M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1857-01-15

sat down to pick my lettuce, kee
ping watch of the two, but before
got half finished, they young man begal
to move cautiously along toward M
sister, and approached so closely be
fore she looked up that / was NOR
than half inclined to believe she knew
more Of who was near her than sh
cared to have any one think.
Child that / was, my face burned
and | trembled SO that / was scare
able to rise from my position, when
saw her start, and dropping her book
draw her bonnet coquettishly over he
face.
1t was but the work of a momen
for Mr.. Harlow to stoop and pick NJ
the fallen volume--with the most OBJ
sequious bows present it to her-ant
fancied from the movement, beg a sea
beside her.
| hurried back to the house and
made my report much to the amuse,
tment Of those who listened, while sis,
ter Eliza added, with q comical effort
Ito look distressed:
And now-and now, Harriet, we
may as well give him up. Oh! what il
we should be old maids Oh! oh
but Mary won't"
| 1t was not until we had rung our
little dinner bell the second time, that
our guest made his appearance, lead
ing the conquered girl, and looking as
well satisfied as though he had gain
ed a kingdom.
We were already seated at the ia
BILE, for our scrupulously punctual
father would never a How us to keep
dinner waiting for any one, but with
his usual urbanity and kind desire to
make a stranger feel at home, he beg
ged ofMr. Harlow to be seated, assu-
ring him that the girls had prepared
a most excellent dinner, and it would
not do to let the dishes spoil by stand
ing. He inquired particularly after
sister Mary's health-much to her
embarrassment and our amusement
for he did not understand how matters
stood; innocently supposing, as we
had equiyocally intimated, that it was
a slight indisposition that had caused
her absence from the table for the two
days previous.
Our staid mother, who was better
| Informed about the matter, but who
did not allow herself to stoop from
her dignity to interest herself in our
foolishness, cast sly glance over her
glasses, and let her lips work into a
smile, sufficient to betray her relation
ship to the droll creature, who had
been the moving cause ofour merri-
ment, while the viands at length
claimed the attention ofall, and gen
eral sociability followed.
That afternoon and evening, as may
be supposed, my elder sister and me
had to entertain ourselves as best we
could, for Mr.. Harlow was all intent
upon continuing the acquaintance he
had commenced in the morning, and
in drawing out from beneath their
prudish covering my sister Mary's ex-
cellent and interesting traits Of char
acter.
Matters progressed rapidly, and
when, after a few days more, our guest
informed us that his visit must close,
we were neither surprised or inclined
to turn into ridicule his serious pro-
posals to visit US again.
He had taken leave of our parents,
and had come into the parlOr to bid
the young ladies adieu again.
Sister Mary was sitting by the ia
BILE turning over the leaves of an al
bum, but we saw by the moisture of
her eyes and the slight quivering of
her lip, that she was indulgingin tho'ts
quite too uncommon to her, and with
sobered face, and serious thoughts, we
gave the parting hand to our brothers.
friend, and withdrew, leaving the two
alone. 7." p i+ '..
From the window in the upper hall
we had view Of the numbering stage
heard the " gentle good bye, ,"-..-saw
"the last lingering look" and with
hearts filled with tenderness for the
sister of whose society we began to
think we might be robbed, we went
below without much inclination to
teaze, and filled with deep respect for
the new feeling that had come into
our midst. l7d1t
"a Six months after we were called to
say |" adieu," father, mother, sister
Eliza and myself. / Mary was leaving
us a happy bride. z 'a 2 ~ 20
II f~H.H