on which to raise crop. She
sold her potatoes for $500, which is
the capital on which the couple are to
commence married life. Her husband
will become scientific superintendent
Of gentleman's farm at a good sal
ary."
l was introduced to a number of
Margaret's friends and relatives and
found them all persons of refinement.
Furthermore, they all spoke in the.
highest terms of her, not only prais-
ing her for her practical makeup but
especially commenting upon the alb
sence in her of that false pride which
prevents so many persons from accept
ing positions which are calculated to
exclude them from social prestige. She
did not hesitate to take a position
which, though considered servile by
the world, is perfectly honorable and
furnished the key to fortune.
Margaret and her husband made a
second step upward, occupying a cot
tage on the farm he managed, but it
was not long before they had accumu-
lated sufficient capital to buy tract of
land on which they planted fruit trees
and eventually made fortune.
There is nothing to be added to my
story except that Margaret has become
one Of my most valued friends.