The mountain Democrat., 1864-06-25
MY OLD COOKS STORY.
BY PAULINE PRESTON.


imam, ! have seen some strange thing.
in my long life of service, ] can tell you.
! know the secrets Of good many Iami
lies, and understand the difference he.
tween company faces and home faces pret-
~ well by this time.
There's many seemingly happy couple
who are always my d. Ring each other in
public, who quarrel like cats and dogs at
home. There's many house where they
give fine dinners and great supprrs to
their friends, and scrapc and pinch among
themselves to do it. I've lived where the
poor lady sat up night after night to let
her husband in unknown, As she thought,
to any one, and when he came as late rs
three or four o'clock of morning, he was
in such state that would no! have open
cd the door for him; and I've lived where
a tru>t(ul, plOdding business man never
guessed what CAV gentlemen visited his
wife while he was absent. Yes, ma'am.
I've seen many sights, and found out a
many secret, but never such sights Or such
secrets as those met with at my first
place, forty years ago next summer.
vas n fresh, buxom country girl then.
with checks a. red AS any apple, and VAS
counted handsome; so, when it came time
for me to 60 to service, Granny, the only
relation had living, was terrible anxious
about me.
Girls are light hearted and light mind.
ed, She said, and are easily carried away
by tatlcry, 81 that handsome young frl-
low with smooth tongue might lead Ann
into all kinds Of folly
81 Granny dehbcratcd, and refused this
place because it was too gay, am that
place because the sous hmd lust returL, Il
from collrg", and seemed .aS though she
never would hc suited. At last. however,
the minister, who had been hachclor Su
tar, t. came n married Iuan, and Granny
came home M gIe eat rXultatInn to say that
had been chosen fium u host uG appli
,anta hv hi> young "If,', who needed an
uthcr servant b. >ldY> the gray headed old
black wonau VIM h # been H. the kitril, II
d! the paI>o'ase Ter d,It hii,A> how ma.
uN lcrI>
L. inr rla,., said Giau'N 'y"r
Wiii ica'" rr' ham 'i,cr. and the rhinL>irr
hir,clt VII SIC tn y"uu g,iuG L. chu'ch
'csniS'iI {; 50 the poor "li ia1y a,k, d
hct trunk and went back h"mr t. h, r
MIt.c iainI, and t"k my way /" The mln
listers
| kncW good deal iuuIV about him than
G'haHv din. thrnu.h going ruurc amrIig
the N"ung h. L. IN The vi a"v, and | had
heard noN. Inr Il whole var. every "nc
Thought lie Was C'.urt'u. Mis- Pcnclum
Rc ami that il ~. uli certainly have
4 a Il, IA
tom. Wln, c"uLns tn trc place "n visit.
heWitchcd lin, witt her hiIsht yes, ani
was married I" hi" ~ ~ '"rth. Some
al il "a> a shhIn, lnd that Mis- l,nrt-
"ic bad hrcn jr.ird. and "thrr> said Ihnt
thrrc Il VUr hdd II "a tnNthin. stilnu. it,
rcrdr.I "n thc ministers I,ntI AUD alnu>t t
ryrIN body u lIrV,d t',at Miss Prnrl",r.
rtcd "r unt. wa> far the IrcIti It, ani
that but tr her eyes, Miss Bella, h"w
M,,t'c>> Burlington, would have bee"
quite p!ain.
Pima never could have called her, for
her face was lhr brightest that ever saw
1t changed lik" an April day. and Won
could never tell What expression wound
cone next into th"sr goat broAn eyes -
didn't blanc Mr.. Burlington for loving
her well, let Miss Reedc bc whatever she
might.
supp sc married life is about the same
the world over, while the pair are young
aud loving, and duly mated. The. minis.
t,r aud his wife Were like two turtle doves;
his arm was always about her waist, or
her huhd rr>tin. Oh his shoulder. She
was So precious TO iHm that he condn' I
bear to be away from her a moment, but
would have her sit brs de him while hr
wrote his sermons, and go with him on
all the visits which he, AS the minister,
was obliged to make.
At first think he loved her most; but
by aud hy, She grew So fond Of HIM that
there seemed no end to her affection. II
is always ST. with women; the married li",
which makes most men grow Indifferent,
only makeS the woman love more.
think, ina am, if men only knew how
much love could he given them by their
young wives, they ID try harder for it than
they generally do.
To 40 Mr.. Burlington justice, no one
could find fault with him. At the end Of
six months he was as much Of lover a.
ever. Ii the story about his jilt!as Pc
nrlope Rrede was true. she would have
been a jealous woman if she could have
seen them roaming up and down the little
garden while he twined roses in her hair
: aud told h,r how they become her or,
Siti on the old piazza, long, So Get
moonlight evenings, whispering 10 each
,, other as only those do who have some
, thing very tender to say. Often and often
have thought. a> watched them, thai it
would hc happy thing to have such Il
loving husband as Mr.. Burlington.
1t vas IA beautiful summer evening"
remember it a. well as If it were only yes.
terday - that was clearing away the tea
things in the back parlor, aud my mis-
/ trcsS was lying on sofa, not being very
well. while my master read to her. The
red light Of the lamp was IN the room, hut
out on the verandah, through the nprI
windows, lay the brightest moonlight
ever saw. Standing in it, | motto. d, before
the others did, lady dressed ~ white
She had pa brown hair. fair skin, and
very soft blue eyes She held her bonnet
in her hand, and stood, with hrsltating
sort Of look, upon the window sill. |,
) was long French window, reaching t,
the floor.
Sir ma'am-a Lady! | >aid. aud
Y vas 50 startled mat almost sand ghost
for such Il lair, pure locking creature
never SAN before. As SPOKE she cam,
in.
'Y"n will pardon my unrcr' noninuS en-
trance she >nid i do not know tn,
house well, Mrs Burlington. If you'
. i,uSbnnd has thr icnst rrcniltcii0n af ne
. he will intrnducc me aS Miss Prnelnp,
Reede'
My m'sn c>s put her pretty hand in thai