The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-06-15

CttNUBg WbtU u 4ut1BtCeb BUtblS VIMNIUR
arOund bis lips. He was tall, we'll form.
ed man, with bold but handsome face,
Sinburnt end heavily. y.bearded, and look.
ing anything but 'delicate,' though his
blus syes glanced out from under 4 fore.
head ss Whites % sss0w. He loOkedarOund
the Kitchen with 'mlschisvOuS smllr; and
stretched ont hta feet before him, decOEar
ted with the dei0nct B0nilace's slippers.
'UPO1my word this h stepping Into the
old mans shoes with VeNgeancei And
what . hearty, gOOd,hum0rDa lookinE wo-
man. she lsl Kind A 4 kitten. and he
leaned forward and stroked the cat and
her brood, and then patted old Browse
upon the head. The widow bringing in
sundry good things, looked pleased at his
attention TO her duu,b cat and dog.
Its wonder Bowse does not grOwl; he
generally docs if strangers touch him.
Dear me, how stupidi' 80
This last remark was neither addressed
to the stranger nor TO the dog, but to her.
SELF She had forgotten that the little
stand was not empty and there vas no
room on Il for the thinGa she held.
'Oh, III manage II, said the guest, gath.
eling up paper, candle, apples and speCta.
cles, (it was not without little pang that
she saw them IN his hand, for they had
been the landlords, and were placed each
night, like the m.chair, beside her, and
depositing them on the settle.
Give the the table cloth, ma'am. lean
spread II as well as any woman; have
learned that, along with scores of other
useful things, In my wandering Now,
let me relieve you Of those dishes-they
are far too heavy for those hands.' The
little widow bluShed. And now please
sit down with Ine, or cannot cat NOR.
sell ~ ~
i had supper long ego, bot really I
think ] can take something mOre,f said
Mrs. Minards. drawing her chair HsarOr,to
the table.
'Of course you can, my dear lady 10
this cold autumn weather people ought to
eat twice aS much as they do IL warm.
Let inc give you piece Of this ham, your
own curing, dare say
Yes; my poor husband was very fond
OF 1t. He used TO say that no one under.
stood curing ham and drying beef better
than L.
He was n most sensible man, | am
sure. drink your health, na'am, in this
cider .l
He took long draught, and sat down
his glass
1t il like nectar
The widow was feeding BowSc and the
cat, (who thought they were entitled TO a
share Of every meal eaten in the house, }
and did not quite hear what he said. |
fancy she would hardly have known what
nectar was-so II VISA quite as well.
Fine dog, ma'an, and very pretty cat.
They were my husbands favOritcs :
and sigh followed the answer.
'Ah, your husband must have been q
very happy man.
The blue eyes looked at her so long that
she got flurried.
is there anything more I can get for
you, sir, she asked ut last.
I" Nothing, thank you; Thave finished.
She rose to clear the things away. He
assisted her, and somehow their hands
had q queer knack Of touching a. they
carried the dishes to the pantry shelves.
Coming back to the kitchen, she put the
apples and cider in their old places, and
then brought out clean, pipe aud box
Of tobacco from an arched recess near the
chimney. -------------------------------
MY husband always said he could not
sleep after eating supper late unless hs
smoked, she said. Perhaps you would
like to try It yourself
mot II II ia to drive you away,' he
answered, for she had her candle 10 her
hand. eq'
oh, no; do not object to smokA at
ALL She put the candle down some
faint suggestions about propriety' trOu.
bled her, but she glanced at the old clock,
and fslt assured. II vas only half past
nine. ....,.., .n',.,Is
The stranger pushed the stand back
after the pipe was, lit, and drew her easy.
chair little nearer the fire, and his own.
Come, sit down. he said pIeadingly
it'S not late, and When' 4 man has been
knocking about in California and all sorts
Of places, for score Of years, he is glad
enough to get intO berth like this, and
to have pretty woman to speak to once
again. 49, u -
California; Have you been IN Cali.
fOrnia Y she exclaimed, dropping into q
chair at once. UnconsciOusly, she had
long cherished the idea that Sam Payson,
the lover Of her youth, With whom she
had 90 EOoIis6ly Q0aTTeled had pitched his
tent, after many wAndesiUgs In thsk Gar.oG
land. Her heart warmed to one who, with
something OF Sans looks aud ways about
him, had also been s9iOurnlng IN thai
country, and who, very possibly, had .nct
hiw-perhapa had known him intimately
At that thought her heart, beat quick
and she looked very graciOusly At tht
bearded stranger, wrapped In Mr. Min
ards dressing gown, and wearing Mr.
MinaFda' slippers, and sitting IN NJ. Min.
ards chair, beside Mr. Minards' wife.
smoking Mr.. MinardS' pipe, with such az
air OF feeling most thoroughly aud com
fOrtably at hOEnel 81 ="
Yes, ma'am, I've been IN California n,
the last six years. And before that wen
quite around the world Ia whaling ship.
Good gracious I - -
The stranger sent a puff of smoke curl.
ing gracefully over his head.
its very strange. my dear lady, how
oiten you seN one thing a you EO wan
dering about the world allee chat GsshiOn.
And what b lhatt' q ..to -.
Men, without house 0T home abOvt
their heads. rowing, here and there aad
turning up at ell sorts Of odd places
caring very little for, lie. a. \ genera
thing, and making fortunes Just % tliNs
them ayay again, and all for one, reason
You don't sSk inc what that is? Nc
doubt you know already very we'll. "' :
Il think not, air.
Because woman has fitted them T.
Here was : long pause, and Mr. Min,
ards pipe emitted, short ppfFs With anna,
SiNg tapidity. "A guilty conscience needs
no accuseF, and the widows cheek was
dyed with bluShes 90 she Thought Of the
ahsettA Safm rHa7-i'l - irN9'
/ u wonder how women manage when
they gst ssFsed IN the same way, haId the
atFAm@ass sAtraahahst tvNsv AAtt.eu eleAAe tkSs..