Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-11-02

Who dig the mines, and build the ships,
And drive the commerce of the main;
God bless them for their swarthy hands
Have wrought the glory of all lands.
From Dodge's Literary Museum.
TIE NIATCH-MAKING WIDOW.
XARIEFA.
CHAPTER EIGHT.
In spacious apartment of large i'm.
posing looking dwelling in the village oI
Lyston sat two old ladies. They were
rocking in their easy chairs and talking
occasionally with each other. The rich
| carpets, the splendid furniture, the ele-
CANT pictures, all denoted wealth and
luxury. The two occupants of the room
were very antiquated looking affairs and
as they sat there, with the rich autumn
sunlight falling in upon them, they re-
sembIed two rusty pieces of statuary
which more modern furniture had failed
to displace from their old position in the
house. They sat very close together,
and their chairs rocked in perfect unison,
as though moved by the same machinery.
In the lap of each lady lay curled up a
little lump of soft, white wool, which
]
it was lap-doyi The pair of diminutive
ladies were busily engaged in parting the
silky locks of their little pets, rs they lay
/ there in~:he folds of their rich silk dres-
ses, and an eager search seemed to be
going on for something which might be
! found therein. At length one of the two
made sudden dive with her skinny di-
gifts, then Withdrawing her thumb and
finger, tightly pressed together, she ex-
| claimed
% Look, Sis, l have caught one.
The other lady slightly contracted her
brows, threw back her head, and ia
king her sisters fingers within her
own hand, peered earnestly through her
spectacles into the place extended for in
spection.
" I-believe-you-ha she an
swered, at length, slowly and emphati-
cally. f Wait till get needle.'' And
searching in neat little cushion at her
side, for the desired implement, she thrust
it cautiously into the little crevice. then
drew it exultingly forth. '' There y she
exclaimed, " do you see that? What a
monster !" and she displayed to her sis
ter's delighted eye a poor flea struggling
in its death agonies on the point Of her
needle.
Both ladies gave utterance to quiet
little exulting laugh, and the younger of
the two placed the poor insect dexterous-
| ly between her two thumb nails, and
it gave up the ghost with a vigorous
crack.
Each then returned to the search, and
while they are thus engaged. we must
beg the reader to look closely, and recog-
nize in them the Misses Manly who first
caught the eye of Mrs. Forrest at Miss
Tat1Ieton's party.
Suddenly Miss Matilda, who was the
elder of the two, turned to her sister aud
said
Sis (she always had way of calling
her Sis) why can't we get up picnic %
'' Can, as we'll as not" was the laconic
reply.
The weather is so pleasant now," re-
joined the first speaker, '''tis Indian Sum
mer, and so delightful"
Who'll we invite?" inquired her sis
ter.
4" Why, there are the newcomers, the
widow and her daughter. There's Miss
Tattleton. there's the Grants, and the
There's enough" Interrupted Miss
Martha.
. Well. enough it is then" said Nj
tilda.
Theu came little pause, uuinterrupt-
ed save by the occasional track which
was the death -knelI of some unfortun ate
flea.
Cant we ask Mr.. Ackerman?' again
ventured Matilda.
Matilda was some years her sisters SEN
ior, but she delighted to show what she
considered pretty youthfulness of sub.
mission to her sisters judgment.
"Of course we can" returned Martha
with little stare, which denoted the
speakers surprise at the mere idea of his
being left out.
Mr. Ackerman has also been previous
Iy introduced at Miss Tattleton's party
He was a country gentleman, possessed
of good amount of this worlds goods,
an unceasing flow of good nature, and a
blindness at being imposed upon. which
rendered him general favorite in the
community. He was always ready to
loan his best horse in order to oblige a
friend. and if the poor animal happened
to be driven off his legs. Mr. Alderman
only made very polite bow on hearing
of is, and smothered all the little groans