Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-09-29
Story of n Courtship.

COmc-come, said Mrs. GRAY, YOU have
been moping there long enough, nephew. for
getting manners and everything else. Here
ARE the apples waiting, and no one to hand
them around, for when | get once settled in
an easy chair ir,-here the good woman gave q
smiling survey of her ample person, which
certainly overilowcd the chair at every point,
leaving the back and curving arms quite in
visible-lt ism very easy thing to get up
again. Now hustle about, and while we old
women rest ourselves, you and Julia, there,
can try your luck with the apple seeds. | re-
member the first time ever surmisrd that
Mr. Gray had taken Il notion to me was once
| when we were at an apple cutting together
down in Maine. Somehow Mr. GRAY had got
into my ncighhorhood when we ranged round
the great basket of apples. felt my check
burn the moment he drew his knife to begin
work. lie pared and quartcred. never
! looked up but Oncc-then his cheek was red
der than mine, and he held the Jack knife
terribly unsteady. BY and by he got a great
noble apple. yellow as gold, and smooth as a
baby's check. was looking at his hand,
sldcwise from under my eyes ashes. and saw
that he was pairing it carefully. as if every
round OF the skin was strip o: gold. At last
| he cut 1t oil at the seed end. and the soft
rings fell down over his wrist, and took the
apple from his fingers.
" Now said he, in a whisper, bending
his head a little, and raising the apple-peel
carefully with his right hand, 81 m Just as
sure that this will be the first letter of the
name love, as am that we are alive" lie
began swiftly whirling the applc-p around
his head the company were all busy with
one another, and was the only person who
saw the yellow. links quivering round his
head, once, twice, three times lie then
held n nd L., ;,rr
into my eyes. held my breath. and 90 did
he.
:" Now" said he, and his breath came out
with quivcr, "what if it should be your
name -
did not answer, and VIC both looked back
at the same time. Sure enough it was the
letter S. No pen ever made one more beau
tful.
"Just as expected" says he and his
eyes grew bright us diamonds--"iust as cx-
pcctcd - That was all he said.
And what answer did you make him. aunt
asked Robert Otis, who had been listening
with flushed face. What did YOU saw
| didn speak word. but quartered on
just as fast as could. As for Mr. Gray, he
kept pairing and pairing like all possessed.
thought he would never stop pairing, or speak
word more. By-and-by he struck the point
OF his knife into an apple, and unwnding the
skin from around it handed it to me. 1t was
red skin, remember, and cut as smooth a.
a ribbon.
q" shouldn't a bit wonder if that dropped
into letter g. says Mr.. Gray. " Suppose
you try it..
Well, | took the red apple skin, and
whirled 1t three times around Inv head, and
down it went on the floor, curled up into the
incest capital Il, that you ever set your eyes
on.
Mr.. Gray, he looked at the letter, then sort
of side wise into my face. IS. G. saws he
taking up the apple-skin, and eating it, as If
1t had been the first muuthiul OF Il Thanks
giving dinner. " How would you like to see
them two letter. on new set of silver tea
spoons -
| really believe YOU could have lit u candle
IN my face, it burned so but | couldn't
speak more than if Id been tongue-tied.
But did You never answer about the
spoons asked Julia.
Well, yes, believe dill, the next Sun
day night, said the old lady, dcnurely,
smoothing her apron.