The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-03-12
50 90 A YEAR, IN ADVANCE. q

woman: she Us in and out and everywhere,
a pretty spot crimson on either fair check,
her eyes as srkling and her step us light
ms anv belle'si ball room, and her whole
manner so ca and charming that Polly
| inwardIy proounced John Boynton a
mighty fool, ihe dodgcd such pretty girl
as that, and OF with "means." Is
But night cne, aad Polly went. Lizzie
went to bed VIII n bad headichc,- ,-canve-
nlent synonym, for aches of soul or body
that one doesaot care to christen Sleep
she certainly ID that night, for she dream
ed John was carried to Il rich Boston girl
with red hairiud ayeliow fannel dress, and
that Polly 5ariner was bridesmaid in the
peculiar cossme of n blue round about and
pantaloon |! But sleep with such dreams
was scaray restorer: and Wednesday
morning, I,en Mrs. Griswold asked Lzzy
if she had PIT up her ea-pet-bag to go to
Coventry, Sc received for answer food
of tears, an. i very earnest petition to be
left ut home.
s'Leave yu Lizzy! Why grandfather
couldn't hav Thanksgiving without you
And Uncle byn,on! And Aunt Lizzy is
coming up fr'm Stonington with the new
baby and-John, too! You must go,
Lizzy dear -
81 can't, aother :" said the poor girl,
sobbing afterevery word; please don't ask
me. can't I've got a headache; oh, dear!''
Here fresh brst of tears followed, as Lizzy
buried her he,l il her mothers lap.
Mrs. GirsHoid was both erieved and as
toniShed; she vat speechless, stroking the
soft hair that wept over her knee, till Liz
zy's sobs quicEd, and then said
"Well, dcT, if you're set on staying at
home. | won'topposeit, if your father thinks
best; but mist ask him; only what will
you do, Lizzy here alone all night?"
"Chloe anl Peter will be here, mother:
and I'll MAKE Chloe sleep in Sans room,
and leave tn, door open: and when they
go down to nnah's, I'll lock up, and sham,
feel afraid in broad day.
Mrs. Grisvold shook her head doubtfully
"I'll see whit father says" said she. So
Lizzy lifted her head, and smoothed her
hair, while Ter mother went out to the barn
to consult "'ather."
Here she vas, if anything, more puzzled.
Mr.. Griswold heard the proposal with q
rather misty look. as if he didn't see why
and when his wife finished, said, gravely-
"What is it tSusan? Anybody't that has
lived as long as have, knows pretty vel
that woman's headache stands for whole
dictionary"
"Why, you see,' said Mrs. Griswoli
twisting little lock of hay in her fingers
and family blushing, as if the question hat
been of herself rather than I.izzy. "she-
well, the fact is, husband, she's kind of rilet
about Johns not coming; you see We hay
emit real particular, about the children, ant
so''-
"You needn't spell it, Susan,' said Mr.
Griswold, with half smile; "Polly Mari
ner's tongue helped On, | guess. You lie,
L'zzy stay, if she wants to; 'twon't hur
her; when folks want to sulk generally le
ZEN. She can stay
He began to whistle "Yankpe Doodle
and pitch hay energetically while "Susan'
was within hearing: but how would tha
dear woman's soul have foundered deeper
and deeper in the fog that clouded it now
had she seen her grave husband sit down OF
the end of the hay-mow and laugh till tn,
tears stood in his keen eyes, and then
drawing his coat sleeve across the shaggy
lashes, say to himself, "Poor childn' ant
began his work with fresh strength
SO matters were all arranged After din
ner, the rusty. dusty, old carriage appearet
at the door, with the farm horses harnessec
thereto, jingling, and creaking, and snap.
ping,..as if oil and use were strangers to it.
dry joints and stiff straps. Mrs. Griswolt
mounted to the back seat. after KISSING
LiAhy "ieh hCn.,, lrglut ""j tviiprness,-
her old grey pelIsse and green winter bon
net harmonizIng with the useful age of he
conveyance. "Father," in sturdy grea
coat, and buckskin mttens, took tie rcns
and sam, whose blue Jacket was at tina
moment crushing his mothers Sunday car
in bandbox that sat where Lizzy should
have been, cambered over the front whee
to the great detriment Of the despiScI but
ternut suit. and seizing the whip applied il
SO suddenly to Tom and Jerry that they
started off down the Coventry road at a pace
that threatened a solution Of continuity to
bOnes and s!nCws, as well as wood and
leather.
Lizzy turned away sadly from the door.
Who can say that just at that minute she
did not wish that she had gone. too? But
nobody heard her say so. She went up
stairs to her room, and tried to read, but
couldn't attach any ideas to the words; she
was half an hour over page Of Il very good
book, and then flung it upon the bed with
an expression of disgust, as if it were the
books fault. Poor authors! toll your fin
gers off, and spin your brains out i! be as
wise as Solomon, or witty rs Sheridan
your work is vanity and veXation of spirit,
unless the readers brain choose to receive
and vivify the hieroglyphs of your ideas;
think yourselves successful because great
man praises you, and Tomorrow is twisted
with dyspepsia, or some woman passes him
without II smile, and your sparkling sketch,
your pathetic poem are declared trash =
Such is fame! of which little homily the
moral is,-write for money What a thing
it is to be word!ywise So was not Lizzy :
if she had been, she would now be at Gov
entry, kissed and caressed by grandfather,
aunts, and unclcs, cousins, and-But We
won't anticipate.
Lizzy flung down her book, and went to
her closet for another; but it WAS as good,
or as bad) as Bluebeard's closet, for there
hung the pretty crimson mcrino, with deli
cate lace at the throat and round the short
sleeves, in which Lizzy Griswold once in
tended to electrify Mr.. John Boynton this
very evening. True it is that short sleeves
are not the most sensible things for Novem-
Der, but Lizzy was twenty, and such round,
white arms, that she liked to wear short
sleeves, as any girl would; and who is going
to blame her ? Not A girl doesn't know
her privileges who was never just little
vain,-iust n little glad to bo pretty when
John is by. Lizzy looked at the crimson
mcrino, and at the smart slippers on the floor
with shining black bow on each instep.
There, too, on little low table, was Il
green box; somebody had left it open,-
mother, perhaps, so she saw on its
cotton bed Il red coral bracelet, that came
from Roxbury, Or thereabouts, last wear a,
this time. Lizzy shut up the box, and went
down stairs to get tea.
Chloe was indignant to think s'Afiss Lis
BETH thought she couldn't get supper with
out help. and Miss 'Lisbeth was vexed with
Chloe for being cross. And then, wheI
supper came, the tea seemed to be very un,
willingly to be swallowed, and the new
bread was full of large Jumps that choked
a person, and the lamps didn't burn clearly
at alI,-and-and--w when Chloe, still sulkly
had cleared the table, Lizzy set down on
low cricket beside her mothers stuffed rock
ing -chair and had us good cry as ever shc
had in her life, and felt much better for it
81 shn sak thare u;,b bor hood M tb.