The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-08-04
SELECTED STORY.
Mr. Writings Mistake.

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A woman in calico dress, with towel
PINNED over hel hair, stood shaking and
beating up pillow upon the upper Balcony
of square stone house; and a man strod
brushing the dust and specks from his coat
upon the balcony below. The woman was
Bridget Geoakes, and the man was Paul
Whiting.
Now it happened that just beyond the
church. down side street, was little low
wing growing upon the body of painted
wooden house; and here lived Miss Alma
Disbrow, worthy maiden with frost bit
ten curls, who always wore rustling black
silk gown, heavy golden chain, and an eye
glass.
Miss Disbrows father had been untortun-
ate enough to be a pioneer in this part OF the
lake country so long ago as when the Coy
errors wife rode to church in a tip cart
drawn by oxen, and when the town was
lighted by glow-worms instead of gas.
But his daughter, Miss Alma, was FORUM
ate enough to live so lately as when the most
desirable street of u flourishing commercial
city ran directly through the heart IF her
fathers swamp lands And still later, when
in token of her being unmarried, and an
only daughter, she came into possession by
her fathers will of the principal part of his
rich inheritance.
Upon that, turning her back toward all
aspiring Adventures, and shutting her
eyes against her brothers longing boys and
girls, she gave the best located lots of the
whole for church and rectory; and then,
throwing out this modest wing from the
house of her youngest and least disliked
brother she settled herself down in it to sit
and look all day at her beautiful gift.
But Miss Alma had eyes as sharp as
brass pin; the better to see with, my dear,
SO, besides the high stone church, she per-
ceived great many things. And upon this
particular morning she sat in her Parker
rocker, and rustling, with her eye-glass in
one hand and the morning paper in the 9th
er. On the leather cushion of an old arm
chair, by the sunniest window, sat her con-
fdent, black dog with a white face, nam
ed Benjamin This dog had great deal
more consideration, and many more privil-
eyes than her brothers children; and it was
into his pointed ears Miss Disbrnw, who had
not another weakness in the world (unless
in the matter of front tooth or SOY had the
habit of dropping everything she thought
or knew, or guessed. And the dog Benja-
min, as man Benjamin might not have
done, always listened without interruption,
and never repeated a thing she said.
Benjamin" cried out Miss Disbrow, so
suddenly that the dog jumped upon his feet,
"as true as you are born, Mrs. Baby has only
just this moment come to help about clear
ing up after the church social. Well, now,
do say if that is not real mean! Just come
When there she is boarding, with nothing
under the stars to do, not even to make her
own bed; and poor Mrs. Greeting, with her
six little children and all her housekeeping
cares, has been here hard at work for half an
hour. ] cannot stand such Sinking lazy
ways-I declare can't"
BENJAMIN yawned and stretched himself
and Miss Disbrow moved the chair nearer
the window, and looking out at the clouded
sky, the brown touched trees and the wet
walk, and she saw presently the figures upon
the two piazzas of the square stone house at
the corner
By that time the ladies were through
with their work of clearing up the vestry,
and had gone home with their high heeled
gathering boots the scrub-women and the
boys had done all their running cut and in
and stopping about with pals of water; and
the old white bearded sexton, in his round,
steel-bowed glasses, that made him look like
an old gray owl, had locked the door, and
gone to his days work, saving wood at one
OF the grand houses of the avenue So Miss
Disbrow had plenty of time to turn her OBJ
serVatlon and her eye glass towards her
nelghbors balconies. To tell the plain truth,
between you and me and BENJAMIN, Miss
Dlsbrow had for some time felt the Whiting
family needed more looking alter than they
got from the sun, moon and stars and the
city Waterman, and she had long been try
ing to act the part of the good Samaritan.
and go with the oil and the wine when she
should have discovered the nature of the
= family wound. So, whenever one of the
g Writings came in sight, she put down her
paper, and put on her glasses.
Benjamin, said she presently, dropping
her glass and rocking till her dress rnstled
like an oak tree in north wind, BENJAMIN.
you cannot guess what has happened
, now ?"
Benjamin did not seem inclined to trv. the
task being hopeless, and Mr.. Disbrow went
on:
''That Bridget Geoakes-she is a reckless
thing-Fve long seen that, and wondered
Mrs. Whiting kept her so-she has been and
left pillow on the balcony ratings Went
off. and left It'll Of course the wind took
1t, and SO there it lies, ruffling embroidery.
and al, right down in the gutter, liable to
De stolen by every passer-by. Now, Benja-
nun, would you or wouldn't you, go over
and tell thema"
genjamin's face, about one eye, was black,
and the rest of the face being entirely white,
.nls gave him peculiarly knowing express
sion when he cooked up that eye, as he had
way OF doing. And now he turned his
In eye upon Miss Disbrow, with quite
sne appearance of winking it at her. Per-
naps' moeed' ne did. Anyhow, there was