Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-07-23
DON'T PROPOSE IN THE DARK.

DON'T PROPOSE IN THE DARK.
The pretty, square farm house, standing AT
the corner near Kilbes lane (for the first
phrase, although giving by far the closest pic
ture Of the place, does, it must be confessed
look rather 1rish), and where the brook wind.
away by another lane, until it spreads into
river like dignity, as it ineandcrs through the
sunny plain of Hartley common, and finally
disappears amidst the green recesses of Perge
wood-that pretty. square farm house, half
hidden 10y the tall clms in the flower court be-
fore 1t. which with tho spacious garden and
orchard behind, aud the extensive barns, yards
and outbuildings, so completely occupies one
of tho angles formed by the crossing of the
lane aud the streani-ihat pretty farm house
contains one Of the bappiest and most prosper
OTIS families in Aberleigh-the large and lirv-
ing family OF Farmer Evans.
Whether from SIX i'll or from good fortune
or, as Is most probable, from "A very lucky
mixture OF botb--evcry thing goes right on
his great farm His crops are tho best In the
parish his hay never spoiled his cattle never
die his servants never thicvc his children
are never III bU buys cheap and sells dear (;
money gathers upon him like a snowba IL
aud yet, In spite Of all this provoking aud in :.
tolcrable prosperity, everybody loves Farmer
Evans. lie is so hospitable, so good natured ,
40 generous and SO hOmely
There, after all, lies tho charm. Riches
have only not spOlt the man, but they have
not altered him. He Is just the same IN look,
aud word. and way, that he was thirty years
ago, when he and his wife, with two sorry
horses, COW aud three pigs, began the
world At Dean Gate, little bargain Of twenty
milos oil. Ay, and Ills wife Is tho same wo.
maii--thc same frugal, tidy, industrious, good
hstnr.d Mrs. Evans-so noted for her activity
ia tongue and limb, her good looks and plain
Al frnD al n&fn rod
tive, a plain dressing is Mrs. Evans at forty.
five Ss she was st nineteen, and In different
way almost as good looking.
TIL. children, six "boys," as Farmer Evans
promiscuonly calls them, whose ages vary
from eight to twenty, and three girls two
grown up and one the youngest Of tho family,
are just what we might expect from parents
who are so simple and so good. The young
men, intelligent and well conducted; the boys
docile ard promising aud the little girl. as
pretty little curly headed, rosy checked
pnppct as ever was the pet and plaything of
large family. 1t is, however, with the eldest
daughters we have TO do.
Jane and Patty Evans were as much alike as
hath ever bcfallcn any two sisters not born at
one time ; tor, in the matter Cf twin children,
there has been series of puzzles ever since
the days OF the DrOmos. Nearly Of an age,
exactly of IA stature ESQ high that Frederick
the Great would have coveted them for his
tall regiment), with hazel eyes, large mouths,
iull lips, white teeth, brown hair, clear, heal
thy complexion, and that sort of a nose which
is neither Greek nor Roman, nor aquilne, nor
cs petit me- ret rouse, that some persons prefer
10 them all, but Il nose which moderately
prominent, and sufficiently well shaped, is yet
rs far as know, anonymous, although it may
he, perhaps, as common or as well looking a
feature as is to been seen on an English face.
Altogether, they were a pair of tall and comely
naidens, and being constantly attired in gar
ments of the same color and fashion, looked
at times much alike that no stranger ever
dreamed of knowing them apart, and even
their acquaintances were rather accustomed to
speak and think of them as the ssEvanses'
than the separate individuals Jane and
Patty. Even those who did prctedd TO distin-
guish the one from the other were not exempt
from mistakes, which the sisters Patty espe
cially, who delighted in the fun 80 often pro-
duced by the unusual resemblance-werc apt
TO favor by changing places in walk, or
slipping from one side to the other at a coun-
try tea party, or playing hundred innocent
tricks, 10 occasion at once grave blunder and
d merry laugh.
Old DInah Goodwin, for instance-who, be-
ing rather purblnd, was jealous of being sus-
pected Ct seeing less clearly than her neigh
bors, and had delied even the Evanses to puz |
Ele her descernment- nt-seeking in vain on Pat
ty's hand the cut finger which she had dressed
on James, ascribed the Incredible cure to her
own incompatible salve, and could hardly be |
undeceiyed, even by the pulling of of James /
glove and the exhibition of the lacerated digit |
sewed round by her own bandage. Young !
George Kelly, too, the greatest beau in the |
parish, having bet at a Christmas party that he
would dance with every pretty girl in the I
room, lost his wager, which Patty had over
heard, by that saucy dainsel slipping into her
sisters place, and persuading her to join her
own unconscious partner so that George !
danced twice with Patty and not at all with
'ane-a baDtering piece of malice which prov
ed, as the young gentleman "a rustic exqui-
site of the first water) was pleased to assert,
That Miss Patty was not dspleased with her
partner. How little does vain man know of
womankind. If she had liked him, she would
not have played the trick for the mines OF
dolcoDda. In short from their school days,
When Jane was chdden for Patty's bad work,
and Patty slapped for James bad spinning,
down TO the prime Of womanhood, there had
been no end to the confusion produced by this
remarkable instance of family likeness.
And yet nature-who setts some mark of
Individuality upon even her meanest produc-
tween the lambs dropped from one eve, the
robins bred in one nest, the flowers growing
on one stock, and the leaves growing on one
Hee-had not Left these mafdens without one
permanent distinction-a natural and strik.
ng dssmilarty of temper. Equally indus
uuoos, afectionate, happy and kind; each was
sind, happy, affectionate and industrious in a
inherent way. Jane was grave; Patty was