M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1856-04-17
grlttt Stories.
Don't Propose in the Dark.
BY MISS MILFORD.

Tho pretty square farmhouse stand
ing at the corner where Kibes lane
crosses the brook or the brook crosses
Kibes lane (tor the first phrase, al
though giving by far the closestpicture
of the place, does, it must be confes.
sed, look rather Irish and where the
aforesaid brook winds away by the
side of another lane, until it spreads
into river-liko dignity, as it meanders
through the sunny plain of Hartly
Common, and finally disappears amidst
the green recesses Of Perge Wood
that pretty square farm. house, halfhid-
den by the tall elms in the flower court
before it, which with the spacious gar.
den and orchard behind, ,and the exten-
sive barn yards and out-buildings 50
completely occupies one Of the angles
formed by the crossing of the lane and
the strcam-that pretty farmhouse
contains one of the happiest and most
prosperus families in Aberleige--the
large and thriving family of Farmer
Evans.
Whether from skill or good fortune
---or as is most probable, from q lucky
mixture of both--everything goes
right in his great farm. His crops are
the best in the parish his hay is nev-
er spoiled; his cattle never die; his
servants never thieve; his children
are never i'll. He buys cheap and
sells dear; money gathers about him
like q snow ball; and yet, in spite
Of all his provoking and intolerable
prosperity, everybody loves Farmer
Evans.
He is SO hospitablc, so good,natur,
ed, so generous, so homely There,
after all, lies the charm. Riches have
only not spOiH the man, but they have
not altered him. He is just the same
in look, and word and way, that he
was thirty years ago, when he and
his wife with two sorrel horses, one
COW and three pigs, began the world
at Dean Gate, little bargain of TWEEN
~ acres, two miles of. Ay, and his
wife is the same woman the frugal
tidy, Industrious, good-natured Mrs.
Evans-so noted for activity of tongue
and limb, her good looks, and plain
dressing as frugal, as good natured
as active, and as plain dressing Mrs.
Evans at torty.tive, as she was OF
nintean, and, in a different way, al,
most as good looking.
Their childred-si six "boys," as
Farmer EvanS Proniacunnsly calls
them, whose ages vary from eight &
twenty and three girls, two grown up,
and one, OF the youngest of the family
--are just what might be expected
from parents so good. The young
men, intelligent and well-conducted /;
the boys, docile and promising; and
the little girl, as pretty curly-headed
rosy-cheekcd poppet, as ever was, the
pet and plaything of large family
It's however, with the eldest daughter
that we have to do.
Jane and Patty Evans we're as much
alike as hath often befallen any two
sisters not born at one time; for, in
the matter of twin children, there has
been a series Of puzzles ever since
the days Of the Dromias. Nearly at
an age | believe that at this moment
both have tnrned ninteen, and neither
has reached twenty,) exactly Of a
stature, SO high that Fredrick the
Great would have coveted them fol
his tall regiment-with hazel eyes, large
mouthJ, full lips, white teeth, brown
hair, clear healthy complexions, 6
that sort Of nose which is neither
Grecian, or Roman, nor acqniline, MOI
le gftie nezretriesSe that tsome persons
preferto themall, but a nose which
moderately prominent, and sufficient
ly.well-shaded, is yet as far as know
anonymous, although it be perhaps a: