The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1858-10-28
OTTUMWA IOWA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 49, 1858

was an old and esteemed friend and corres-
pondent. And Charley, who would have pre-
ferred Hewport or Saratoga decidedly, was
not little charmed to find his exile was to be
cheered by the presence Of this rfetty little
maiden.
Being charmed, it may be presumed he was
charming. At any rate, his fair companion
continued TO blush Sewi,chingly, as Charley
thought, who was not accustomed to any such
variations OF color in his redowa and polka
partners till they reached the gate that led
! to the farm house. This was a substantial
building, with an air of thrift and comfort, and
even some pre,ensions to beauty, from the ex-
qlisite taste With which lowering vines and
creepers had been trained oyer. its rough walls
and around the broad well secured piazza. The
kitchen was in that state of nicely and polish
that Charley involuntarily began to have mis-
givings about his boots. The yellow painted
floor fairly shons. Not mote of dust was
| to be seen on the carved work Of an immense
chest Of drawers, that was evidently the pride
OF the establishment, nor on the high-backed
instr uments Of torture, facetiously termed by
our ancestors chairs, standing stiffly about the
room. From the wide chimney place came
grateful ordor of pine and hemlock boughs,
| aud on one side of the hearth, sat, In COM
Portable rocking chair, comely, black-eyed
| matron, peehng apples, whom Charley right
ly concluded 10 be he mother of the house,
hold.
This lady received the newcomers with a
SWELL, Grace" direc ted to her daughter, and
so suspicious glance at Charley and his dusty
habiliments, that Grace felt called upon to
explain in attempting which. either through
fear Of Charley or her mother, or from lack
Of properly developed logical powers, she in
voved herself and her story in such tangle,
that when she concluded, it was quite evident
that her mother was in doubt as to whether it
was the horse or Charley that sswouldn't go -
WhereuDon, Charley came to the rescue, re-
lating the affair in rafting style of his own,
that made the old lady smile in spite of her
elf. And. before size knew it, he had Los
Sc ssed himself of the tray, and the apples, and
the knife, and was peeling away with as much
gusto as though that ha been the vocation to
| which he had especially directed bis attention
| since his earliest days. When band of
young Hoppers came tumblug tumultoBy
into the kitchen. Charley straitway knew
each individual tow-head by his or her proper
| name, and in five inmates, was on the most
confidential terms with them ALL He heard
how Jack climbed the elm tree, and Kitty
found four speckled eggs in the field, and
Nellie had two black and white kittens in the
barn, all with gla witty and interest tina, quite
overcame any lingering doubt or pre- JUDGES
Of Mrs Hopper'
| The sturdy old farmer, who soon after made
his app arance, was not so easily won. He
was accustomed to ENTERTAIN very slight aud
contemptuous opinions Of young men in gen.
era, aud students in particular, who were, he
said, "A parcel of crack Drained, goddess
young fools, who might be tier be planting
corn, or guiding the plough, than learning a
heathentsh lingo half Of them couldn't UNDER
stand themselves"
But the old gent letnau had a hobby, viz
ley was aot long in discover 1t. Now, it had
happened once to him, to be i'll and conva ales-
cent in lonely country tavern, without ON
panions or books to viii le way the hours,
except large treatise on the above menton-
I ed, which, in sheer desperation, he read fr ON
| beginning to end. Now he reaped the reward
| of his labors.
| First, he advanced an opinion Oh the sub
iect, which he was quite sure the farmer would
| contradict thendefending it warmly, bringing
to bear on his astounded opponent, the long
est worus and most scientific terms be could
recollect; then gracefully lowered his flag and
surrendered, yieliing to the farmers superior
experience and clearnsss Of perce ption then
appealed to him on certain knotty points,
, which his unassisted wisdom was quite unable
to solve, till the delighted old gentleman clap
pad him on the shoulder, saying:
"You are clever lad, after all, though you
be student and, if your father would give
up this silly notion Of making you a fawyer,
ana send you down here to me, would make
man of you.'!
Miss Grace sat all the while with downcast
eyes, in the corner, knitting away very de-
murely, till her mother gave her the signal TO
set the table.
1t had never occurred to Charley, when he
had seen some pug-nosed, red-armed Nora or
Bridget stamping about the dining room, that
there could be any grace in the act of laying
table-cloth, or refinement in the arrange
ments of the dishes. But the trim little figure,
and dear little feet, and plump little hands,
made quite little poem out OF this prosaic
household duty and once, when he caught q
rogush glance of the dark eyes, he had nearly
disgraced himself by answering eyes !" in the
wrong place.
Twas royal supper. Such golden butter
and snowy bread, and tempting biscuits; ;
| such platters of luscious corn, and dishes Of
peaches, and cream, and glorious pies, and
amber-hued swest-meats, and cake Of Grace's
own making.
Charley, sitting next that young lady, and
looking alternately at her and cut OF the vine-
covered porch, at fields smiling in the slanting
| rays Of the sun, and hills just darkening with
the pur pie shades Of twilight, vowed he was