The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-04-10

4uCIC1OIO, WuCu, Ou0 udy, CAiS ooiIAO
awkward, good-natured cousin of mine,
leaning over the gate and chewing straw,
said, slowly: ''Oousin Oliver, you mustn't
take it amiss if don't jine you when them
city chaps is down here. I don't like
them, and I guess they don't like me, and
I'd rather come to see you by myself, !"
it was hard work for me to suppress my
dissatisfaction. .s.
What John said he meant, and from that
time we were together very little, and by
degrees my heart was weaned from the
great, honest, generous fellow, so that I
had more kindred with the meanest and
most selfish of all my colleague chums
than for him.
1t was not to be expected that fash
ionable young gentleman of my education
and accomplishments should be very init
mate with an awkward country BOBBY,
even though he were cousin. Still there
was no ill-feeling between us. If John
was conscious of being sighted, he did not
exhibit the feeling, and when we met it
was with pleasant words and looks on both
sides.
When I had fairly entered my profess
sion, had thousand tokens of kind feel
ing on his part Costly books came per
express to my Office door parcels we're
continually forwarded, with accompanying
notes, brief as kilograms, such as 81 thort
you might like this here" or "There amt
no occasion for thankin' me. was a get
tin some for myself, and thought i might
as we'll have one fetched to you" And as
Cousin John seldom came to town, and
then made his appearance at my place at
an hour which my friends passed in bed, I
was very we'll contented with him, and
approved highly of his course Of conduct.
Now and then l condescended to write
him letter, which was always gratefully
acknowledged as an epistle from so fine a
fellow should have been by the country
BOBBY, and l had the satisfaction of think
ing what a generous soul was to take 50
much notice of him. ., ......
These were our relations to each other
when, three years from the time of my de
parture, stood once more upon the
threshold of my fathers bomestead-a
guest, for month, at least, of that bright
summer, when the city pavements were
red hot, and the city amusements at
stand-still. t
Will Simper was at Saratoga, and Jack
Jorkins at the White House, among the
Catskills. Every one, in fact, was rural
izing somewhere, and only John remained
to me as an intimate. Generous as ever,
he produced stores of fishing takcle, guns,
powder and shot; brought over his pet
horse gave me the key to his boat-house,
and made me at home with all his possess
sions. Still, | could see these things did
not interest him as they had once done,
and he had acquired habit of staring in
to vacancy, which made his light grey eyes
quite colorless Something unusual was
at the bottom of all this, l felt convinced !;
and one day l began, in a merry mood, to
rally him about his abstraction ,..tr
"You must be in love, John, II said.
"Confess, now, you are in love"
John looked sheepish, and opened his
mouth to degree which would have in :
spired Will Simper to another caricature.
We were in the stable at the time, looking
at the horses; and as last resort for his
confusion, John purloined a mouthful of
straw from the bundle, which had been
bestowed upon cold Bonaparte, :" the most
ancient animal in the establishment, and
chewed it ferociously.
- "You are in love, John, | persisted
"don't deny it" ....n
"Go long, replied John. "Iaint said
nothin' like it, have II" - ..........r
''Said! No but you've looked it"
"Have II" John seemed to find a
wonderful field of reflection in this re-
mark, and chewed the straw deliberately.
% WE'LL" he said, at last, - haven't no
need to be ashamed of it if l have. do
like a gal, that's fact, and if the gal likes
me I'll be a happy man. 1 hain't told no.
body, Oliver, and you mustn't neither-but
she is the prettiest little critter that ever
lived"
A vision of a rosy-cheeked dumping of
a country girl arose before my eyes, and'I
approved Of Johns condition of mind. II
1t will be a very good thing for you,
John," I said. "You need wife-some-
body to see to the butter and milk the
cows, and keep your nice old farmhouse
in order. 1t has been quite neglected.
since your mother died." - 10 7agL9
"Aye," said John, with a sigh, "poor
mother is amiss; but as for milking COWS,
and that, I'll hire folks for that. You
ought to hear her screech when she only so
much as sees a wooley." And he laugh
ed a boisterous cha, ha, ha !" that star
tied the inmates of the stable, ,Inand made
Old Bonaparte neigh again ,l'u,l q 1eeq.
' 'Why, who is she? . / asked. 81 don't
know Q girl in this neighborhood nervous
enough to be afraid Of cow" - gYad
.i-.l' 'She ar MT nervous bless you," said
John. aa !" 1t 8 her city bringing up; she
"Ah, ha! city girl" said I.
Yes she s a school -marmMhere this
summer, answered John. ~" Such little
mite of black-eyed gal, jest as fair as a
pond lily, and jest as soft and sweet as any
sysb b9d9le