Year: 1874

l.
my explaining how it happened, that
I, who when born had expectations of
quite fair fortune, should have found
myself, when womanhoo6 came, OBJ
liged to earn my daily bread But so
it was; and in one of the large sewing
machine emporiums mo matter which
one) of leading American city, held
a position as teacher for several years.


My duties were very monotonous;
but L used to extract Il considerable
amount of interest and amusement,
while engaged in giving instruction,
from learning the shistories-and they
were very varied-of my scholars. If
the proverbial cup of tea unlocks the
female tongue, l found that lesson
on the machine, an initiation into the
mysteries of setting a needle, winding
bobbin, and regulating Il tension
were even more conducive to commu-
nication. l do not wish to appear
egotistical but I must confess to
quite power which I seemed to
possess of gaining the confidence of
my pupils, through my habit of taking
an interest in them; also that L was
very fond of an "ower true tale;n per-
haps some malicious critic would call
my propensity by 10 higher name
than female curiosity.


Even now, though time has brought
its changes to me, and | no longer
haunt the old familiar places, often
find myself recalling one and another
among the many romances and stories
in which l figured as an interested
and sympathetic listener, and occa-
sionally an unsupported actor.


The present recollection always
hnn nly 70 nf hn icf
time; and therefore when the season
rolls around again, with it merriment
and cheer, its mistletoe and holly, its
written and unwr!tten tragedies and
comedies of life, feel like recounting
it to others.


The position Of instructress brought
me almost entirely in contact with my
own sex. Sometimes | had male
pupil-One of mildly mechanical
turn, who would wish to become fa-
miliar with the machine, so as to be
able to assist some wife or sister; but
the instructiOn-rOOm, as a rule, was
usually quite free from frequent visits
of the Sterner sex.


During the Fall of special year I
became conscious, however, that q
certain Mr.. Harry Lee, q gentleman
whom / knew to be an intimate ac-
quaintance of one of my employers,
and whose face was quite well known
to all i'm the establishment, began to
occasionally drop into my department
and look on during instruction hours.
He was very pleasant and gentleman
ly in his manners, and gave as excuse
for the interest he took, that he was a
born Yankee and therefore very fond
of inventions.


Although there were other teachers
I discovered that he fingered most fire.
quently in my vicinity, and seemed
more interested in my conversation
than that of my companions. L was
young at the time, and no doubt had
the usual desire of my sext to please.
felt fiattered, perhaps, at his respect
full attention, and took particular
pains to make my observations on
"What I knew about sewing ma
chimes" as intelligent as my limited
powers permitted. He soon became a
FREQUENT visitor, and sometimes when
business was dull would linger and
converse on other subjects besides the
technicality of the trade. l found that
he was we'll educated, had travelled
considerably in his own country, and
knew, as they say, "men and things"
His intimate friendship with one of
the firm prevented any remarks as to
| the frequency of his visits; and he
made the additional apology for pOssi-
BILE intrusion, that he was very much
at his leisure, and sometimes thought
of connecting himself with the busi-
| ness. | must admit that [ was quite
| interested in him, and felt pleased
when sometimes he would bring me
some favorite book about which we
| had conversed and exchanged views,
or ask my opinion on some magazine
article that was engrossing public at
tention. l had never given thought
to his relations in life-whether he
was married or single; he had simply
been to me pleasant episode among
my daily labors; and the flash Of his
blue eyes and his frank smile, when
saluting me, / at first considered as
merely among the other usual Incl
dents of my daily life.


1t was during a somewhat extended
conversation, one day, some weeks
after our first acquaintance, that the
thought flashed across my mind that
he had seen trouble and was unhappy
in connection with his affections. His
opinions of the female sex, | discov'
cred upon probing him "a little, were
not very enthusiastic or rOse-cOlored
Sometimes, when speaking of mar
riage and its relations, thought his
remarks rather cynical and bitter
and once he criticised some of my
young and fashionable pupils very Sc
| varalU caon1inm IN haVa n VarV moo