Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1866-03-16
TIE PRICE or 4 KISS.


When I was a boy-a tall, strapping
young fellow of seventeen or eighteen
father was a farmer and owned that piece
of ground yOndeT. It was a fine farm
then, though they have cut a railroad
through it now, aud spoiled it with their
] improvements In those days we were
content to travel by the stage or on horse
back; and 1 must confess l don't think
we have gained much by the change ex-
cept ex plosions, though you mayn't agree
with me there-yOungsters never do
Just here stood old Wilber Trabb's tav-
eTn-the Jolly Farmer. Tavern was no
disgrace then, though you iusulta hotel
to call it one now They hadn't much
steady company there but folks stopped
on the way up by the stage, and dr0vers
and farmers on their way to market took
their meals there. Of winter evenings
the Squire and the Doctor, and the Par
son, used to come over to taste old Trabb's
ale and have a chat with him. He was a
well-educated, light hearted old man, who
had fought when young in the RevOlu-
tiouary war and though past seventy
could drink and laugh with fellows young
enough to be his graBdsons. Such stories
as he used to tell of his own baVery and
hair-b breadth escapes would make your
hair stand on end with horror. We
youngsters never doubted word of them
then, whatever we may do now at times
With his large bulky figure, aud red face
and loud voice, he was a strange contrast
to his daughter Mehetabel-Hetty, every
one called her. She was like some slen-
der, white lily IN those days, and her voice
no louder than some silver bell and Just
as musical-a shy little soul Just come
home from school, and ready to cry with
fright at the thought of having to take
her place as mistress for you see her
mother had been dead years and years
The tombstone in the church yard was
Just as old as Hetty, and she was the on
ly woman about the house.
In little while she grew used to it, and
less timid and then from looking at her
at a distance | came to speaking to her.
The first time was at the great gate that
opened upon the road from the back of
the house. 1t was heavy and hard to
open, and seeing her little hands busy
with it I went across and set 1t back for
her; and she said thank you-yOu re very
kind to take so much trouble"
No trouble at all, Miss Hetty, I said ;
[ Its a pleasure" And then she blushed,
and I felt the blood rush into my face,
though [ don't suppose she noticed it /;
for from work IN the open air, and the
sun, and shsepishness, l was about as red
{
days.
After that we bowed, and smiled, and
/ spoke when we met; and at last one Sun
day evening I mustered up resolution, and
dressed myself in my best, and put rose
in my button hole, and took bOquet for
her, and went across the fields to Wilber
Trabb's. Two or three times l felt like
turning back, or running off somewhere
| but 1 screwed up my courage to the stick
! ing point and got to the door. I'm not
sure, though, that l d have made up my
mind to go in if she hadn't been sitting
! there on the porch reading her prayer
book. She put it In her pocket, and look
/ ed up and smiled.
1 How do you do Mr. Mafit ?'' she
said I'm glad to see you. Walk in."-
| And she took me into the little parlor and
/ handed me a chair.
[ can remember that room just as if it
we're yesterday. There was a home made
| carpet, red and yellow stripes, on the
/ floor; and a mahogany tea-table you
| could see your face in between the win
dows; and all about the room was wains-
| coated and painted blue about as high as
/ your waist. Above that was whitewash he'd
/ The mantle-piece was higher than your
| head, and had plated candlesticks and a
tea-caddy on It; and on the wall were two
paper prOhles: one of old Wilber and the
/ other OF his wife, cut at fair when they
we're sweet hearts. The chairs had rush
bottoms and were painted black, and there
were green window papers tied up with
tassels at the windows Hetty wore
white dress and check apron, and had g
string Of coral beads about her little
| throat | remember it all like a picture
most of all her pretty eyes as they were
looking down at,the stripes in the carpet
Its nice evening, Miss Hetty,"
said, to say something, as l ought.
Very" she answered. 8 m always
glad of a bright Sunday. Rain keeps tht
people from church and makes it dull be
sides.
g | saw you at church this morning, -
said.
Il saw you toe" replied Hetty, anC
then there was silence. She plated he
, apron strings, and / stared at her.
I see you've plenty of flowers, Mis-
Hetty," said; but mother has such goot
luck with her carnations, l thought I'd
bring you few, if you'd accept them );
and | handed her my nOsegay. She smil
ed and took them. ss-
They're beautiful, she said. "II
put them In water and she went out an
brought In a clean, polished beer-glas
half full of water and set them In it an
having something to do with her hand
a dL4A y AAAS 3 CIV 1893 Ddnu1uAs anu W
talekd about flowers and seed and garden
ing for a good while.
When the moon was up we went out o
the porch and sat there And she tol
me about her city school, and teache
who was very kind to her, and of her 10
that she could be useful to her father, an
that be was so fond Of her.
For you see, she said, I'D been ava
so long [ knew nothing about home, an
not much even about pa.
I'm sure" said |, "the loss was hi
and if you were my daughter L d not sen
you to school away from me one day
'' And then l was so conscious that [ ha
made a silly speech, that l said "gooC
night" in quite short way, and wishe
: the earth would open and swallow me-
That was my first visit to Hetty, bI
,r not the last. Pretty soon / went up to st
.e her every Sunday night, and waited on b,
to singing school, and had got so that
}. could talk in my natural voice-the FIR
n night il was only a queer husky grOwl-
iidt and could express my own ideas. such
-e they were, in something like comprehel
sible language.
Hetty had read more than I had ev,
ls heard of. She was well educated for
p girl in those days, and she made me wol
der at her smartness when she was M
afraid Of talking,
She wrote pretty hand, too, and cOu
sing the sweetest ballads. Ny only fe
/ Fhoh L mas ton hnwqolTT onI vcv,r