The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-12-29

llC WdSl pDSillNt, iuti IL Ntt7 an WIG
same, for tea was ready, and Dick was
just little bit hungry. SO he went
into the house and sat down to the table
between John and Mary, and COM
mcnced talking ami eating just as If he
hadn't lost his heart fifteen minutes be-
fore, and couldn't tell for the life of him
who had it, except that it was beauti-
full young lady with melting blue eyes
and golden hair, with cheeks like peach
cs and lips of roses bright with dew,
who wore blue bonnet and had the
neatest little foot in the world.
But after tea was over and Mary had
washed up the dishes and put little
Jennie to bed, though she had to kiss
Uncle Dick twice before she would CO. |
Mary came into the parlor and sat down |
beside Dick on the sofa, and began to |
give him a delorious account of II young |
lady whose cruel parents were about to
force her to marry man she did not
love. An old fellow aged enough to be
her father, ugly as sin, who would make
her miserable all her life if he didn't
die, and the probability was that the
cross-graincd old fellow wouldn't, if he
thought it would please anybody. lie,
was rich, and 50 the girls parents
thought that it would be an excellent
match.
"And who is this distressed maiden ?"
=, asked Dick, feeling very much like ap-
pearing as champion for the young lady,
andrunning the old dcurmudgconth through
: with butter-knife and marrying the
, maid in spite of the old folks.
. Why, it's Katie Weavor-she lives
q next door in that brick house."
+ "Oh, no! You don't!" exclaimed
: Dick, starting to his feet.
o Don't what?" asked his sister in
q some alarm, grasplng his arm.
II "Don't say So"
f eyes, said so; but why?"
q "Thcn - pvc- seen - her!" replied
+ Dick, in a very solemn tone, resuming
/. his seat. eyes, these eyes have seen
# her, and-and-"
N "Well, that isn't very strange"
- "No! oh, no. it's nothing TO sec the
/, most beautiful woman that ever trod
:, the carth--nothing to behold the light
of her radiant countenancc, perhaps
IL and those eyes, so blue, so tender, and
n. so-Oh, yes, that foot, that bonnet-Oh
re no, tits neutrality-suspicious."
"Aro you crazy, Dick ?"
he "No," after a pause, "I'm only in
a love; but that is quite as bad, perhaps
o. And she is to be married?"
H. Yes" replied Mary, looking vcr,
,n sad, while rnnr Dick felt very mucl
n- llku crying; and John said if he was {
q young man he would sec what could bt
ID done; and Dick asked what thas woult
X be, and John said he didn't know, an,
10 Mary said She couldn't think, and Dicl
is said it was Il great shame, and Mar.
a and John said so, too. And Mary sai
ed he ought to be tied up and whipped
n and John thought State prison too goo
nj for him, while Dick said he should b
M hung up us high rs Haman; and thong
er they talked till ten o'clock, they didn
ct conclude what they would or could d
M about it, but went to bed in very sorr
frame of mind.
fl The next day was Sunday, 4 long
We dreary, rainy day. Dick went to churc
no. in the forenoon, but in the afternoon h
ma lstaid mt home and read part of the tim
hc and thought about Katie Weaver, an
~. how he might love her, and how happ
en- they could be-that is, providing 81
,or could love him, and there was no oI
,rc curmudgcon of rival in the way-al
,st that was the rub.
mo And so he laid there on the sofa in II
,ck back parlor, the shutters all closed, wit
nu only dim light in the room, holding
rse book in his hand, with his eye fixed c
lop the toe of his slipper, thinking, thinI
IA ing, thinking, till he became very dc
of peratc, and was almost willing to unde
take anything for the sake of Katie
i'm but there wasn't anything for him TO {
ed, that he could think of except to wal
eel and Just then some one called:
der "Tea is ready, Uncle Dick" " and i
NET tie Jennie wasstanding in the doorwt
ocll waiting for him. So he took her up
am his arms and kissed the little roun
,et, rosy face, and carried her out to supp'
we'd thinking to himself how happy sist
tho Mary and John ought to be with Sucl
hot sweet little bundle of sunshine to gll
.ose den their hearts, for Dick loved ch
drcn.
ind One evening more in the parlor, Di
of sitting at the window looking acr
,cat the garden at the tall brick house, a
tyo John lying on the sofa with little Jenl
nix in his arms listening to her innoct
lose prattle, and Mary reading there in
the little rocking-chair, sWaying to and
t of and looking up at John and smiling
oG. casionally. By-and-by she put do
lust her book and turned to Dick.
Cicl "John didn't tell you we were go
face to Sawny's Pond next "Wednesday
up she asked.
next "No, havn't heard anything alb
it before" replied Dick, turning ay
t to from the window.
auty "Well, we are, and Katie is go
aud with Us. Couldn't You drive out III
ime, alone, say about four o'clock"
for "Don't know but | COULD" and
/ on twired his moustache for Il MONT
oor and then brought his hand down on
ut to knee very hard-"and WILL" he a
her ed. "It's Just what I've bcon wantin
uted "Ye., and Katie wouldn't be ther
hn," YOU went with Us, you know,
ding Weaver wouldn't allow it,"
....s. 4 IL