Fair to Look Upon

ᐈ
Fair to Look Upon, by Mary Belle Freeley,

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Title: Fair to Look Upon
Author: Mary Belle Freeley

Release Date: December 31, 2006 [eBook #20236]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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FAIR TO LOOK UPON
by
MARY BELLE FREELEY
With Original Illustrations by W. L. Dodge

[Illustration: "I HUMMED A GAY LITTLE TUNE FOR HIS BENEFIT."]

Chicago Morrill, Higgins & Co. Copyright: Morrill, Higgins & Co. 1892

CONTENTS.
A RIPPLE OF DISSENSION AND WHAT CAME OF IT, 11
THE STORY OF EVE, 19
THE ABRAHAM-HAGAR AFFAIR, 29
ISAAC'S WIFE, 47
A WOMAN'S MONUMENT, 67
ANOTHER OF THE WOMEN OF OLD, 83
ALL NAUGHTY, BUT FAIR, 97
STORY OF SOME WOMEN AND A BABY, 107
ANOTHER OF "THE MISTAKES OF MOSES," 123
SOME MANAGING WOMEN, 135
ANOTHER GROUP OF THEM, 151
THE FAMOUS WIDOW OF MOAB, 163
HE GAVE IT UP TOO, 175

ILLUSTRATIONS.
I hummed a gay little tune for his benefit, Frontispiece.
He held my milk-white hand in his, 13
Our first parents, 17
While Adam was idly, lazily sunning himself in the garden, 25
The Serpent did tempt me, 28
And the men watched to see her go by, 33
And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house, 37
Abraham entertaining the three angels, 41
And he sent Hagar and Ishmael out into the wilderness, 43
And Abraham went down to Egypt, 44
Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher, 55
I will go, 58
Two little boys played marbles, 59
Esau cheated out of his blessing, 62
And Rebekah was--a woman, 64
And there came two angels to Sodom, 69
And Lot went out and tried to pacify them, 71
Lot's wife looked back, 75
Look not behind thee, 80
Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept, 87
And Jacob served seven years for Rachel, 89
She hoped he would excuse her for not arising, 94
Put up his hands in welcome and said "Ah, goo! ah goo!" 115
And every kiss strengthened her determination, 119
They clasped hands lingeringly and said a soft good night, 129
Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, 132
What would'st thou? 139
She let them down from the window of her house, 143
She smote the nail into his temples, 145
Cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, 147
And she betrayed him, 149
Turned her pretty head aside and blushed, 170
And Boaz and Ruth were married, 173
And I said-- 180

A RIPPLE OF DISSENSION AND WHAT CAME OF IT.

[Illustration: (He held my milk-white hand in his.)]
A RIPPLE OF DISSENSION AND WHAT CAME OF IT.
I was about to be married. My numerous charms and attractions had won the affections of a young man who was equally charming with myself.
We were sitting on a luxurious divan and he held my milk-white hand in his. I do not make that statement as a startling announcement of an unusual occurrence, but simply as a matter of fact.
We had been conversing about the culinary and domestic arrangements of our future home when matrimony had made us "one flesh;" or, to use English, we had been wondering what under the canopy a good cooking stove would cost, when he asked suddenly and irrelevantly,
"And you will love me, always?"
"Of course," said I, a little impatiently; for when one is deep in a mathematical problem such a question is a little annoying.
"And you will honor me always?" he next inquired.
"As long as you deserve to be honored," I replied, with the habitual good sense of my age and sex, mentally wondering if granite-ware stewpans went with a cooking stove.
"And you will obey me?" he queried next, in a tone that plainly indicated that I'd have to. I left the mathematical problem for future solution and said, hesitatingly:
"Yes--if--I--can."
"If you can?" he said, in sternly questioning tones; and a cloud no bigger than a man's hand appeared upon the heaven of our love.
"I don't believe a woman ever lived who ever obeyed any one--God, angels, or men," I cried.
"You are a traitor. You slander your sex," he exclaimed, aghast.
"I deny the charge," I replied, springing to my feet, with all the spirit of the above-mentioned age and sex. "By that assertion I only add glory to their fame." He looked at me for a little while, too surprised to speak, and then said, in sarcastic tones:
"Consider our wedding postponed until you have had a little time to study your