The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-12-02

thing that diverts your father; and
these pretty women take up his atte'
tiou, do, for mercy's sake, let the
write." ! =
"But, mother" persisted Mary, g
you were to die, and father should tax
itinto his head to marry Mrs. Colbur,
what should We do? Maggie and
should perfectly hate her. I almot
know she could. catch father if sh
wanted to, and Of course she would, fa
father il handsome"
"Well," said mother, laughing, ri
that case, I hope Mrs. Colburo wi
stop writing, and take particular pain
to see that the steak is never overdone
and that the water is always boiling
the instant your father wants to shave
And now, children" she said, with (
look that made us feel AZ if We wor'
bibs and drank milk out Of little cups
II want never to hear . word Of thi'
nonsense again. Your father and I ar
old enough to take care of ourselve.
and you too" and she left US with "a
angry fash in her eye which father.
most dyspeptic grumblings never called
forth.
That very afternoon father wa
brought 10 senseless, after having been
dragged half a mile by his horse ;
mothers agony was fearful, aud it was
terrible to see fathers handsome face
SO pale and rigid
Then consciousness came back, and
he stretched out his arms to mother, ex-
claiming, "Oh, Mary, I thought of you
as long as ] could think Of anything :"
and they wept together, and murmured
words Of deeper tenderness than young
lovers ever dream Of.
"0h, Maggie" said she, with q
blubbering voice, "it Is his nervous
system, and he does love mother after
all and hop she loves him and what
fools We were to think he cared a soli-
tary stra'o for that Mrs. Colburn ~
remembered this scene in fathers
favor, but it was pleasant to think that,
Tom would not only love me az we'll Is
father did mother, but would always be
comfortable at home, which father Ger
tainly was not, even after this acci-
dent.
Then my brothers passed in review.
Mother, Mary and made all the con-
cessions to them. They always hurried
and worried us aud once, when Hen
~ was going to Boston to spend the
Fourth Of July, he nearly brought the
house down about our ears because his
shirt bosom was not nicely ironed as if
in a Boston crowd anybody would no
tice his shirt bosom-or him, either,
for that matter. But sister Mary, who
in the illness of our laundress, was re-
sponsible tor the ironing, said Henry
acted as if his shirt bosom were to be
the principal piece in the fireworks.
Brother Edgar was no better. He hur-
ried Mary SO about picnic on this same
Fourth Of July that she went with .
boot on one foot and a slipper on the
other; and they were SO early that when
Henry drove back to get the other
boot, he met the first express-wagon
with its load Of otprovisions, and Mary had
the whole grove to herself while she fn-
ished her toilette.
With such experiences in the past, it
was not strange that this conversation
with Tom about quarrellng and con-
ceding was especially delightful to me,
and made my future look uncommonly
bright.
Tom and I had known each other for
years, aud had had an Understanding"
for long time. I had been away all
summer, only coming home in season
for this Thanksgiving Christmas sort Of
festival Of which I have spoken.
I wore white alpaca, trimmed with
scarlet velvet, and holly berries in my
hair. danced constantly, and I never
felt in finer spirits, for Tom was there,
more devoted to me. than ever, and l
knew I was looking my best. At last
some one called for vocal music, which
made pause in the dancing. (This
dancing was another point which We
had carried for mother against father.
but I vii! say for father that whom he
found he could not help it, he submit:
ted With good grace.) Feeling a lit
tie chilly, I threw a scarlet shawl over
my shoulders. I think this shawl
brought Tom to terms, for as I came
into tho room his eyes net mine with =
light kidding in them which made my
cheeks the color of my shawl. 10 an
instant he had crossed tho room and
had drawn me into the library, used
that night for cloak-room, and in 6f:
teen minutes We were engaged. I re-
membered the time, for az We crossed the
hall I looked at our tall clock wreathed
in evergreen, and it struck ten =; 1 was
in delirium of excited feeling, long
ing to be alone with Tom, yet fearing it
all was happy dream, when sister Mary
called me to como and give one las,
look atithe supper-table. (The supper.
table at time like this y Coming out,
the tall clock came again exactly in my