Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1869-10-21

Prom Harpers Magazine for Jslv.
The Button-Hole Bouquet.

Nell Manning was a bright. loving
body, the daughter of worthy old
cCfple1who ~ere uncle" and ..aunt
10 the whole neighborhood she had a
warm, sympathizing heart. that caused
her 10 feel deep interest in her friends
love affairs, though as vet she was
shks<Nhold herself. and seemed like.
'iy 10 remain SO. One Of her deares,
friends was little Maggie Brown. (,he
heroine of my stnrv.1 shy little
shfnking thing with two lovers. both
fine young fellows. One was Tom
Harding. for whom she only cared in
n sisterly sort of way. and treated
tenderly because she was sorry she
! didn't care more for him. The other.
Fred Baiiy. was the JOY of her heart :
but she was too shy to give him more
than the briefcst glimpscs of her feel
incs. so that poor Fred was in a more
/ uncertain state than Tom, who did
hope little. and even more than a
/ little
IL Was Nell's birthday. and Mel. was
/ gong 10 give party not city party
/ hy any means. but a little country
gathering. OF course Tom and Fred
were invited. Maggie spent the day
with Nell, helping her to frost the
cakes and finish up various little mat.
tiers of the sort, and then the two wen,
into the gay old-fashioned garden
where bright flowers abounded. aud
gathered their aprons full for the adorn.
ment OF the tca-table. Maggie had bu,
little skill in tho arrangement Of flower.
though very fond of tn IN. while Nell.
quick fingers could group them charm.
lnglv so when they came into the COO
siting-room Maggie poured her gath
erings on large waiter bv Neils side
and looked about for a resting place
Now the room had but two really com
Portable seats in H. One was the room
sofa where Nell was seated with tn,
waiter Of flowers by her so that placs
was pretty well taken up, for Nell wa,
~ fine specimen Of young woman
and the other was Aunt Pcggy's easy
chair, STYLED Sleepy Hollow" which
stood by a window II was Aun'
Peggy's usual custom 10 sit therein
and gaze out, occasionally sinking int
such deep thought tina; her eve,
were quite tightly shut during tn,
meditation but now the chair Wa.
vacant
Mother has gone out about some
thing" said Nell "sit down in Sleeps
Hollow and rest while. 50 as to b.
fresh for this evening" piece Of advice
that Maggie took forthwith.
Nell went on with stream Of con
versation that was entirely on her owl
side, and in the midst Of other matter.
gave this hi, Of information
You see l am going 10 put little
bouquet on each lady's plate-isn'
that pretty idea? saw it in boos
but am going TO make yours differ
ent from the rest. know somebod,
that YOU know. that likes TO wear ,
knot Of flowers in his coat button-hole
! so in the centre Of your bouquet yot
will find few moss-buds fastened b,
themselves, and arranged SO that yo,
can draw them out without pulling thu
| rest to pieces-that's a real cute
thought of mine, and I'm proud Of it
Now be sure. to give 1t 10 him. | shal
tell him to expect ii, don't YOU disap
point Mr.. r. b." And then she talked
away about something else.
Alas Maggie had not heard. A
little tired and rather heated, Sleepy
Hollow and the cool room were toe
much for her; she sank into q brie
slumber. Her nap was q short one
but quite long enough TO do the mis-
chief. She didn't hear a word abou,
the bouquet. Now comes i'm my proc
o. trifes.
Had Aunt Peggy been in Sleepy
Hollow Maggie would have staid out
and she could not have sunk into for
getfulness in any of the other chairs
But what took Aunt Peggy out Of that
bewitching nook? The cat running
across the yard with chicken in it,
mouth. Young chickens had Of late
disappeared mysteriously. The coot
accused the cat. but Aunt Peggy saic
puss should not be convicted on any
thing but on the most direct proof sh'
turned up her nose at circumstantia
evidence but here Was proof thu
most conclusive. Aunt Peggy's eye'
we're good. and she was sure that sh'
beheld the pcrfidious cat with a littl'
yellow ball of a chicken partly out O
her mouth; besides, there was ''Olt
| Speckle" herself charging after tn
enemy with her feathers ruff1ed to th
last degree, and followed by he
piping brood screaming at he- heels
Out trotted Aunt Peggy to condemn
the offender, and SO Sleepy HOllo'
was empty, and Maggie sat in it am
slumbered, and finally came to prolong
ed sorrow ofheart, because Of this chai
Of circumstances.
| One might well fear to step At a
we're it not for the watchful, lovin,
Lord above, who turns troubles to Ou
good for, after all Maggie's sorro'
developed her character and made he
more than she would have been In
her life been without . cloud.
- Later in the afternoon behold Ne