AND THE WILDERNESS BLOSSOMED 



a comfortable living caring for the finger-nails of 

 many a fair woman. Calling one day on a client 

 whose father had lately died, she heard a member 

 of the family ask, " What shall we do with this 

 piece of bombazine ? " it having done its solemn 

 duty, hanging by the front door. 



" Oh, do give it to me ! " said Mary. 



" Mercy, child, what would you do with it ? " 



" Oh, I '11 find some use for it," answered 

 Mary, evasively. 



She got it, and taking advantage of a similar 

 opportunity later, from the two she made a most 

 attractive black petticoat, and now goes about her 

 work serenely with those mourning emblems 

 draped about her slim figure. Mary is not a 

 Maine woman, but she could give a Yankee girl 

 points on economy. 



Maine for half a century past has had a 

 series of laws, of constantly increasing severity, 

 prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors within 

 her borders. Yet I have travelled from New 

 Orleans to northern Maine within the space of a 

 few weeks and never saw an intoxicated man 

 until I got north of Portland. I do not know 

 that I ever passed north of Portland without see- 

 ing at least one passenger much the worse for 



38 



