Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1867-06-19

''Wa'al it's kind purity, but it's awful
queer, amt it, John ?''
John thus appealed to could only answer
that he ''knew nothing in the world about
women's bonnets;' and took up his reverie,
whatever it was, just where it was broken
off. But looking idly in the long mirror op-
posite he saw Josie making signs to another
girl, and he soon found that they were anus
ing themselves at the perplexity of their
customer He saw, too, that a pale, quiet
| girl, with smooth brown hair looked up from
her work Indignantly, and he rather saw
than heard her say, ''tor shame, and grow
crimson as she spoke
His own face flushed little as he became
aware that Uncle Abel was being made the
butt of their jokes good Uncle Abel, who
was looking so admIringly at the fabrics in
comprehensive to him, his old heart only
full of the thought how he should make his
present worthy Of the patient soul for whom
| it was intended
Then John was greatly perplexed, for as
! he said, truly, he knew nothing about all
that mysterious and bewildering arrange
ment of dress that he saw every day.
Still, he knew that Aunt Betsey's spare
locks, thinly sprinkled with gray, were not
dressed in modern style, and he could not
| for the life of him see whereabouts on that
/ uSdI HCdu diiy VI tuCSC ~ pSltS VI ldI-
chaons would rest He remembered that
long ago Aunt Betsey was wont to twist her
| hair with the same energy that distinguished
| all her movements, and that this operation
resulted in hard knob at the back of her
| head, like door handle, which certainly
would not harmonic with these capeless
head dresses.
Just as his brow was overcast with this
thought the pale girl came toward Uncle
Abel, her cheek flushing as she did so in
defiance of the other girls, holding in her
hand plain Leghorn bonnet, trimmed with
violet ribbon. She wore a mourning dress,
and the plain Brooch at her throat held a
lock of gray hair.
II think that this might suit you, sir"
she said ''If your wife don't dress her hair
in these fashions those bonnets would not do
at all. This is rich and plain, and covers the
back of the head and neck"
''Wa'al now, tell me, for [ have got so
bothered with these things that don know
one from t'other. | want to get nice bum
nit for Betsey, and [ mean to. Now jest tell
me if you would like your mother to wear
one like this? Oh, / beg yourir ardon, ma am.
didn't see, and he touched the sleeve of
her black dress. IT am so sorry ~
The young lady brushed off a tear quickly
as she said, II have no mother now; but if
yOu bIuSt iilc, SII, l. tDinh tiilS Will
She had stood hitherto, just out of the
range of John Dares vision, and had not
seen him at all. Something in the sound
of her voice attracted him, perhaps, and
when Uncle Abel called: "Here, John
Dare, he stepped hastily enough towards
them. The girl thrust the bonnet in Uncle
Abers hand, and would have been out of
sight if her dress had not caught in one of
the branching stands and held her fast
Amy and John Dare with hot flush |
on his face, caught her hand and so detained !
her. Amy Egbert, have l found you at
last ?''
The girls face grew white and red by
turns, and the words she spoke came so low
and broken that only John could catch their
meaning
Uncle Abel pushed his spectacles up on |
his forehead, and still holding the bonnet in
his hand, looked, open mouthed from one
to the other.
Il guess you must have knowed this
young woman afore, didn't you?" but John |
was too busy with eager questions, and Amy |
was trembling and blushing as she tried to
speak calmly, and SO his question was unan-
swered. Pretty Josie was dividing her at
tention between new customer and the !
strange scene beside her, and between anger |
and modification she looked in no need of
help from rouge as she tossed her head and |
muttered various uncorteous remarks in re-
gard to 'Amy Egbert and her beau. y
Uncle Abel held the bonnet while longer
quite patiently, but at last despaired of the |
interview being ended, SO he coughed, and |
then he said:
''I'll take the bunnit. Twenty dollars is
a good deal, but Betsey worth it, amt she
John?
John need not have started so, or said,
every" which wasn't sensible answer at
all; but Uncle Abel laughed little to him
self, and said softly: ''Oh, boys will be
boys ~ He was obliged to tell Miss Egbert
the directions over twice, too, and felt quite
uneasy lest it should not arrive at his hotel
in time.
Outside the door John turned to leave
his Uncle and looked as shy as a girl, as he
said cts all right, Uncle Abel. You've
found a new bonnet, and I've found a-an old
friend -
Uncle Abel held his hand fast, and
looked moment without speaking, in j Johns
face, in wistful way, then said, looking in
the young man S eyes, 'She's motherless
girl, John"
"Uncle Abel - and John turned angrily
away, or would have done so, 1t the detaln-
ing hand had not stopped him with grasp
which sixty years had not weakened, Look
here, my boy, L meant no offense. None OF
my blood turn villains. y he added proudly;
.sbut you. see she's young and purity and for
lorn, and, maybe, if you see too much of
her, she might get to thinkin' more of you
than would be good for her, and if you amt
in earnest / guess 'twould break her heart
Shake hands with your old Uncle, my boy,
I meant no harm, but | promised Liza,
when she was on her dyin' bed, that would
allus try to give you good advice, and the
last words a'most that she spoke, says she,