The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1864-01-07
MATS WIFE.
BY GRACE GARpNER.

hearty, chcery voice. "-A little fur.
thcr Ben that's right" 81
."But, Squire, who's agoipg to play
on il? Itdoesn't go itself, does it p
with sly twinkle ii his little gray
eyes. p 10 B.
Mats manly sunburnt face took a
deeper tingo, and he answered, With an
enIbarrassc1 iaUsh; '"' ' i
"A piano first, and then a player" f
I "Well, l guess the plAyer's engaged
They say there's nobody in town pays
SO well as Mary Sndyder. She's "a
beauty anyway if ever saw ouej isn't
she, Tom p. o, ''l . '". t.- a.. eIl
| There was an expression ofprido and
! perfect happiness in the depths ofNats
dark eyes, but he turned away shyly
from the Intelligent glances Of the
men. t' -f..
! "Take away all those packing cases,
Ben, and other rubbish, ana store them
| in the old barn. and tomorrow finish
that fenceP 10 1871. +.' E' r..
A. The men turned away Nat looked
after them, then softly shut and locked
the door . 10 a' '.''" ~ q. "~
Itwas all done now. The new house
was'completed and nearly furnished, ex-
eept few old heirlooms, from garret to
cellar. t..e aai -..fH .r.' or
1t stood two stories and half high,
painted white, with green blinds and a
piazza, a little way back from the street,
in one of the pleasantest spots in the
town, surrounded by' broad d fields
stretching pretti.y--almost luxuriously,
for farm house. He had gone fifty
miles, and selected with the greatest
care every article of furniture with an
eye to somebody's taste. Nothing with
fin his means could be too good Tor that
somebody; and sosSquire Nat his broad
forehead corrugated with frowns Of anxi
iety, threaded his way among countless
rolls of carpeting, andDbewildering ar
rays of parlor-sets and chamber-sets,
mirrors, and etageres, and then stopped
in helpless disrna5 at the task before him.
Afteria while, with the assistance Of the
corteous upholsterer, he made his seloc-
ton, paid the bills, gave the directions
for their being sent, and, rot little
tired with this unwonted brain and eye
work, took the next train home.
For whom was all this trouble taken
4 Who was this cherished somebody Of
whom even now Nat vas thinking as he
stood, We are sorry to say, in the uno-
mantle attitude of both hands in his
pockets and softly whistling, while he
tstrolled in and out from room to room,
up stairs and down, his face radiant with
happiness. his thoughts busy with an
unclouded uture--only-Nat's wife
This is, his wife TO be that day week
pretty Mary Snuyder, theibellc of the
iyillage--his-Nat's wife, How his
! great loving heart thrilled at the
thought! Would she be pleased with
this ? Would she want that alter ed ?
| What would she say when she saw the
piano? She played on a miserable
cracked thing at home, and this was the
finest instrument money could purchase.
There must have been little romance
in Mats composition, or he would never
have thought of keeping all his arrange
ments a secret, to give her a pleasa r.
surprise. 1t was past his power to kd
the new house q secret, else it is cert;
he would and Mary had been over
in different stages Of its complete
from the time Mats strong arm
| been necessary to help her over the l.
structin5 timber and hah-laid floor,
take a peep into all the parts she cot
till she stood in it painted and plaster
and it vas pronounced finished.
But since then, Nat had invented
sorts of reasons and excuses for keepi
her out, which, suppose, he answer
to his conscience some way. Nd
knew that it was being furnished, a
had all woman's curiosity /; but
had got the impression that cverythI
was to be very plain, and you may
sure Nat did not contradict this idea
His Mary! Would anything eyel
come between them to lessen their love
aud happiness? p? She was fragile. How
tenderly he would cherish her. ShC
Unjust not be burdened with care anc
toll, as many farmers. wives we're. Eff
tieht help was already secured, ans
must be returned--he could afford it
THeBtorms Of life Must not come ned
I his darling. Her bluel eyes shoul'
|. tnevor weep one bitter tear through him
n her heart neyer be for an instant heav
[. through any neglect of his The indii
e forepee,, the nnkind words, the unhaE
e pinesB of other homes must neyepbs !
d his" Men we're said; to be selfish, II
!. promised his own heart that he woul
|. ieyor consider Mary before lhnlsel
4 They would, ) God permitting, grow o.
together, loving saehr other pePre entir
" as they neared the grave ~ sbao4
II grew twilight while he loltere
and nrused. He awoke to the gaths
. ino shadows. b lie weht3out, trying Il
% Cors after hsohad loekod itS throag
gate, and down the road tili
Vi aou yasr 795i 1a7,