Year: 1868

merriment Hsa tE


Stage-struck evidently, though where
she picked up the iifth-cut actress man.
ner remains to be seen.p a.-w 9f q


The professional part of his visit over,
the doctor stayed for chat. We were
warmly discussing the news of the day,
when-whew the door flew open, and
in stalked Mary, and announced, with a
swing of her arm v4
The butcher, madam - .rf


saw the doctors eyes twinkle, but
he began to write in his memorandum.
book with intense gravity. dmb


"Well, Mary" l said, she is not wait
ing?"


"The dinner waits p she replied
"Shall prepare the viands as my own
Judgment shall direct, or will your in
clination dictate to me-" u.l


"Cook them as you will, but have a
good dinner for Mr.. Harvey at two
O'clock


Between the strokes twill wait his
appetite" And with another sweeping
courtesy she left the room, the door, as
usual after her exit, standing wide open.


She was as good as her word. With
out any orders from me, she took it for
granted that Harry would dine up stairs,
and set the table in my room. was be-
ginning to let my keen sense of the lu-
dicrous triumph over pain and WEAKNESS
and | watched her, strangling the laugh
till she was down stairs. To see her
stab the potatoes and behead the celery
was perfect treat, and the air of mar
tyr preparing poison, with which she
poured out the water, was perfect Har-
ry was evidently prepared for fun, for he
watched her as keenly as l did.


Not one mouthful would she bring to
me, till she had made it as dainty as
could be; MASKING my potatoes with the
movement of saint crushing vipers,
"ie puelSlihS my piCdu III " Iiduber
that fairly transformed the knife into a
dagger. Yet the moment she brought it
to me, all the affectation dropped, and
no mother could have been more natural
ly tender. Evidently, with all her non
sense, she was kind-hearted.


It took but one day to find we had So
cured perfect treasure. Her cooking
was exquisite enough for the palate of
an epicure; she was neat to a nicely, and
| soon found her punctual and trustwor-
thy. Her attentions to myself were
touching in their watchful kindness
Sometimes, when the pain was very Sc
we're, and | could only lie suffering and
helpless, her large hands would smooth
my hair softly, and her voice became al
most musical in its low murmurings of
i" Poor child! poor little child p l think
her large, strong frame, and conscious
ness of physical superiority to me in my
tiny frame and helpless state reused all
the motherly tenderness in her nature,
and she lavished it upon me freely.


| often questioned her about her for
mer places, and discovered to my utter
amazement that she never was in thea
ter, never saw or read play, and was
entirely innocent of novel reading.


| had become SO used to her manner
and no longer feared she was insane,
when one evening my gravity gave way
utterly, and for the first time | laughed
in her face. She had been arranging
my bed and self for the night, and was
just leaving the room, holding in one
hand an empty pitcher, and in the other
my wrapper. Suddenly drunken man
in the street called out, with yell that
really was startling, though by no means
mysterious. Like flash, Mary struck
an attitude. One foot advanced, her
body thrown slightly forward, the pitch
er held out, and the wrapper waved
aloft, she cried out in a voice of perfect
terror


"Gracious heavings! What hideous
screams is those ?" lasH re l5


Gravity was gone. l fairly screamed
with laughter, and her motionless atti-
tude and wondering face only increased
the fun.


$50 down, Mary, or you will kill mel"
gasped at last. p e


To see her brandish dust brush
would strike terror to the heart of the
most daring spider; and no words of
mine can describe the frantic energy
with which she punches pillows, or the
grim satisfaction on her face at the ex-
piring agonies of y spot of dirt she rubs
out of existence. The funniest part of
all is her perfect tunconsciousness of doing
anything out of the way.


Harry found out the explanation
She had lived for ten years with re-
tired actress and actor, who wished to
bury the knowledge of their past life,
and who never mentioned the stage. Re
tanning in private life the attitudes and


II L 4