Love in Idleness: A Bar Harbour Tale

Excerpt from Love in Idleness It's not a paradox said Lawrence whose respect for professorial statements was small.  The three Miss Miners were old maids before they were born.  They're not particularly old except Cordelia.  She must be over forty.  Augusta is the youngest-about thirty-two I should think.  Then there's the middle one-she's Elizabeth you know-she's no particular age.  Cordelia must have been pretty-in a former state.  Lots of brown hair and beautiful teeth.  But she has the religious smile-what they put on when they sing hymns don't you know?  It's chronic.  Good teeth and resignation did it.  She's good all through but you get all through her so soon!  Elizabeth's clever-comparatively.  She's brown and round and fat and ugly. I'd like to paint her portrait.  She's really by far the most attractive.  As for Augusta-