Year: 1871

| Hei pultti, at tue last cattle SHOW, and she


makes all her own gowns and bonnets'


They look so' said !, spitefully, for


Miss AIthea always did bring my bitter
streak to the surface,


Looks amt everything Sylvie, though
It's done a good deal for your family. The


f'rdzars always look out forwives that can
turn of good days work. Steven might
have been kind o sentimental when he


was young, say sixteen or thereabouts but
he comes of timber that hardens rs il
grows old. If you could get him, Sylvie,
you'd do better than all your sisters"
" hope you won't put any such notions
into her head till after house-c cleaning, -
said mother, with one of her low, billowy
laughs, wf'Nh always exasperatcd Miss
Althea. ever showed more than four
teeth i'll a ny smile


No need to Pat EN- In; they're in the
grain with all your girls; but IN a-wastin'
| of precious time. I sas~ly fun over log d
minute while them pillow cases was on my
mind"


Don't be in haste; your cat won't be
lonely" | said, with pretty sarcasm
worthy OF Miss Althea herself! | was
ashamed of it before her scantskirts were
out of the doorway.


You have too much patience with her :;
it ceases to be virtue" | said, answering
the reproach in mothers eyes. You
don't even resent the Sights she puts upon
your girls"


That's because she has none of her
| own it's the pity of it that smooths my
feathers when they begin to bristle5" said
mother, gently. I'VE We're girls together,
Althca and |, and you don't know what
manner of woman might have stitiencd
into if had lived on toast and tea all these
| years, and lain awake on winter nights to
hear the wind blow round a lonely house"


Mother" said |, dashing sideways at
the subject which filled my thoughts, do
| you think some women are preordained
from the beginning of the world TO be old
maidsl'


tmay be so, but am sure that no
woman was ever single except by her own
| choice; th re comes to every woman at
least one chance of marriage if she have
the presence of mind TO grasp it.


Marriage! yes, but suppose she wants
love? | am twenty-five, and no one ever
said, | love your


Some things 20 without saying" said
Steven Frazar, appearing suddenly at the
south door, 81 went off and left the eggs
after ALL and so came back for them.
have overheard no treason except Sylvic's
last speech, Does every man have one
chance of marriage, too"


Yea, verify, Steven; one chance of
somebody's loving him for himself, let him
be ever so awkward and disagreeable"


That's good news" said Steven


"Tve half mind to tell you a story
said mother mcditatiyely.


with all my heart; the eggs can wait


You know what a rough busk my
brother Shubael wears to all the world, but
you may never know the warm heart that
he hides under it. He was always like
that from boy, but he used TO suffer from
the most intoIerable hashtulness. He was
in flame if a girl looked at him; if she
spoke, his tongue Glove to the roof of his
mouth. | never pitied anybody so much
in my life. 1t seemed to me that he only
needed to begin to pay attention (as the
phrase Isl to some nice girl in particular to
tind out that there is very little in any
woman to make man afraid of her.


II lay in wait for Shubael's opinions, till
| discovered that he had faint liking for
a girl who was every whit MS bashful as
himself 1t was impossible for either TO
go half way. was foolish enough to take
the girl into my plot, which dazed what
wits she had whenever Shubael went near
her, and and all the more because she
really preferred him to any one else.


worked his courage up to the stick
ing point of asking her to let him 60 home
with her one dark night from a quilting,
and was describing my success TO your
father as we were taking the longest way
home, when Shubacl passed US alone,
walking very fast


Il knew my plan had fallen through
when caught sight Of his whimsical face.
had invented the mildest of formulas for
hin TO use, and he declared that he
marched up to her like a martyr to the
stake, and repeated il without the least
mistake And what do you think she
sad2


:" No, | thank you; I've got rubbcrs


Then Shubael fled, and never drew
breath till he was safe at home.


He laughed till the tears ran down his
face at himself and her, but from that day
to this, he has let all women severely alone.
If she had had her wits about her that one
night he might have made her happy all
her life, instead of both growing more
rugged and stif-necked till they die, They
had Their chance and lost il"


Did she never have another: asked
Steven, with manly curiosity


Not TO my knowledge. She has lived
alone, with only cat for company, with
SO little business Of her own that she must
perforce mind other peoples, and they
don't like ii"


You must make one exception to your
rule, mother. 1t is impossible that any
one should have ever held out the ghost Of
q char ,e to Miss Althea. She was an old
maid in her cradle


My dear rylvie, it was Althea Pratt,
and no other whose unlncky rubbers made
your Uncle shubael an old bachelor Her
checks were rs pink, and her tongue no
sharper than yours, in those old times
when we were girls together


Come, Steven; take the eggs and 90
your way, and don't entice me to telling
l)ve-stOries at this time in the morning


Mother went into the pantry, and that
same little puff Of wind, or one ike unto
it, shut her in.


felt Stevens eyes like hot sunlight on
my ace, but his voice was "a steady az pos
siJie


/ think | remember asking you ques-
ton half an hour ago, Sylyie.


And have you forgotten my answer


1t would have tren an immense relief
lust then TO have twisted the corner of my
apron, bat ! meant tO he composed and
If I had perishcd in the attempt
50 | kept my hands claspea on the table,
and held hard


You cannot have meant that we have
had no wooinE saw long ago thai you