Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1870-03-03

Peeksnilf stood round and waited
upon MS, with face looking as IL 1t
had been tied in O double how Knot
and wouldn't come straight again.
= After the blessing wa asked, Dick
, passed the bread, and tle 6uttef,nn
The pickles, and the cold meat, and
, the doughnuts, to Mr., Csntelope.-
Aunt Deborah inquired after bis
family He
q ~ have nobody Just now but q
daughter about lid ge Of your
y Rebecca here chow ca her -
t Shes well but wants % 60 to the
factory to live. My wife has been
7 dead nigh abouta year, and its
a pretty loAa inc life"
2 Dick passed Tie doughnuts, and
! the pickles, and the cold meat, and
the butter, and the bread, and /
, pinchcd Mrs. Cricton, b:t was sory
! ly thenext moment,
"Ihave a good kindsof house
over in Norton, and l am a 6rst-
rate providcr. / always keep a
barrel Of pork in my cellar, bins
full Of potatoes, and onions, and
carrots, etc Then there is all the
corn meal and rye -four a woman
wants to use. Nobody is ever
scrimped-"
Dick passed the biscuit, the
doughnuts, the cold meat, the pick
les, and the bread, and the old gen.
tleman intent only upon over
whelming those present with his
Invaluable traits Of character, al
lowed his plate overflow, and
busted himself with piling up the
provisions in heaps for some dis
tanee on the table, while lie went
on illustrating:
furnish plenty Of wood to keep
one fire always roaring, | Ike
good old-fashioned fresplaces.-
They are much more soeiable than
your black stoves, and save candles,
too. am kind man; my wives
would all tell YOU that"
GLOW many have you had ?" in
terrupted Dick, holding the plate Of
.doughnuts for MIR. Cantelope to
take his fifth.
"Thrce. have been uncom-
monty illfated in my cOnjugal rela-
ti0ns. My first took the consump-
ton young. My second had the
heart disease, and was always all
ing. NY third committed suicide"
In trying to balance his last bis.
cult upon a doughnut, Mr.. Cante-
lope failed and was brought sud
denly to a realizing sense of his
greediness by the view before him.
| did not help the matter any by
bit of suppressed laughter. He
was actually embarrassed for a min
ute or two Then, turning to Dick,
he asked;
Were you ever crossed in love,
young man ~
"Only very little as yet, SIR"
replied Dick gravely,
"Then you cannot understand
my present feelings Ny heart is
suffering hence l am absent mind
cd
Your heart, sirl Don't you
know it's nothing but a force
pump? 1t is your brain that is in
danger from unrequitted affec-
ton"
"True, true. have hod trcub-
lie before, bnt nothing like this."-
He looked across tue table toward
Mrs. Cricton, who was slipping her
tea in silence. "Mya I not hope
for relapse from your unaltered
decision? p he asked in a despairing
voice
mo, sir"
So promptlg and yet SO quietly
spoken that we all felt there was
more to be said, even in
est Aunt Deborah and uncle Fe-
tx adroitIy turned the converse
ion, and we soon after returned to
The sitting room. After the chores
we're done, Miss Pecksniff, as was
ler wont, came in with her knitting.
Mr. Cantelope talked with Uncle
Felix. Dick worked at his Latin
esson, and | made pictures on the
;late, instead of studying, and kept
,howing them to Mrs Cricton.-
About nine o'clock we were electri-
led by another musical tornado
rom Mr. Cantelope's nasal organ,
md he addressed a few remarks to
Mss Peeksnitf,
"How would you like to change
our name 7"
"What?1 .-. ....
"Don't you think Peeksniff
ounds very oddly
ut is good enough for me-"
"How old are you?'
"Seems to me that is meddling
With what is none Of your business,
nd don't know, anyhow"
"Have you any objection to be-
oming Mrs. Simeon Cantelope?' p
"What?"
"If you got all them yietuals
hat we had for supper | think you
re the smartest woman l Ihave ever
cen yet, and | would like to make
on my wife" "
She opened her mouth wide and
'oked him square in the face with
ut saying a word.
"Will YOU have mel"
She waited fully five minutes af-
ar that, and then turned her head
Iowly and fixing her eyes on the
re she said hesitatingly:-