Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-12-07

Evening had closed dhrkly around the
little brown farm house in the hollow gray |
November nightfall and the Wild Niagara
Of crimson sunset fre had poured its Ham,
inR tides long since into the great unseen |
ohSlloe Of spiendor that lies hidden some /
where beyond the western horizon hne-t /
the monumental urn where rest entombed /
slIks. the days crowned with roses, and /
those baptized in tearsl There was no
sound Without save the branches Of the
huqe sycamore tree ohAhng uneasilyagainst
ths nnss senAmelled roof, and the plaintiVe
wind among the brown and scarlet leaves
that oarpeted every dingle Of the woods
Within, the red bricks Of the hearth had
bsen swept until they shone as If carved
in coral, and the many tongues Of hame
danced and cracked among the gigantic
logs like band Of elm sprites. The cricket
that harbored somewhere in the chimney
corner had commenced his vespers, and
Aunt Miriam Fenner's brisk knitting nee
dies shone and glanced in the IRE light 90
she sat there in an old fashioned cap bor-
der and speotaoles, looking almost as pret-
ty-so Uncle Peter thoughts she used
10 look in the days when he came sparkling,
and was wont to contemplate the evolu-
tIons Of her cleaning needles while he
considered what Il WRs best TO say next
Nobody would have suspected Uncle Pc
tar Of any such romantic meditation, as he
sat there sorting out seed-oorn and pack
aqes Of blue beans on his round table, and
labelling them with portentOus deliberations.
So httie do We know Of what is passing in
ons anothoF's mindsl
There was q third person, sitting in the
red hearth glow, however; ayoung man Of
sbout tWenty-four years OF age, with dark
brown hair and eyes TO correspond, who
amused himself BY tsntaliEing Aunt Miri-
ans gray kitten with the good old lady's
ball Of yarns-the animal like all the rest
Of hsFsex, becoming more and more snx-
ious for the EoOlly sphere the higher It
vas held.
- So you've really made up your mind to
get married, Jane-dO stop teasing that
kitisnl" said the old lady, with CON
strained voice.
"Yss, Aunt Miriam; it isn't good for
msn % be alone, you know
Thsre was q silence again. James Ar
nett wound and unWOund the yarn very
unnecessarily; Uncle Peter eyed his seed
peas thOughtfully, and Mrs. Fenner knit
ensrgstioally On, With pursed-up lips and
9 scarcely perceptible shrug Of the shoul-
ders.
AUNT Miriam, I wish you could see
Milicsnt," said the young man, at length.
al can't say I've any desire to see your
city young ladies, james, said Aunt Mir
ian, ooldly: q they're too fne spun for an
old woman like me. White hands and
piano playin' may be very grand dare
= l. r,-f = E,-,1F emit -4sf faufn lll
aBut, aunty, am sure you would Like
hsF.-Come nov, do be reasonable, and 60
over with me 70 Squire BroWnelPs to-
night; she is spending q week at her
FrsndfatheFs, and she would be so much
Erafifed 70 see you T.
aThank you, amt curious on the sub
jeetn responded Aunt Miriam, primly.
aOnlv hsered that Miss BroWnel had o
bsd stroke Of the rheumatic, and I don't
see. how she gets along 70 wait on her new
fsnglsd grandfather I"
I can't understand why you are so
Prejadiosd agsinst poor Milicenti Aunt
Mifidm," said the young man, uneasily.
9KWon't disguise from you that 1t makes
me s4Eery unhappy to think Of marrying
without the approval Of one who has been
u1theE 70 me, and yet
aaAnd yet you are determined to 60 your
own gait that's the plain English Of il,
james" said Aunt Miriam. "Wel, l
s'pose you can do without my consent )
you'll never git it anyhow"
And abe poked the IRE vigorously, as the
old clock began to strike.
HSeysn o'clock I" eiaoulated James,
starting up, and promised to be at the
post Office BY this time. There's 70 be a
meeting about the minister's Thanksgiving
donation party, you know, Uncle Peteri
Bless me, didn't imsgine how late it was ="
And with 3 gay parting nod to his aunt,
he disappeared.
aThere he gOes-as good boy as ever
lived" said Uncle Peter; but 1 guess
afore the eTenin' comes TO an end, he'll
eontriVe to get round to Squire BroWnelPs.
Miriam, you may as well say yes to that
sfEair at once; he's determined to marry
the gal, rings, and city fashions, and all y
al wish we'd never sent him to college
in New York, sighed Mrs. Fenner, then
be would not have come across this city
sWeetheart" trs3 E,t
Then he'd hs' come across somebody
else, so it's broad ss il is long" remarked
Uncle Peter, philosophioslly.
ayes, but il might have been 8 smart
stirring gal who knew how 10 keep house,
not useless toy good for nothin' but TO
Z hdng fhe clothes on. I tell, you, Peter, l
can't approve Of it no how"
Uncle Peter Whistled Hark from the
tombs doleful sound, and returned once
more to the contemplation Of his melon
seeds and oorn-kernels.
Nine o'clock, the FIRE covered with q
mound Of brown ashes; the cricket chirps
ing droFsily, and Uncle Peter snoring
mslodiously from an inner room; still Mrs.
Fenner SAT there mechanically plying her
knitting needles, yet all unconscious that
the kitten was frisking about, and hope
lessly entangling her precious bali Of home
spun yern-deaf and dumb and blind 10
everything but her own thoughts.
81 wonder" she began, and then stopped.
"After al, ," she mentally resumed the next
minute, ''there can't be any harm in it, if I
Just slip on my hood and shawl and 90
through the orchard path, across to Squire
BroRnWel's. Not that I'd 90 in-not bit
Of It; but I'd merely take peep in at the
keepin'-room window as l went past. l
woald like to see what sort of face It is
that has beWitched James SO completely
bat he must never be any the wiser for itl'
She pondered a second or two longer then
a ross haredly, extnguished the little candle
that stood in a shining brass candlestick on
the mantle, listened 3 moment TO the
unhroken monOtony of uncle Peters snores,
and muhing shawl round her head, with,
.sdESE the bolt Of the kitchen door, and
erspt out into the starless gloom Of the No
vsmber night
Il was but short distance, under the leaf
less branches Of the gnarled old apple trees
spd into the turnpike road Aunt Miriam
felt little conscious-stricl1en as she lifted the
wicket Of Squire BroEnelrs gate, and stole
noiselessly up the ehFyssRthemum bordered