Du Buque visitor. [volume] (Dubuque, Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1836-1837, 1836-09-21

Il
bic, and the family could not relin
quish the habit of treating tier guest
as visitors and friends. Colonel Brig
ham always found some reason VIII,
such and such articles were notwortl
considering at all, and why such la
such people could not afford to pSf a
well as he could afford to give then
food and shelter. On soldiers, Of course
ne bestowed gratuitous entertainment
and was never more delighted thai
when he saw them coming. Pedlar
and tin-men always took it-and emf
grants on their way to the back settle
ments were invariably told to keel
their money to help pay for their land
But though tavern-keeping did no
realize the anticipations Of Mrs. Brig
ham in operating as check on the hos.
Ipitality other husband, still, as she said
it kept him about the house, and pre-.
vented him from heating lind fatiguine
himself in the fields, and from interior.
ing with Oliver in the management Of
the farm-Oliver always doing best
when left to himself. 1t must be un-
derstood that this youth, though viz
tually a dependent on the bounty Of the
Brighams, evinced as free and deter
mined a spirit as if he had been liter
ally "monarch Of all he surveyed"
He was active, industrious, frank to a
fault, brave and generous; and would
have fought at any moment in defence
of any member of the family; or in
deed, for any member of any other ia
mily if he conceived them tohave been
injured.
Between Oliver and Fanny Brigham
there was as yet no demonstrations of
any particular attachment. They had
been brought up SO much like brother
and sister that they seemed not to know
when to begin to fall in love. Fanny
coquetted with the smart young men
in the neighborhood, and Oliver flirted
with the pretty girls; not seeming to
perceive that Fanny was the prettiest
Of all. The old people, however, had
it very much at heart for a match to
take place between the young people,
as the best preventative Of Oliver ego
ing west" "a thing he sometimes talk
eel OF in common with the generality of
young farmers,) and therefore, thew
watched closely, and were always fam
cying that they detected symptoms Of
real bona tide love. 1.-THE young peo-
pie quarrelled, it was better so than
that they should feel nothing for each
other but mutual Indifference. Ifthev
appeared indifferent, it was supposed
that Fanny was modestly yelling her
genuine feelings, and that Oliuer was
Disgusting his to try the strength of
hers. If they talked and laughed to-
gether, they were animated by each o.
theirs society. If they were silent they
had the matter under serious consider
alton. If Fanny received with COM
plaisance the civilities of rural beau.
and if Oliver devoted his attentions to
a rural belle, it was only to excite each
others JEALOUSY. On one thing, how
ever, the old people were agreed
which was, that it was best not to hur-
ry matters. In this they judged from
their own experience, for Mrs. Brig
ham had lost her first lover Ia man that
had come to see.her every Wednesday
and Saturday for five years and half
because her father prcmaturely asked
him what his intsntionswere. And Col. |
Brigham had been refused no less than
nine times in consequence Of Cropping
the question" at his first intcrview-a
way he had when he was young.
So equal, however, was their love
Tor the two children, (as they still con-
tlnued to call them,) SO anxious were
hey to keep Oliver always with them,
md SO impossible did it seem to them
o think Of anysother young man as
'on-in-law, that they would have sa-
'rlfied much to bring about SO desira-
Die a conclusion. But we have been
too long on the brink of our
tory, and it is time we were fairly a.
loaf.
One clear, mild autumnal evening,
,ol. Brigham (who for himself never
liked benches) was occupying few :
hairs in his front porch, and reading
everal newspapers; looking OCCASION :
lily towards cider press under large '
rec, round which lay mountain Of
pples that horse and a black boy
we're engaged in grinding. The Colonel {
vas habited in striped homespun trow-
ers, dark brown waistcoat with sill
er buttons, and no coat-but he took /
reat pride in always wearing clean {
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