Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-05-25
VOLUME XIV.

certain = Dear GEORGE" VINO sent his let
tiers under cover to the butchers wife, who
| brought them in with the beef and mutton,
| and said, "Bless ye, nature will be nature
/ for all old maids and | was gal myself
GUST afore Cleaver courted me-"
/ Dear George was desperate. He could
not live without seeing his Bella. He wrote
/ bitter things about spinster aunts. He al
/ luded feelingly to those rendezvous in the
/ back garden of the seminary, with Miss
/ Glover standing sentry at the gate on the
/ lookout for a governess and enemy. The
/ first opportunity he was coming to Plain
acres, and intended to see his Bella or die
/ Was he not twenty-three and she seventeen?
/ Were they to waste their lives at spin
ster's bidding? No
/ Miss Preciosa, with her Argus-eycd
watchlulness, sat calmly hour by hour two
! inches from the locked drawer Of a cabinet
/ which contained the gentleman's letters,
! and dmed from meats which had been the
means of conveying them across the thres-
hold, intoxicating her principles into the
minds Of her nece and handmaiden, the
latter of whom grinned behind her lady's
chair without reserve Charity Pratt, hav-
| ing grown to besixteen, also had her Sc
crct 1t was the apothecary's boy who, in
| his own peculiar fashion, had expressed ad-
! miration at church by staring
\ few days after, DR.. Green, the bach
/ elor minister, called at the cottage De
borah went out to huff and snap, and was
subdued by the big eyes She came in.
Miss" said she, '' the clergyman is out
there"
"Where ?" gasped Preciosa
| In the garden, Miss, wantin' you"
"Me You said, of course, | was out?'
No, Miss Every body receives their
pastor"
So the pastor was ushered in. He con-
verscd of church affairs. Miss Preciosa
answered by polite monosylables. Bella
smiled and stitched Deborah sat on a
hall chair on guard. Finally the best spec
linen of that bad creature, man, was got
out Of the house safely, and the ladies
| looked at each other as those might who
had been closeted with a polar bear and
escaped unharmed
He's gone, aunty," said the hypocrite.
Thank goodness !" said sincere Pre-.
ciosa. 81 thought should have tainted.
Necer let it happen again, Deborah. Re
member Pm always engaged.
"But he seems nice well-spoken, good
behaved kind of a gentleman " said Dcbo-
rah " And a clergyman.
$50 he does, " said Preciosa. "But ap-
perances are deciteful. | once knew a
/ clergyman"
| Yes, Miss"
"a Doctor of Divinity Bella"
Eyes, aunt
Ah who Who"
"WelI?"
"Who kissed a young lady ofhis congre-
cation in her fathers garden
Oh auut !"
He afterwards married her But !
never could visit her or like him."
"Bless you, no." said Deborah ''Now
the best thing you can do is to have cup
Of strong green tea and something nourish-
ing to keep your sperlts up. Clea!er's wife
has just fetched oysters in. Private sig
nal to Bella.)
HAS she ? OIL so loce oysters " cried
Bella, and ran to get dear Georges last,
1t was a brief one and in it George VOW
ed to appear at the cottage when they least
/ expected him and demand his betrothed.
That evening, at dusk, Miss Preciosa
walked in the garden alone She was
thinking Of pair Of romantic big eyes, Of
a soft voice and a softer hand which she
had been surprised into allowing to shake
hers
It's pity men are so wicked " said
she, and sighed. Although she was near
thirty she looked very pretty as she walked
iii the moonlight, forgetting to put on prim
airs and graccs and to stilfen herself Her
figure was much like her niece Belia's 50
much so that some one on the other side Of
the convent-like wall, with eyes upon lev
cl with its upper stones, ,fancied it was that
young lady. Under this belief he Chamber
ed up, stood at the top, and whispered,
My dearest look up, your best beloved
is here behold your George !"
And Preciosa, lifted 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 gentleman
in sad plight, bloody and senseless, and
Miss Precosa half dead with terror
Bella, recognized dear George, tainted in
, good earnest. Prcciosa, encouraged by
numbers addressed the PROSTATE youth,
g Get up,young man, and go your wick
edness has been perhaps sufficiently pun
ished. Please go ="
I" He can't he's dead, said Deborah.
Oh, echat sudden judgementl You're
sure he's dead ?"
Yes, Miss
Then take him into the house and call
the doctor
They laid him on the bed and medical
aid came the poor fellow had broken a
leg.
He'd get well. Oh yes, but he couldn't
/ be moved
Miss Preciosa could not murder fellow
creature and she acquiesced
He can't run off with the spoons until
his leg is BETTER said Deborah
He isn't able to elope with any one, )"
/ said Miss Preciosa d" and we should be
/ gentle with the erring. Who shall we find
/ to nurse him.
Old Todds is competent, Miss" said
! Deborah
" Yes. Do send for that old person." said
the lady
And old Todds came. He Of course dwelt
in the house. The doctor came every day.