The weekly standard., 1869-10-13

.aEll5 I No IL. ....-.....
Orange? Or wasn't there ever anything OF
it only our surmisings,y after all 2" gisa0sasfl
s ..Well, don't know, p replied Mrs Chcs-
hunt, ali the more cheerfully to balance
the gloom of her husband = guess they
liked each other, ne mistake about that
but they are both pretty proud and pretty
stuffy, and mistrust something has gone
wrong that they won't either Of them come
back of. But, then, nobody can tell the be-
twixts and between OF a couple Of young
folks, and themselves as little as anybody.
Young folks don't know more than couple
of rabbits what they want and what they
ought to want, and they just as apt to STUN
BILE on the wrong thing as the right thing
pursued Mrs. Chestnut, vii lh the wisdom OF
experience and of long observation stirring
in her BRAIN Why, can't positively say
there was any certain engagement, or the
like of that, but ] supposed it was an un-
derstood thing. Well. / don't know, father,
sitlwill come out right one way or the other,
and talking won't feed the pig, or pick the
! peas for breakfast tomorrow morning." g
= So saying, Mother Chestnut put on her
sunbonnet and went briskly out, with pail
of milk in one hand and an empty basket
in the other. It was not her heart that was
on the anvil, and so she could comfort her
self for her disappointed expectations by
the homely duties Of her homely life. -,
Meantime, at the same moment, Frederick
Chestnut, alone in his counting-room, trot-
ted his foot and thought. s~r1
. Since that one black day, so long past
now, he had been in whirl of wounded
sself.love, suspicion and despair. Unsatis-
fed and restless, he had been tossed from
one mood to another, sure of nothing but
rcpenting whatever he did in one stage OF
feeling as soon as he had passed into the
next. vs. ~ "
All, if he could be wise enough to wait
till the tide of passion had gone done, and
he finds which is shifting sand and which
is solid rock But youth is so wise and its
wisdom such foolishness
At last, Just when Mother Chestnut went
out with her pigs pail, and Eliza Orange
parted from her friend Milly, under the
maple tree, and walked along the quiet
country road with wet cheeks and sufoca-
ting weight at her heart, Frederick Ches-
hunt jumped up, threw on his hat, and went
out with his hands in his pockets, like a
man resolved. tg -
The next day he went out again at the
same time-just after the close of Office
hours-and the next day, and the next.
Then the look of dogged determination that
had been clouding his face cleared away
like fog before sunshine, and he got to
whistling at his work and buying new
neckties. fa l.raa .' IT
"Do you know, Aunt Betsey," said his
landlady, Miss Halsey. 'that l am confident
young Chestnut is really in love this time p
Miss Halsey was spruce little spinster,
with as many wrinkles as loaf OF bread
just ready to go into the oven, and beard
enough to set up youth of moderate am
bitinn. She was as great snuff taker and
as great talker as Aunt Betsey herself; and
she trotted in, puckered and spry. upon
this morning, with her snuff box and her
tongue, to talk over things.
"There is one certain sure sign, Aunt
Betsey; dom you know it Writing po'try.
DR.. Watts wrote beautiful po'try, he couldn't
have done it if he hadn't been in love. 1t
was a Miss Rowe I've got book, and
it tells all about" said she solemnly with a
brisk dive into her deep pocket for her snuff
box Love is very inspiring, and they are
apt to write it when they are in love. see
it when went to neat up Cheshunt's room
this morning. Po'try, sure enough, capitals
and all there it lay on his table wrote out
in scholarly hand, with beautiful fourishes
and his name at the end in full !; handsome
as print. So Isuppose have as good as
lost boarder, and a first-rate one"
Miss Halsey snuffed, and nodded, and
winked and sighed and snuffed; divided
between regret at her own loss and maidenly
delighted over a love story.
The same day Father Chestnut, after
following up stairs and down stairs and in
my lady's chamber, found my lady at the
pen other pet pig, with pail of water and
shingle washing his face.
"Well, mother, have got news for you
said he, throwing out his words all in 8
heap. "Got letter from Frederick, and he
says he is coming home to spend the week
end with his wife. What do you think o.
that?"
"You DON'T" calculated Mother Chestnut
dropping her shingle.
"Yes do" affirmed Father Chestnut
doubtfully. "That is what Fred'ric says
his wife. What do You suppose he has go
for wife, motherl"
"Well, the Dudgeon girl, most likely" re
turned Mother Chestnut, with weak at
tempt at cheerfulness "But whoever sh,
may he, father, she will be Freddy's wife
and we must treat her like daughter
| Then she went in and put some yeast rising
ior an election cake that should be fuller o
raisins than of -four, and frosted like Noun
Washington in winter
| Week end" came, and just at countr,
tea-time covered buggy drove up to tn
farmhouse door with floating of stone
brown drapery, ribbon ends, and the ligh
folds of a veil, showing at the side.
Mother ChesnCt sighed, swallowed, anl
came to the open door with wide open arms
ready to take "Freddy's wife whoever sh
may be" close to her warm heart.
Here We are, mother. Here am l, ant
here is my wife There was futter,
soft rustic, and little spring; and throw
ing aside her veil, there stood Eliza Orange
smiling and blushing like whole garden o
roses
"You dear creeter u exclaimed Mothe
Chestnut, catching hold of her and begin
ningto cry. ..a..-
| Il was trying to bring my mind to tn
Dudgeon girl, Freddy, and llliza's face wa
such surprise" said she. following him t
the barn, presently.
She spoke with an air of apology, bu
with such evident relief that Freddy laugh
ed the laugh of happy man to whom eve
rything is one drop more in cup of joy.
1T might have been that Dudgeon girl
mother, only for you," he replied.
| "Me, Freddy! I didn't say syllable
wouldn't. 1 never believed in meddling i
such matters" she replied Indignantly.
| "Oh, mother! You said, Bring Eliz
next timc;' you know you did. And 81
just to please you, have brought her." rt
turned Frederic, gaily. "And, mother,
said he, coming closer and speaking lowe
ELIZA and are very thankful to you fo
helping us over FOOLS bridge, we shoul
never have crossed alone.
| The mother smiled upon her son as the
went back to the house to the glad face
bride; while at the self-same moment Mi.
Halsey, in Aunt Betsy's cheerful kitche
tried to console herself for the loss of he
best boarder. .- ~ =. IL.
| 81 told you so," chuckled she. q
knew it was d ballot of verses the first mil
ute saw the capitals, and knew what the
meant. Love is very inspiring, and the
most generally write po'try at such times
i That RuII Eroo