n the year 1830 in Boston Massachusetts, their lived a girl named Shuliet Collinsworth. Her father owned a shoe factory which made the family
very rich. She was the only child, but her cousin Timothy lived with them. He had lost both his parents when he was two and his dad was Mrs. Collinsworth’s sister. They had an enormous house with a ton of land and the factory sat about one mile from the front of the house. Then about two miles from the back of the house sat a little cottage where the Collinsworth estate ended. This cottage had a family of seven boys, a father and a mother.
The Mullers had moved into the cottage shortly after Shuliet was born. They had three sons at the time. Markus who was seven, Benjamin who was five, and Dameo who was three and Mrs. Muller was pregnant with her fourth. Mr. Muller brought his family over from Germany hoping for a better life and he started work at the mill.
Three months after Shuliet was born, Mr. Collinsworth saw Mr. Muller put something on the Collinsworth estate and he journeyed over to talk to the man. Timothy being very fond of his uncle decided to follow. When he finally reached the cottage the two men started shouting. Then Timothy found Benjamin and the two started wrestling over a toy. When Mr. Collinsworth saw this he tried to stop it, but as soon as he moved Mr. Muller thought he was going to hurt his family and threw a punch the two men started fighting and it took the police to stop them. Both Mr. Collinsworth and Timothy went home with terrible bruises. After that Mr. Collinsworth put up a fence forbidding Timothy and Shuliet to cross it. Soon they shoemaker factory and mill workers were at odds since the fight.
16 years later Shuliet had never met nor seen the Mullers. All she knew was that there was a cute little cottage on the other side of the fence and that filthy low class millers lived there. Her sixteenth birthday was going to be tomorrow and while she prepared for it out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of the cottage. She started staring at it and daydreaming of the people who live there.
“Shuliet, dear!” called her nanny. “Did you get out all the invitations today?
“Why yes all seems to be in order. Thanks for all the help. I do not know what I would do without you all these years” she replied.
“Now stop that silly nonsense or I’ll start ballin’ like a babe.”
“But it is true; you have been like a second mother to me.”
Meanwhile Timothy was coming home from the factory and Benjamin accidently bumped into him on the way to his house.
“Are you trying to anger me miller boy?” Timothy sneered.
“Why no, I just was not looking up, good day sir.” He responded.
“Too coward to face a rematch Muller?”
“Of course not if that’s what you want!”
The two started throwing punches and were soon on the ground. A crowd started to gather and then the police came in. The sheriff then told the boys if anymore of this squabbling in the street happens; he was going to throw the first puncher in jail for life. Especially since the fights between the two sides happened quite often.
Finally, Benjamin reached his house and his mother was pacing the floor. The house was a mess, which it usually wasn’t and the younger kids were bouncing of the walls.
“What’s the matter mother?”asked Benjamin.
“Oh, Dameo came home today with a his head drooping and went into your room locked the door and has not talked and he won’t let me in. I even offered to make his favorite dinner and he did not respond” Mrs. Muller replied hysterically.
“Let me have a go at ’em. Dameo, Dameo!!! Come on tell your good ol’ brother what the matter is.”
The brothers were close and always told each other everything. In fact they were more like friends than brothers. Benjamin was always smart and wise beyond his years. Dameo on the other hand was sensitive and naïve. Dameo opened the door for his brother.
“Now what’s the matter little bro” asked Benjamin.
“She doesn’t love me” he replied softly and seemed to hold back tears.
“Who, Rosy? She ain’t worth your time.”
“But you don’t understand. I told her all my feelings for her. I even wrote her a poem and she refused me. Oh, I wish I could die!” Dameo exclaimed.
“Don’t talk like that. There is plenty of fish in the sea.”
“But, she is the only fish I will ever love.”
“You’re young, get over it. I got an idea!”
“What?” he said droopily.
“Let’s go crash little Miss Collinsworth’s party. I overheard some of the shoemakers talking about it on the way there this morning, its tomorrow evening. I bet there will be tons of girls there. All in party dresses too!”
“Fine, but there will never be another girl for me like Rosy was. Oh Rosy!” he cried.
The next day during work Mr. Collinsworth was talking to his favorite worker, Prescott Covington. Mr. Collinsworth was preparing him to take over the business since he hoped he could convince him to marry his little girl.
“She’s a real beauty my boy, a real beauty. She is also very in intelligent, and of course she gets that from me. It is her sixteenth birthday tonight. Why don’t you come and joins us lad, I’m sure she won’t mind. After all she loves her daddy and would do almost anything for him.” He told Prescott.
Prescott agreed and the two walked to the Collinsworth estate together. Not far behind them were Dameo and Benjamin in their Sunday best. Benjamin was looking very happy and Dameo dragged his feet along.