The Wingham Times, 1885-06-12, Page 6MISS PENELOPE, S
TEM* TIMES, FRIDAY JUNE' 1
one else did, even Ore Sherbuune, you must have had other suitors be- ever oared enough for rite to ask me to Dr, Sherburne to marry that old meld,
althangh lie liked the old-fashioned tore me, and t - am plain. and old° marry him, so I know nothing about when he might hove had better for
' ow.era of love aclairea but 14o know that your the asking 7' •
name best, and always thought oilier fashioned, not gifted. Svith fl
bit, Her mother had died ears peech, but I shall consider myself .letter has. made me very happy, and But Dr Joel kee shies' stet, and ie.
- y y a moat happy and tortunate, roan it that if it should be the will of Provi;p
Dr. Hardy was Mies Penelope's before, and her father was in Oalifor- you will oonsent to be my Wife, dance, I will try to make you a good. trite content. He frequeutl'y says,
father, and Miss Penelope wee aunt to nia making money, sothe girl spent Yours .sincerely, r wife. But 1 weuld like you to con, with a merry .twinkle in tae eyee.
Jam SuEBBumee, aider all. the obstacles, and do nothing 'There is a divinity that shapes our
Penelope Hardy, Jr,. They had lived her summers with her mother's peo: P. S. Please let me hear from YOU rash, or that you might regret one of ends, rough 'hew them bow we wilt.''
nearly all their lives in the same old-. plea: and her summers. at the. old homethose days.
as soon as possible, ' 'Twee a lucky day for rue, Penny,
fashioned house, and Miss ;Penelope P gasped PExEr.ors Balmy, when that letter o£ acme msec lied yah,'
lied never been away 'rein it for one. 'Whew I' whistled the, doctor, site .A;ud at l Joel aecopte the empire
night evert,. Thera hadbeen a large ting upright in his chair. 'Here's a mens, ble ii. Jib, aaecep a th as lea
family of them, and as all the others deuce of a mesa ! tasked Penelope, ppy
were uicker and more self-assertive Sl b d f ' d nd Pen.el'o .e, Sr: has accepted over it as ti sue lied Hover heaaxi the
q whom the i a�ttghty peddler's Jr.,, p mimetic before.--[ee, tiara Yecton in
than Miss Penelope, somehow she had Sl 1 d loryged old 1 a b l g 1 t .me. 1' Demorest's ..)tenthly,
always been put aside and bnrdeue flu read it over again s'owly, then _
laid upon her small shoulders in a. 1 h walked over to the mantlepiece, took V1W1iAT CARDINAL' MANNING
manner that might have broken down
his pipe t u� of nis pocket, and lcnoak- ,
a stronger spiri'e; but she never ] d t 1 a d ing the ashes, out of it,proceeded to SAYS ABOUT THE QUESTIDN
thought about it at first,. and when 'wasteful be��it3nings aa'1 such lame and hung over her sliest of drawers, hand fill it stuffing the tobacco well down OF THE DAY.
stead,
She was a happy, winsome young
thiag, and brightened up the old
house wonderfully. She and lir. woman of our childhood's days upon
ter nine. made friends atonce. t trick 1 ad
She p aye on the three ,; suet bewildering effect, She 'a mos..
Mane, and the doctor suddenly cis: asked, 'Am 1-1?' Her mind was in
coveredthat a couldaecompeny her chaotic confusion. She walked over
on the violin. Such fun as they had eo the small, blurred looking -glass that
over their duets, ,sue r vigorous n
e stood there looking intently at e r
self..
Miss Penelope as ed and laid
down the letter. Her state of mind
slosh resembled that of the little
at last s'lie didwake up to the fact, squeaky endings. They were even
the mother had been laid to rest in daring enough to attempt De Berio..
the quaint old churchyard, the broth. Dr. Joel dropped in quite often
era and sisters had all marriedor now, and a olose observer would have
gone out into the v orld, and her own noticed that he wore his Sunday
youth was gone. Only the doctor and clothes almnst every evening, was
Mise, Penelope remained — lie peculiar _ much more particular in his 'general
and somewhat of a martinet ; she,.
with a simple, self-sacrificing nature
and a strict New England conscience
welch always kept her keenlysensible
of her own short -comings.
• At last the acctor grew too' feeble
to practice any longer, and after som's
demur, sold out to Dr Joel Sherburne,
a shrewd, energetic Main .° men, who
set up his shingle a little way off; and
soon extended the business as much
appearance, and always • had some
thing to tell Penelope, Jr., in which
that wiley little .maiden appeared to
be deeply interested. These days
Penelope, Sr., did not arpear as cheer:
ful as usual She found herselt sigh-
ing and feeling very lonely at times,
and those times, strange to say, were
generally when Pansy and Dr. Joel
were prectsiing duets together,, or
.reading out of the same book, or
agaiu as when he got [it, ` He• was talking oyer mutual experiences, in
cheerful as well as skillful (two esen the outside wo:.1d. It did not o cur
tials to a popular physician), keeping to her to blame either of them, in
well up with the times, and peeple
were quick to find it out. Still' he
conld net -afford to despise Dr. Hardy's
many years of experience, and was
very glat,d sometimes to esti the old
man's advice, which gratified him, and
consequently pleased. Miss Penelope.
it was such a break in the monotony
of their humdrum lives to have this
big cheery 'man come in and spend an
hour with them, b' inging a breath of
the outer world with him, for his talk
was not always of medicine busy as
lie was, he found, time to read the
magazines. and many a new idea, and
p*easant thought found its way to
Miss Penelope's more than half-starv-
ed brain,
They made a cozy grouparouncl the
open hearth, ftr Drs Hardy was as
fond of a roaring wood, fire as Oharles
Dudley Warner himself, and looked
" upon 'a hole in the floor" as au inven-*
tion of tee Evil One.
The two doctors talked and argued
to their heart's content, while Miss
]Penelope sat on the opposite side of
the hearth, andl.nitted or darned, and
listened. She was Lull of kind!y im-
pulses, and observing that Dr. iher-
burne s driving gloves were out at the
fingers, she timidly offered, one even.
ing, to menet them for him, and did so
while he sat there ; another time, in
some mysterious way, ehe discovered
that there were great holes in his oyer
coat pockets, which also received at.
tention, and gradually the new doctor
began to Have a kindly feeling ,for the
`'nnobstrusive little woman..
]` ow Miss Penelope had never had a
beau, that is,. an out-and-out one.
1tlauy years egos when she was in the
hey -day of her youth, and round and
pleasent to look at; John Millen, the
schoolmaster's son had made one or
two advances. On one occasion he
batci waited at the church door to see
her home, and had made it a point to
t. Ear her half of his book in singing
school., but Miss Penelope hal been too
elly or indiffereut is respond, so finally
Ise Neat away, and she never Beard
anything more of biro. Her life had
'been toe full of cares to give one
tiiouglit to Iove•olr lovemaking, .so she
eeme to be au undeniably old maid
with ,ut ever having been in love.
fact she knew of a little ,episode in
�klxaxire were at this stage when
Penelope,- Jr.. cure home. In a fit
of gratite de for having been nuree4
.1A.1e if he had come twenty years
ago 1 she whispered, shaking her
head sadly at the reflection before her;
'Then I might heve been worththe
having ; now, l am an old woman.
And yet he lo res me, and will consider
himself fortunate if I will be his wife.
He is so strong and kind ! It must
be very pleasant to have somebody to
love one and take .care of one. I
would keep all his things in order and
make him so comfortable. What twill
father say I Will he be willing to let
me go ? ' Oh, mother I have kept ny
trust faithfully all these years ; will it
bo wrong to put this man before my
father 7 Dear Lord, what have I done
to deserve such happiness 7' Falling
on her knees by her bedside, poor
Miss . Penelope Sobbed and, cried a
wail of sorrow for her Lest youth and
Pansy's life which had resulted in the' more than one tear of joy. She knew
pretty ring au her finger, and she her own heart now, and no matter
thought the doctor knew it, and it hoe, things ended, it was a lasting
seemed quite natural that 'ho should comfort te, have been loved by such a
prefer the younger woman's company. good man. ' .Rere,Penelope, Jr.. ap-
She blasted no one, nor thoright of pealed upon the scene,, and hearing
analyzing her own feelings ; she' only the wonderful news told by Miss
knew that she was not as. Cheerful as Penelope with as many blushes as a
usual. girl of 19, clapped her hands and
Ae time 'Wore on the doctor's visits embraced her relative on the spot,
grew more frequent, and he began to declaring that it was no more than
realize, for the first time in his busy she had expected, which last remark
life, that bachelor quarters, were bare greatly surprised the older woman.
and dismal places. Visions of a plea On Dr Shei:burne's table lay two
sant hearth Of his own, and a pleasant letters which he was quick tri spy
face beside the Hearth began to haunt when ho carne in. One was pest=
his wakingmoments, and after lunch marked 'Boston' 'and was from his
cogitation and weighing of pros and sister ; the other was directed in a
cons, Dr, 13herb,irne w'ote a letter. small cramped hand, the capitals care-
It was a work of some time and medi- fully elaborated, as if by one not given
talion, and costa many a sheet of paper to much writing. Neither . of there
before it was completed ; then, a . seemed to be what be expeoted, so he
patient unexpectedly stepping into read his sister's first. The end of ic•.
the office, it was hurriedly addressed ran thus
to ";Miss Penelope Hardy," and dis- •'])o. you know anybody in than very
patched.. far -away village of yours by the name
During the day it was received, of Pansy Hardy? I happened to know
Pansy took it in, and reading the (in confidence of course) that she is
snipe- seription ran lightly up stairs engaged to my partic alar pet, Archie
to Miss Penelope's room with it. Johnstwra. He raves over her to me,
'Here, ,'ties Penelope Hardy,' she and report says her.. paternal relative
cried, gaily holding the letter over her has no end of money. I am dying to
head : 'is a love -letter for yeti. Ohl - know all about her. Do make her
you sly aunty, to be roceiviug letters acquaintance and give meyour candid
from =known (to mc) writers. opinion of ber.
Here, read it, and confess to me or Her pretty ring, 'a friend' to whom
I'll never forgive you.' 5 ie ran laugh- she constantly spoke of writing, and
numberless inci3ents unnoticed at the
time, rushed to bis memory, and a
slow, sickening conviction grew upon
the lonely man teat 'pulls attracts
youth' and that Archie Johnston's
Pansy would never bo his wife. Slow-
ly, aimlessly, he opened" the other
letter, but after the first line or• tete
read rapidly to the end. Miss Pene-
Iope wrote :
ingly aaway, and Miss Penelope was
left alone with her letter. It was
most unusual for her to receive one,
unless from Pansy when she was
away; so she put on her spectacles
and read the address ',carefully before
elle opened it. It was certainly for
her, 'Mies Penelope Hardy," in a bold,
free hand ; all Penelope's letters were
addressed to Pansy. After looking, it
over on all sides, she out off the end
of the envelope with her scissors,and
drew out' the letter, and this it what
she read :• ,
Da' u Miss Pnennoz'it i ---Perhaps
you will be surprised when you read
this letter, 1 hope that you have
guessel long ago how dear you are
to ire, and that you ,may be willing.
to give the guidance of your dear Iife
with his firer; then he lighted it in "You are men of justice, and that
the same deliberate way and returned
DR, Sone SnicneURNI :—I have real
your letter, and must say it was P.
great surprise to me. I never imagin=
ed that you eared so much, or at all,
for me. First of all, I want to tell;
yousonie things that you may -not
know. You speak ofthe difference in
our ages as though it was a great deal.
I may lookyounger than 1 ani, but I
did not think so. 1 am 44, and I
heard you tell father that yott were
in•o myliar cls 49, so you see, there isvery, little
1 kit w there is a difference iti our d"fference.. 1 promised mother when
aces, but not sit great 1 hope that love she dievl, ten years ago, that as long
cannot bridge it over ; I will try my as father lived I would take caro of
t or :ugh a . evore eilnnss,. her. :either best to shield you from every trial and him ; so if you took ' mo you would and she is free to give all her love and 'rasteao,'' '4i asked in a sprightly mane,
hand named her after` Miss Pa.nel.•pe,1 care, and deser se your affections. have to take father too, and net many 1 care to her husband, ',tee n e :le moved towards the piano,.
• I I have prospered ;n business during itnen would Want an old maid for a • : e7 -'ll, sa little,* he ans,vered, 'I am
1 u is the gratitude wore away,it was
corrupted Pansy, "Et silly,� urbi �h the past tsar, and can offer you a very ' wife, and her old father besides; YOU! Laney is h�ar 4ed, acrd cotnes so rte , iht t,a,;al to ;,tic extent cif ' having an
p y' J' 1mfo1bo Jiritne, and yon will ati,l i are also mistaken about m.. _ having hal t times in the a�a,attme, to. virit them eenee mikes, for misting songe,' ',.'here
WIMP" said bet gleeefather, sed lieF 1,0 rie+ar enough to tlu.. bootee:errs to' suitors, I have never had one in toy: with he• children, Fit i, e5v a cleep {gulf between them
-never c::fled her by it, though every lie allde to leek after~ then.. 1 knew . life ; you are the only man that lie,: The gossip e sail, '`,'het ssaeeet e1,l t, net :1 g r 1u bridge.
to his chair. Then he read Mise 1ncludes mercy; and I would ask you
Penelope's le; ter again, several tines, whether you do not now see before
puffing at his pipe and stroking his vour eyes, with a certainty that noth:
beeletthouelitfully• 1 would'not like ing can ludN, that this great trade of
intoxicating drink has been wrecking
to say how many pipes the . doctor end undermining the homes and dos
seaoked that night, or Low many times mostia•Alma of our people? ,'alk to,,
that letter was read, or how many Ise of tyranny, even of the Maine 1awi
times that heard wes stioked, nor is it 1 say openly and boldly,if the present
for me., to lay ba: e his meditations. condition.of England cannot.' be curets.
Enough, fl: at quite early next morn- without a Maine law, a Maine law I.
ing a small boy brought. a note to would have., 1 admit that a Maine,.
Miss Penelope, containing these law may be called an extreme remedye.,
words : unt have 1 not already proved that,
"Theobstaeles and not insurnount- there is an extreme remedy;•bat have
Bible. I shall call to see .you this 1 not already proved that there is an
afternoon. extreme evil, and if temporisiing mea-.
J. S. •
sures will not remedy the evil let lie
This note threw Miss Penelope into have an extreme remedy. I have
a state of nervousness very trying to heard it said by saldiers that a soldier's
Penelope. Jr., though it must be eon: worst enemy is not the be befero
fessed that energetic young person did
it F is a bad boot. A bud boot cripplese
a great deal in a short time --rooted the bravest soldier's foot, and usher hia
objeetions to certain modern impro' a foot has no play for the mottle • and
meats in dress were borne down and• sinew the man. is lame, and ho is no
overruled in a most determined and longer a serviceable ,soldier. What, is.
red-handed fashion, and certainly oxen the condittou of the homes of our
Penelope Hardy, with her hair rolled
loosely at the nape;of her neck instead
of in a tight knot on the top of her
head, with a soft bow of pretty blue
ribbon fastening the simple luieu col-
lar, and relieving the severely made
black dress, and a pink flush (born of
intense excitement) on her cheeks,
and i new light in her timid eyes, was
a much pleasanter person to look at
than Penelope who sat at the hearth
and. darned.
Penelope, Jr., opened the door for
him. 'I am very glad,' she wbispered.
heartily pressing his hand in her eager
girlish fashion. 'I •always thought
you would suit each other.' ,And
before he could find worsts to respond
(that last remark being rather hard
upon him, consicierii,g- the circum-
ptances) led high quickly to the parlor,
and shutiiag the door softly, went
away, ,
• Behold your3:Utysses;1' he said,
with a forced gayety, very foreign to
his usual sell -assured manner. - Bat
as he saw the small, sh •inl.'aig figure,
the thin face Bushed. the handle ronsh-
ened and t faired with many years i;f
willi,:g Is liar for others, twisting each
other nervously, fled thou slit of the
constant•self-siteritice and repression
she had endured so long and, so
patiently, a great wive of pity, very
nigh akin to. Jove, swept over his heists
and be put out both hands: with •a
protecting gesture to meet her's, say-
ing eareestly,.'Let us east .in onr Jots
together, Penelope, and tryo be good
to .one another.'
•
Then Miss Penelope brake down
utterly, end cried great tears of joy
and thankfulness, but this time they
fell upon the shoulder of the doctor's HOB•SEk,4EN, ATTENTIO)S
beat coat, and Penelope, jr, was not:
needed as a comforter. When your horse is galled,, scratch,
This all happened some time ago 'd or cut, or has an ugly sore, bath
r twice daily, and apply McGregor d
and one weuJct etascoy recognize the Parlce'ti" Oarbohe Cerate, It is unn
steid, prim Miss Penelope in the sweet eeni seedy the finest heahng arid,.,
faced, placid little lady who rules Dr eleansing Application for it. Be sure,.
Sherburne'e home. In her new life gots got McGregor' . & Parke's. Sold
people A bad foot- is trifling com-
pared with it."
A BRIDEGROO 1 OF. T,I $;,DAY.
The New York Herald relates a.
dramati eincideni, in real life which
is seldem exceeded in tragic intensity.
by writers of romance. •Piv l ' Leo-
blen and Jennie Loux were married.
Che following morning after Leoblen
had been called to peforiu . work of a
more laborious. character than usual,
he retired to rest.
The bride made enquiries, concern-
ing his whereabouts. V hen told he
was up stairs •sleeping, she ran up
gaily and knocked at the door, There
was no response to her repeated rap-
ping and she pushed the door in.
'Pau., P'aul,eshe cried but there was
no response., _
She entered the room and . num
surprised to find herself in darkness
and oppressed by a strong odor of
gas.
'It is me Paul,' she trial, 'stop
your fooling.'
Still there was no response. The
bride ran over to the bed upon
which her husband lay, and, taking;
Bold of him shook him soundly.
'Got up you lazy fellow,' she said
playfully turning his face to her..,
She placed her lips to his cheek, but
drew quickly back with a cry of terror
His cheeks w:. re cold as death. The
pe .ple in the house, alarmed at the
wife's cries, ran. hastily up stairs with
a light. 'Leoblen was found uncei-
seious, but his body was 'still warm.
A. physician was, called in and restore.
titres were applied at once but all to
no purpose. len minutes after the
wife's discovery her husband of
twenty-four hours a dead man. He
had died from the effects of gas which
had escaped in qunnties from a defile-.
tive gas pipe in the room.
she has expanded and blossomed int° for Vice per box,. at O. Williamts
a ;race and fullness that seemed its• drug store..
possible Dr, Il.arlyibasaasleep, 'Are you at all esthetical in your-_
1