Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1861-03-02
A Country Romance.

Uncle Joshua Gray owned fne farm
in the neighborhood OF .he Hudson High
lands. He WAS rich enough to retire but
/ he couldn't bear to give the farm up, de-
clarng that seed time and harvest had
and no must go on sowing and reapiug
until the sickle Of the Great Reaper she Il
lay him out Of sight OF the harvest moon
| forever. He worked with his men ike
one OF themselves, and told them many
Stories when they took their "nuonng. -
here was no music sweeter 10 hlm thar
tarm music, as he called it, and the sharp
enng OF the scythe under the warm blue
skies, tie cbirrup of the cricket in the
grass, the twitterlu. Of the swallows fit
ting round the batn ~hich held their nests
the tlnkhug of the cow bells AT milking
time, and the song OF the robin ut sunrise,
Comprised an opera for him ever varied
and delightful, of which his ear never
wenr.ed
Uncle Joshua liked his Joke, aud liked
to have his own way. His wife had been
dead many years, and be had never ign
81 away has liberiy. as he termed II, toy
marrying the second time. HIS household
coWuriScd one widowed sister, older than
h,m, cit. hi, "vn d,us h,er Fanny, as sweet
n glrl as ever wus torn 10 II farmer, aud a
servant Cuc.e joshua almost idohz. i
t'uuay. lie sent her - school. and had
her instructed ia the highest branches OF
study, Including whnteyer accomplishment
she. chose to acquire.
n ". Fanny had cousin. tall. hand :
some, mrTr, hearted cl.sp, who had charge
of the nrighborlng iarm. Many were the
sleigh rides they had together; Ia the hong,
cold winters. and many the chat at the
bars, when Fanny, just for the sake ef the
walk, useu to 20 dowa to the thfee, ,cornered
1T to bring home the cows. One time,
when cousin Nathan had taken Fanny Il"
dance some ten miles from home. and
she had been so sought alter all the eve
ming that she had only been his partner
once, he discovered that his heart had
Iassed cut OF his possession, altogether,
and on going home be charged Fanny
with having knowledge OF its where.
sbouts. Anyhow, he said she was the last
one who had it. Fanny looked half pleas
cd and half provoked, but admitted that
she had pe. with a similar loss, and as
tair exchange was no robbery, she would
keep his, since she had found it, if he
would be satisfied with hers in return. So
they thought it settled ms,ter, and heXt
day, after working hours Nathan spruced
up, and strolled over to Uncle Joshua o
ask consent. The old man smoked his
pipe in the porch. His evening opera
had Just begun. the sun WAS setting, and
there was soft, benign expression about
/ thought boded we'll for his mission. He
was manly, straightforward young tel
low. and after shaking Uncle Joshua =
hand. he sat down by his side, and said
/ gently
/ II ncls joshua
! w ell, Nathan
/ "Fanny'-(a pause which Uncle Joshua
filed with two long whiifs d. his pipe
Fanny and love each other, Uncle.
| The aeuce you do
''She referred me 10 you, sir-have you
any objections ?"
ANY objections to her referring you to
me? OF course | have nt-why should
! l?'
ANY objections to our getting married
Uncle ,Joshua?'
Getting married, Ell Well, what wo'd
YOU DO with a wife 2?
Love and cherish har'
Does that mean surnort her?
why, Of course, sir
And wha. have you got to support her
with p
Two stout arms and a still stouter
| heart. SIR
"Well, they won't d. far my Fanny
Nathan, no how. Fanny hasn't been sdu
ated and accom-. plished and made lady
Of just to throw herself away upon some
| young country chap, who one Of these
DAYS will he such a stolid old farmer as
/ her fa,he Now, I've seen YOU kinder
| hanging round here a good deal, but
never dreamed it was Fanny you was after
| don't believe in cousins marrying, any
how. for the Bible expressly torbids IT."
1T iorbids only the marrying Of second
cousins, sir
We'll, whoever wrote the law did no,
suppose that first cousins would ever be
/ such fools as to marry"
ii believe could make Fanny happy
Uncle Joshua
Maybe you could but my grandchild.
rem would all be IDIOTS,
'.Oh, Uncl. +
We'll. Nathan. faint no use talking
! Fanny don't know her own mind yet -
This thing however 10 settled you and