Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-01-11
MY DAUGHTER MINNIE,

A few years ago-wcll it is less than forty
my little home-flock was led, i'm the matter
of years, by my daughter Minnie--a pretty
name always thought. Minnie was a good
child, and being the first-born. was half ma
tcrnal in her management Of the latter comers,
even down to little " Pigeon" the latest and
tiniest of all.
The picture of Minnie is Just as fresh in nv
memory as though the forty years which
have slmmercd and evapOratcd since. had
been weeks instead. But it is fathers eve
that looks over these years at Minnie, and the
beauty may be half fancy-a sort Of affecta-
tional illusion. Those we loveare transparent,
you know-we who imagine it is surface-tint
and surtace-light of which we are thinking
This much | know, Minnie was the best,
most affectionate, and widest of daughters -
one OF those spirited but industrious little
creatures upon whose enterprise and tact the
greatest and strongest Of us will illinvoluntarily
lean.
Minnie shall want five or six breadths
in this skirt 7" her mother would say.
Looking up, with just little knitting of
the forehead, after moments thought Min
ME would answer:- # fa
(" ! think five will do mothcr;'' and five it
was.
l can hear, even now, the voice of Minnie S
mother-she has been gone twenty wears.
dear heart !--calling from the head of the
stairs -
Minnie! Say-Minnie p
"What, Mother?'
"What shall we have for dinner to- -day ~
You are tired, mother; let's have little
ham and some eggs, with some peas from the
garden, and bread" That settled the bill of
fare.
And so it was through the livelong day /:
for in all the domestic policy Minnie, though
only prime minister, possessed regal power.
At this time--this forty years ago-I was.
OF course, in the prime Of life, and full OF the
cares and responsibilities which cluster and
cling to one manhood.
was largely engaged in active business,
received some light evidences of public con-
fidence saw a large family coming up about
me-from all of which my natural positive
ness and force Of character received more or
less strengthening.
One night, when the last candle had been
extinguishcd and all was hushed, my wife
said, with some anxiety of tone
:" Husband, feel uneasy about our Min.
ME-"
Minnie Why, what is the matter ? is
she sick ~ q Htis
No; she isn't sick, but" zaG
But what, wife ?" 1 afs
Why, Minnie isl mean, she seems to
be-well, I'm afraid she likes Jenny Brun. -
"Jcmmy Brun She'd better not" And
leaped to the hoor and walked to the win.
dow. !" Jenny Brun, and our Minnie Ia
pretty match ~ !, sr =.
81 was afraid you would be disturbed
dear; but don't take it so much to heart
husband. | dare say we can put stop to
it." And motherly sobs came from the pill
low.
Put stop to it guess will. Jenny
Brun and our Minnie IL guess scil put 4
stop to it, u a.is - 10 az.
And who was Jenny Brun, A young
man Of some two years residence in, the
| neighborhood, Of good habits SO far as
knew. bat altogether and diamctrically op
posed to my taste, tn my ideal Of manlIness
] had always worshiped business tact and
enterprise.
i II had taken me. when 4 pcnniless boy
and brought me up through numbefleas dir
fcultics to position Of influence Thal
which was found in my nature when young
was thus nourishei and rooted through al
the after years Of struggle ripening into tri
4 unsph. s H6s ira 3sfi Ta Ial 98f8
fhsyouug nah Was Of . literary tsra o.
mind and taught in an academy; was I
I writer i was said, fvr one O. two periodicals
hiss sSiks so1BsmneJs, which came prsciscly
! within - anepss ~ my centempt Iqhsi
Known e h cthsrS-in strong business M: