The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-06-13


old-fashioned, chintz-coyerod rocking
chair. He drew the piano stool almost
ID front of me, PLACING bis two hands or
the two arms Of my char, and fixed his
eyes so .illtensely on me, that for The frs
time in my life, 5oa' him, | blushed scar
let, but would not lot my gaze drooI
u-sder bis.
envy dear child lie is only foal
years older than /, and always before
called me "0ld Lsay," GRANDMOTHER
Grey" "Gaptain Prig,' and such undfg-
nifed explosives; so 1 was quite over
whelmed by this sudden assumption d
paternity. My dear child, I do love you
well enough 70 uaSrry you. Do you be
'ieve ms
ssNo Fritz, / don'tbellevea word Of IT,
'.But won't yoa marry me, and prove
its0
ssNo, / won't"
ssNow, now, you are wicked. Why
not~
because, my dear, there are insuper-
able obstacles"
shame them, my dear
"Well, first it Is very foolish in you to
wish to marry me. | don't really be-
heve you do. / think you are IN play
all the while"
If egey p
sStop! My husband must be a man
of wisdom and good taste; and tho very
fact of any mans wanting me for his
wife, would be irrefragable evidence that
he possessed neither"
"Then you can never marry at all.
'eTherefore I shall never marry at all. Y
/ had worked myself into q violent
rocking, 50 chat I might not be so very
near him, though | was never alllcolnfor-
table in being near him before; bat he
kept firm hold of my chair, and would
not let me move.
"Be still, you gypsy, you, and tell me
what is the next reason.
slW-e-ll" said /, covering my eyes,
and thinking very hard, for | am fam to
confess that at that very moment it SEEM
ed the most natural and reasonable thing
in the world that / should marry Fritz,
and consequently the hardest thing was
to discover any decent pretext fer not do
ing so. ssWell, the next reuson--as
-that-you would lose very good
friend and gain very poor wife
81 deny both assertions, and demand
proof
"Why, Fritz" said /, rousing, "you
know as well as [ how | have been
brought up; you know | can't do any
thing under the sum-"
81 know YOU can do everything
- =. 1.i siss} n one siliu. u, NO
"You can make me the happiest man
on the face Of this whole earth.
"Perhaps so for two days; but if you
depended on me, you would inftllibly
starye on the third, and what good would
your happiness do you could not get
a dinner, Fritz, if the fate Of the nation
hung on it. / don't knew mutton from
chicken, unless | see them running. i
YOU were rich, it woald not make 50
much difference; but you are not, and
YOU want wife who understands house
keeping and domestic economy, and can
husband your resources till'-
aJust you let me husband you, and
resources may go to the-take care OF
themselves"
| never knew Fritz TO come 50 near
using profane Language, but | made al
lowance for the exciting nature Of the CIR
cumstances; SO | only a8}ened my eyes at
him a moment, and went on
81 should not know in the least how to
order a kitchen, or take the supervision
OF house; and as for doing any work
myself, the sole article of food | know
how to prepare is a hasty-pudding, and
that I learned by accident"
ssYoung woman" said he, soiemnly,
aif YOU will marry NE, don't care il
YOU serve up dish-cloth for dinner"
had heard great deal about sloye
IN cottage,p and always, when thinking
Of wifo-hood had consaled myself for be-
ing such little good-for-nothing BY say
ing, II will make my darling SO happy,
that he shall fancy himself dining of am
brosia and nectar" but it is different N
the concrete; aud the idea Of the real,
liue, fastidious Fritz sitting meek'y down
to a dinner of broilcd disli-cloth, WIS toe
much for my gravity | laughed out
right, and asked whether he would have
it ragout or fricasseed.
Then. Fritz was mcd Yes I an sorry
to say, lie lost his tsrspaT. He jumped
~ as if I had pricked him with pin.
though / hadn't, and walked twice o.
thrice across the floor in a very tragic
way. I think he was really unhappy,
and / was Just considering whether, see
ing / must thwart him in tle chief matter,
it would not be well to huinor him in the
minor points, and coax Linn back; and
had concluded, on the whole, it would
not, when he resumed his seat, exclaiin-
ing, 81 won't marry you, at all events,
you hateful little vixerl but / should like
to know the next reason
ssFhe next reason? Let me Sec
What was the last? You frightened me
so, / lost the run Of tIem;;" and | began
to count my fingers. "Oh! the next is
that you are too near my own age, toe
funny, too much Of a companion for me.
/ love you dearly to frolic with, but !
never could promise to obey you, because
my way would likely enough be better
than yours. must have Q person q
great maturity and ezperience-one
whom I should be afraid Of, and who
would take care of me-
aMy dear, I Will take such care Of you,
the winds of heaven shall not visit your
face too roughly: and I'll reform III
never smile after you are my wife: and I
sLot ;s not ano1,rh [ VII l.ara 9 horse