The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1865-03-24

had pleasant little hlrtauOns at Will, anC
keeping up a private correspondence witt
certain Dear George, who sent hi!
letters under cover to the butchers wife
who brought them in with the beef anC
mutton, and said, Bless ye, Datur will be
natur for all old maids; and was a ga
myself onst afor Cleaver courted me-
| Dear George was desperate. He could
not live without seeing his Bella. He
wrote bitter things about spinster aunts
He alluded feelingly to those rendezvous
in the back garden of the seminary, with
Miss Clover standing sentry at the gate
on the lookout for a governess and ene~
my. The first opportunity he was coming
to PIainacaes, and intended to see his Bel
Ia or die. Were be not tWenty-three and
she seventeen? ? Were they to waste their
lives at a spinster's bidding? No.
Miss Preeiosa, with her Argus-eyed
watchfulness, sat calmly hour by hour
two inches from the locked drawer of a
cabinet which contained the gentleman's
letters, and diued from meats which had
been the means of conveying them across
the threshold, intoxicating her principles
into the minds of her niece and handmai-
den, the latter Of whom grinned behind
her lady's chair without reserve. Charity
Pratt, having grown to be sixteen, also
had her secret. It was the apotheeary' s
boy who, in his own peculiar fashion, had
expressed admiration at church by staring.
A few days after, DR.. Green, the batch
elor minister, called at the cottage. De-
borah went out to huff and snap, and vas
subdued by the big eyes. She came in.
Mss said she, the clergyman is out
there
sWhere?' gasped Preciosa.
In the garding, Miss, Wantin' you
Ne! You said, of course, was out?'
'No, Miss. Every body receives their
pastor
So the pastor was ushered in. He con-
versed of church affairs. Miss PreciOsa
answered by polite monosyllables. Bella
smiled and stitched. Deborah sat on a
hall chair on guard. Finally the best
specimen of that bad creature, man, was
got cut of the house safely, and the Ia
dies looked at each other as those might
who had been closeted with polar bear
and escaped unframed.
sHe's gone, aunty,' said the hypocrite.
sThaux goodness , said sincere Preci-
osa. I thought I should have tainted.
NeUer let it happen again, Deborah. Re-
member I'm always engaged.
But he seems a nice, well-spoken,
good behaved kind of a gentleman, said
Deborah. A1ad a clergyman
SO he does, said Preciosa. But ap-
pearances are deceitful. once knew
Clergyman
Yes, Miss
"a Doctor of Divinity, Bella
fYes, aunt
EAhl who-who-'
'Well?'
Who kissed a young lady of his con-
gregation in her fathers garden
ooh aunt
He afterward married her But I
never could visit her or like him..
Bless you no. said Deborah. Now
the best thing you can do is to have a cup
of strong green tea and something nOur
ishing to keep your sperits up. Cleaver's
wife has just fetched oysters in (Pri-
vate signal to Bella.)
Has she? Oh, I so love oysters .
cried Bella, and ran to get dear Georges
last
It was a brief one, and in it George
vowed to appear at the cottage when they
least expected him and demand his be-
rothed.
That evening, at dusk, Miss Preciosa
walked in the garden alone. She was
thinking of a pair of romantic big eyes,
of soft voice and softer hand which
she had been surprised into allowing to
shake hers.
Its a pity men are so wicked I said
she, and sighed. Although she was near
thirty she looked very pretty as she walk.
ed in the moonlight, forgetting to put on
prime airs and graces and to stifen her
self. Her figure was much like her niece
Bella's, SO much so that some one on the
other side of the convent-like wall, with
eyes upon a level with its upper stones.
fancied it was that young lady. Under
this belief be clambered up, stood at
the top, and whispered,
My dearest look up, your best below
ed is here; behold your George
And Preciosa, lifting her eyes, beheld
man on her wall, flung her hands in the
air, and uttered a shrek like that of an
enraged peacock.
The gentleman discovered his mistake. |
endeavored to retreat, stumbled and fell
headlong among flower pots and boxes,
and lay there quite mOtionless.
The shrek and the clatter aroused the
house. Deborah, Bella, and Charity Pratt
rushed to the scene, and found a gentle
man in a sad plight, bloody and senseless,
and Miss PreeiOsa half dead with terror.
Bella, recognizing dear George, tainted !
in good earnest. Preciosa, encouraged by
numbers, addressed the PROSTATE youth,
Get up, young man, and go; your
Wickedness has been perhaps sufficiently !
punished. Please go.
He can't; he's dead said Deborah.
oh, '9hat sudden judgment You're
sure he's dead p
les, MISS.
Then take him into the house and call
the doctor
They laid him on the bed and medical
aid camej the poor fellow had broken a
leg.
He'd get well. Oh yes, but he couldn't
be moved
Miss Preoiosa could not murder a fel-
low-creature, and she acquiesced.
He can't run off with the spoons uu-
til his leg is BETTER said Deborah.
He isn't able to elope with any one,'
said Miss PreciOsaj 'aDd We should be