The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-01-27


have. He is presumins, exacting, self
conceited fellow
Have you ever, in the course of
your experience" said the good an gel,
'seen any other man like Frank? Has
not the conversation of this very day
raised him high in your esteem-which
is-which must be--that is, he stands
before you in light in which no other
man has ever stood before 2"
Il don't believe he loves me, said her
perverse heart, cor else he would have
taken great deal more pains to win
me-"
"Ah !" said the good angel, "what
better love can man give, than that
which sees your faults and strengthens
you against them? True. he has set his
ideal of womanhood so high that you do
not come mp to it; but lie sees in you
capabilities for good beyond these of
other women. though to the height of
your capabilities you have never attain
ed"
"Oh shall be worsa woman, and
an unhappy woman, if l do not love
Frank Handy, and if Frank Handy does
not love me-" said her heart, now turn
ing to its better instincts, as she threw
herself upon her little, white, dimi'y-
covered bed in her own chamber, and,
shutting out the light from her eyes,
thought what life would be if Frank
never said Snip! Frank, who was even
then walking in the fields, trying to think
all the harm he could of her.
Here she lay. and cried, and disqui-
e,ed herself in vain. And she thought
ovr all the good she had ever heard OF
Frank Handy. and---strange = that
though it seemed to her he had the good
word and good opinion of every man
who knew him, no one had ever quite
seemed to appreciate him to his full val
ue. Perhaps he had never shown his
inmost heart to other people as he had
to her. Her wounded feelings seized
upon the balm she found in such a
thought. Frank was not man to put
forth his pretensicns. She had wrong
ed him very much in calling him con-
ceited and presuming. He had spoken
only what he had a right to think about
his own sincerity; and oh how she
wished he could think great deal bet.
ter of her.
During the burst of tears that follow
ed this reflection, the great farm tea bell
rang. Cynthia sprang from her bed and
wiped her eyes. ii she looked as if she
had been crying, might not some one
say she WAS frctted to lose Seth Taggart
Seth Tagsart, indeed !! She wasn't 60
ing to cry for losing any man. And tho
evil spirits resumed their sway.
So Cynthia went down stairs, tower
ing in pride and wrath. She had half ;
mind not to 90 to the wedding. No
she could not do that. People would
certainly say things she would not like
about he' and Seth Taggart, if she staid
away. l. was delicate ground with her
this matter of Seth Taygart's, because
he had never made her any offer. 81
think men treat women shameIully."
said Cynthia in her thoughts, summing
up all wrongs at once, as she sat at the
tea,able, printing herslf with pride
a., ainst the weakness before which she
felt her courage giving away.
"Cynthia, l reckon you'd best go and
dress you," said her mother, as she wa:
clearing away the table after tea; ''yor
leave tie things. and III wash up and
put away. 1t will take you some time
% fix yourself, and you ought to b.
there early, if you are going to stane
up with Sue"
Who's The groomsman, Miss Brides
maid ?" said her father.
Frank Handy, sir" said Cynthia
with toss Of head.
"Ha Handy ?" said her father, &C;
right clever fellow is Frank. It'll be
lucky woman he stands up with to b
married to-"
Cynthia escaped to herown room, an'
she began to cry again. There! he
father spoke we'll of Frank ; but nobod
could know him as well as she kney
him. Oh if he only would come back
Why hadn't she known the state o. he
own heart that morning. But he tool
her so by surprise. and all her evil feel
ings had got uppermost at the moment
II would be very cruel of him-very-
not to try her again.
Thus she thought, until she was suf
ficienily advanced in her toilet to put he
wreath on. Should she wear it?-
Would it not be confessing too much
if he were to see it in her hair ? Sh
looked for some ribbons in her drawer
but at this moment her father called her
and said. if she came quick he woul
drive her over to Susie's before he un
harnessed his old mare. So she put o
he hop-wrea,h in hurry, giving it tn
benefit of her doubt, and its tremblir
green bells mixed with the light curls c
her pretty sunny hair.
"Where did you get that from ?" sal
her fa(her. ''lt's mighty tasty, l de
clare. Give me a kiss, Cynthia.
hope your beaux will think you look ba
as pretty as do. And it's better. m
child. to be admired by your old father
| who loves you, than by a crowd of foo
t ish fellows, half of whom get round
| pretty girl just like my flock Of shee
r out yonder, one following because anotE
er is making up to her.
, Foolish fellows !" they ,Vere "foolis
fellows" But Frank Handy was nc
one Of them. Frank had never followe
, in her train sufficiently to be accounte
9 one of her suitors. 1t was this Yer
: "foolish" flock whose ranks he scorne
to enter. All that her father sad seen
. ed to justify her nascent feeling. Sl
f kissed the old mans ruddy cheek, an
e felt as If the callow love that tluttere
S at her heart had almost been made we
# come by his appreciation.
"What time shall | come for yo'