Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-02-09

and Zeb took off his torn-brimmed straw hat
now and then, and shook out his curIs, heavy
with sweat, and fell behind the team, as though
thinking of other things than his ploughing.-
One side of the field was bordered BY lane
leading from the main road to an obscure
neighborhood. twas quite dusky where the
lane struck into the woods, when a lady came
riding thence on gay black horse, and seeing
Zeb at his blowing, frightened her rein, and,
waiting for him to approach, gave the saluta-
tion of the evening in sweet, good-humored
tone. She was not dressed in the costume
which ladies nowadays think indispensable
for riding, but wore instead straw hat with
red ribbons and dress of sky-blue muslin
not trailing low, but so short that her feet
peeped now and then from beneath it. She
sat her horse gracefully, and her cheeks were
deeply flushed, perhaps from the proximity of
the young farmer, perhaps merely from exer-
else; and her black hair hung in curls down
her shoulders, and her black eyes sparkled
with healthful happiness. So, altogether, she
made as pretty finishing to the rural picture
as one could imagine Certainly Zeb thought
so, as leaning against the fence he caressed
the glossy neck Of the horse, champing the bit
and paving the dust imratiently; and as he
stood there il might have been noticed that he
removed his hat, and so rolled the brim in his
hand, as to conceal how badly it was torn 1t
was observable too that he talked in a sub
dued tone and with downcast eyes-very un-
like his usual manner. After brief delay,
and little restrained conversation, the young
woman rode forward, putting her horse at once
into a canter.
For five minutes more Zeb fingered where
she left him-not looking after her, nor seem
ing TO see any thing, as he idly cut letters IN
the fence-rail with his knife Directly, how
ever, he took up his hat from the ground, upon
which it had fallen, replaced his knife in his
pocket, drew a sigh, and began to unyoke his
team. But before he had quite freed the
weary oxen he looked up the blue dress and
red ribbons were yet visible in the distance
he hcsitated, and after a moment resumed his
plowing, whistling a merry tune, but 50 plain
lively and with such variations as made it sad,
almost as drge.
The pretty girl just riding out of sight is
Molly Blake, young person who lives mile
or SO beyond the woods that stand against the
field in which the youth is at work. Zeb and
Molly once stood together at spelling school,
and Zeb spelled for her all the hard words, in
whispers and on time, while picking ber-
ries, they CHANGED to meet, and it so happened
that Zeb went home with an empty basket,
while Molly's was heaped full. The cause
of their seeing each other to-day is, that Molly
is going TO make an apple cutting in night
or two, and has given the earliest invitation to
Zeb As he carved letters in the fence, he
was debating whether he would go or not:
and as he unyoked the oxen, he was saying to
himself, | will go home and rest am
tired; and | can't 60 to the apple cutting, at
any rate, in my old clothes and hat Still he
hesitated, and as he did so, saw the blue dress
and red ribbons in the distance then came
the thought that he might plow an hour or
more, and so gain time TO 90 to town with
some oats and potatoes, and bring home such
articles as the frolic seemed to demand And
at this thought he resumed his work
1t not unfrequently happens that young
man is not regarded by his sisters as he is re-
garded by other women such was the course
with Zeb and on this special occasion, Ruth
never once thought whether her brother had
been invited to the party or not, so engaged
was she with her own plans and pleasures
1t chanced this evening, as such things will
chance sometimes, that supper was prepared
an hour earlier than usual /; and, until it was
too late for her to see, Ruth stood at the win
dow, watching for her brother to come home.
Meantime the fire burned out, and the tea
grew cold and then came impatience, and
then petulance, so that Ruth said at last,
come, father, we will eat without him, and
let him come when he gets ready a,, o,.
But Zeb came pretty soon. Wearied, but
with brain full of pleasant. thoughts, which
shone out upon his manly countenance.-
Well, Ruthy, am sorry have kept you
waiting he said, as he drew water, for his
oxen at the well. r.-r
{ | am sorry too, she answered in calm,
decided tone, that indicated frigid state of
feeling.
Come, Ruthy, don't be vexed, said Zeb,
laughing after the old fashion, but get my
supper, while turn the oxen into the meadow
-(you don't know how tired and hungry !
am)-and will tell you what detained me-.
You needn't trouble yourself to do that
she answered, tossing her head, it's Of no
Importance to me- ...-.
Zeb pulled his hat over his eyes, and walked
sootberly away with his oxen, quite forgetting
that ne was either tired or hungry. If Ruth
felt any mlsglvlngs, pride kept them down
and, to Justify herself; she said, half aloud,
Well, I>dont care he had no business 10
stay away till midnight. Nevertheless. she
arranged the supper as nicely as might be
but Zeb did not come his appetite had quite
deserted him. Across the meadow, near
where the oxen were feeding, he lay on the.
grass, the moonlight, fecked by the apple
boughs, falling over and around him. 4.