Mary Smith

“ Plain Mary Smith told of what was beneath her loveliness,—and, I'm forced to admit, her side-stepping and buck-jumping, once in a while. Oh, she could cut loose for fair, if stirred, but you could always remember with perfect faith Mary Smith.
It wasn't five minutes after we started talking that Arthur Saxton came along. The girl knew him, and said good morning in that civil, hold-off fashion a good woman uses to a man she thinks may come to liking her too well, or that she may come to like too well, when the facts are against any happy result. ”

“ Mary sat white and still. Sax stood behind her, his fiddle by his side, holding the bow like a sword. He was white and still, too, and looking up to where the moon was going out. Their backs were turned to the devilry that threatened us.
I stepped forward,—easy as possible, and spoke to her.
"You're not looking well, Mary," I said. "Hadn't you better go down?"
That was before my poker days. Playing a four-flush gives a man control of his face and voice. She heard what I wanted to hide at once, being naturally sharp as a needle and tuned high that night. ”

“ Ellesmere smiled. "My eldest sister," said he, "is in love, you know, which is a wonderful defence against any collateral distresses. A young lady, Sir, thus circumstanced, sees no object in the universe but the dear youth. As to Mary, she is too happy about herself just now, to make it reasonable for me to expect her to feel much concern for me. This revolution in the politics of the elder branch of my family, has made a revolution in their economy. Mary is going to London with Lady Sophia. She expects to come down with a lover of immense fortune, if not with a title. ”

“ Clark was not at all pleased with his sister's proposal that they invite Mary Smith to make them a visit.
"It will look to Hapgood as if we thought his story true," he objected, when they suggested the plan the next morning. "I don't believe it is true, even if our Emily did marry a Smith, according to Stanley."
"I don't believe it is, either," answered Miss Maria dreamily. "A great many people marry Smiths."
"They have to; how are they to do anything else?" inquired the old gentleman testily. "There is such a lot of them you can't escape them. ”

“ Miss Mary, younger and more sanguine, was already wearied by the same scene but now the calling out of the militia, the arrival of the only daughter of a rich East Indian on a visit to a neighbouring family, and some other strangers coming among them, together with the return of her second brother from abroad, contributed to animate her spirits, and to reconcile her to another winter passed in the country, while her mother, who began to fear that her eldest daughter might never marry, was very anxious to have Mary appear to the best advantage ”

“ Mary Smith wanders silently and inconspicuously into the drawing-room (it being, as you know summer) and caresses the piano in an expectant manner. John’s views as to the identity of the pearl of womanhood are not shared by another young man who lives not very far off. This other young man has no doubt whatever that the pearl of womanhood is precisely Mary Smith (an idea which had never entered John’s head) ; and he comes to see Mary every night, with the permission of her parents. ”

“ Mary Smith, AN ANTI-SLAVERY REMINISCENCE.
Some years ago a free colored woman, who was born in New England, and had gone to the south to attend upon some family, was shipwrecked, as she was returning northwards, on the coast of North Carolina. She, however, as well as some of the crew of the vessel, was saved. The half-civilized people of that region rendered some assistance to the shipwrecked party; but Mary Smith was detained by one of the natives as a slave. ”

“ Mary Smith hates men. She told me she did. She does not like to be where men are. That is why she went out just now. She says she will always stay out of the room when Uncle Bert is with me."
"That is very sensible indeed in Mary," said Mrs. Desmond, with decided approval, while Bertram Chesleigh only laughed and said that men were not ogres, and he would not have eaten Miss Smith even if she had remained in the room.
Meanwhile Golden had retreated to the sitting-room, leaving the door ajar as Ruby had bidden her. ”

“ Smith, Mary. My dear, in future don't you have 'im quite so much about the house as you do at present. It ain't the thing. People WILL talk, you know, if you give 'em a handle." ("Oh, but Polly!" in a blank voice from Mary.) "Now, now, I'm not blaming you—not the least tiddly-wink. But there's no harm in being careful, is there, love, if you don't want your name in people's mouths? I'm that fond of you, Mary—you don't mind me speaking, dearie?"
"No, Polly, I don't. But it's the greatest nonsense—I never heard such a thing!" said Mary hotly. "Why, Purdy is Richard's oldest friend. ”

“ Lockwood is a woman who has done as much as any other woman in this century to elevate her sex and to secure to herself an honorable place in the literary world. Mary Smith was born in Chautauqua, New York. She lost her mother when but four years old, and the tender love of her infancy was lavished on her brother, three years her senior. To him her last book, "The Historic Homes of Washington," is most touchingly dedicated. She is physically slight, but strong and rather below the medium height. She has firmness, strength and executive ability of a high order. ”

“ Mary Smith put up her hand. "Now do be careful—you used that word only last Thursday."
"Good Lord!" said Charlie Fitzgerald; "what a long time." And the General and he, who had lunched together that same day, were amused beyond the ordinary at the simple jest.
"I've never seen his wife," said Mary Smith severely and with perfect truth. "She's probably just like everybody else. You people make up [Pg 83] ideas in your heads about classes that don't exist. Everybody's just like everybody else.... ”

“ Miss Mary, though she would have preferred a young Ensign in the militia, who was heir to a good fortune, for a partner, was yet mortified that she should not have an opportunity of showing the handsome foreigner to the neighbouring Misses, and of showing too that her charms had equal influence on men of all nations. ”

“ She summoned Mary for Sue’s dry things from the kitchen, and when finally she opened the sitting-room door leading out to the gloomy hallway, Sue lingered for an instant on its threshold. Then impulsively she flung her arms about the little woman’s neck, kissed her withered cheek, and flew down the stairs. ”

“ And as for Howard Smith, she treated that young gentleman with a cold courtesy which rather astonished him.
After dinner, when the men folk had gone on deck, and when she was preparing to go too, a timid, appealing hand was laid on her arm.
"I would like to speak to you," said the low voice of Mary Avon.
Then she turned—only for a second.
"I think I know enough of what has happened, Mary," said she; "and it would not be right for me to intermeddle. Young people are the best judges of their own affairs."
The appealing hand was withdrawn; the girl retired to the saloon, and sate down alone. ”

“ Mary looked doubtful for a moment, but at length left.
"Now, Belknap," says I, when she was safely in her room, and me almighty glad to be my own self again, "because you've been a friend of Mary's—that is, because she thought you were—you go free, if you wish. When we leave we'll send you back a man. Take my advice and go with him—don't get it into your fool head I'm working a plant on you this time. You can guess what your carcass will be worth when we take the city. Our men are due here in minutes." ”

“ How deft the little finger-tips in every task! The hands, how smooth and delicate to lull and soothe! And the strange music of her lips! The very crudeness of their speech made chaster yet the childish thought her guileless utterance had caught from spirit-depths beyond our reach. And so her homely name grew fair and sweet and beautiful to hear, blent with the echoes pealing clear and vibrant up the winding stair: "Where—where is Mary Alice Smith?" ”

“ John Smith jumped up to help, but felt uncertain what good manners were.
"Mary," said the Squire, when Mary came; "you always look out of the window, I think, to see the people come out of church."
"Never, sir, never! Except whenever I feels wicked not to a' been there myself. Such time it seemeth to do me good; like smelling of the good words over there." ”

“ Suddenly remembering her mistress's troubles, the happy light died out of Mary's face, and turning anxiously to her now contented lover she said eagerly, "And now, lad, do try and think o' something to help them. If nothing else can be done, there is the train; if it is missed there will be so much more time."
"Nay, lass," John answered, as he sat down, "the train scheme is no good; for I'm sure the missus would, as she has threatened, leave the house if he didn't go to-night." ”

“ I don't think it un-admirable to defend one's own personal stand, Marian. But you'll not divert me this time. I have a hunch that I am a sort of male Typhoid Mary. Let's call me old Mekstrom Steve. The carrier of Mekstrom's Disease, who can innocently or maliciously go around handing it out to anybody that I contact. Is that it, Marian? ”

“ Mary, who had caught the contagion of his happiness, would, I believe, eventually have joined, had he not suddenly hove to.
Hurrying to her side, he said, between his gasps for breath, "And now for the plot, lass. I'll go and get the boots, wrap 'em up, and put 'em on the table theere. Then thou must go and tell the missus that there's a parcel for her on the table. Thou wilt manage, of course, to get out o' the room before she can tell thee to fetch it. ”

“ They appeared to be letters, and in the address of the top one I instantly recognised the handwriting of the letter sent to Mary Smith, which I still had in my pocket.
Hawkesbury made an angry grasp at the papers. “They are private letters,” he exclaimed, “give them up! What right have you to touch them?”
“Hawkesbury,” said Mr Barnacle, “in a case like this it is better for you to submit quietly to what has been done. Nothing in these papers that does not concern the matter in hand is likely to tell against you. Is that all, officer?”
“That’s all in that desk,” said the detective. ”

“ Smith need be afraid of it’s not being well taken care of; the child is not likely to have many such treasures of her own. But I do think [Pg 139] with Mary, Mrs. Smith, that it is too valuable to”—father hesitated and cleared his throat—“to be taken out of the family, you know.”
Poor father and mother! they thought Mrs. Smith had been making over Tom’s inheritance to me, thereby implying that she regarded me as his future wife. They knew nothing of the existence of that treasure of diamonds in the Indian cabinet, compared with which this was almost a trifle. ”

“ You are always saying, you know, brother Edward, that foreigners prefer the society of ladies; but I see no signs of that disposition in this friend of your's. Perhaps, though, he may meet with ladies at the Captain's who suit him better."
"Fye, Mary!" cried lady Ellesmere. "Surely, child, you forget yourself."
"Mary is perfectly right;" answered Edward. "We did meet with ladies ”

“ Sure, sure, lass, there's no other way." He was silent for a brief space and then went on, quietly, speaking to himself, his eyes fixed steadfastly on the carpet. "And if the boots don't reach her heart and soften it towards him, there's nowt in this world that will, sure."
"Now, John, lad, don't ramble on like that; I'm right anxious. Tell me what's in thy mind," broke in Mary, restlessly, seating herself on a chair by his side. ”

“ She is really pretty—she is to be at the ball on Tuesday, and we long to have you contrive to engage her."
"Chimeras!" cried Ellesmere. "I promise thee, my sweet Mary, that I shall never marry a nabobess, or an heiress of any description. A pair of colours, and the honor of being shot at by Messieurs les Patriots, is, I believe, my decided destination; but you don't tell me what you think of my friend—is he not a very fine young fellow?"
"Y-e-s," answered the lady slowly, and only as half assenting ”

“ You never saw an uglier mug than Belknap's in all your days, as it appeared then. Ordinarily, although I hate to say it, he was a fine-looking man, but now his face was so twisted he looked like the devil in person. And still he said nothing. He had plenty good reason not to.
At this, Mary went at him. "I thought you a good man—a wise man," she said, with a bitter quiet that burnt, in every word. "You are a cowardly scoundrel. Attack the boy if you dare. I think I am a match for such as you." ”

“ Here was a window giving a view over the rain-blurred hedgerows clear to the swell of the downs, and an armchair in which Smith could sit in peace and wear undisturbed his semblance of a man in a trance. With some notion of leaving nothing undone, Mary rooted out for him a bundle of old illustrated magazines, and left them on the unused writing-table at his side ”

“ Now, Mary, if those little worn boots could break down such a real worldly man as me—and when the lad wur not my own, too—does thou think for a moment that, if the maister and the missus could be got to come across 'em just about at the same time, sweet memories, that they've forgotten, would not rush over 'em, and that their hearts would not be moved to the very core, and that they would not just have to forgive each other? ”

“ I can't make out that word, but it is handkerchiefs, of course," thus Mary read and talked to herself. "Breastpin—this is too mean! It's not true, neither. I'm a great mind to burn the letter. Mrs. Smith would never be the wiser. I won't give it to her now, at any rate. I'll put it in my pocket, and just think about it."
The next sound that came to my ears was the pattering of Mary's feet as she went hurrying up the stairs. ”