The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-09-29

first so engrossing to the mind OF a coun
try girl as the stylish clothes of her city
visitor. Mary had a number of fashlona
bly-made dresses ard, IS old Mrs. Free
man remarked, she had got the very
latest quirk" in her pretty hair. She wa
a coed natured girl, and had let Jane GU
the pattern of her visite and her tabled
muslin cape, and had shown her just how
to do the captivating twist. Now the two
girls were bending out OF the sittlng-room
window, which looked upon the orchard
| with its gnarled boughs and cool, green
lights, and white clover-heads dropped
upon the grass like unstrung pearls
Aleck had come up from the garden, and
was leaning On his hoe handle, talking to
them. He was muscular, well made
young fellow; and the fact that he had
once passed three years in city, and had
rubbed eff the rustic bashtulness, told
upon him well. Now, there was a hall
quzzical, hslf-pleased look peeping out
from his dropped eyelids. and old Mrs.
Freeman, sitting on the back porch, with
her glasses in the fold of a magazine
story, and the toe of one of her husband
socks covering her knobby finger ends,
glanced at the group, and thought to her
self hat Mary Lang, with sill her finery,
wouldn't be sorry to catch Aleck. Then
at the memory of Hannah Ashley there
cane s little twingc of anxiety; for Han
nah WAS her prime favorite; and after the
manner Of substantial matrons, she desired
her boy to marry practical wife, who
knew how to cook his dinner and make
him comfortable. The sight of Mary
Lang's white nerveless hands, with their
pretty rings, caused the old lady to shake
her head. and mutter something about
dolls and puppets"
Andy had come home from school, and
had let the low spirited dog out int the
back lot to bark at the hens little while
by way of recreation. He was preparip G
to go down to his squirrel trap in the
woods; and as he Sat fussing away and
whistling on the porch step, suddenly
he pulled paper out OF his jacket
pocket. and scsmpered OF with it TO the
window.
Here's something Deacon Ashley
told me to give you, sis. BE called 1t a
billy"
"You mean William" put in Mary,
chuckipg him under the chin.
"Why it's nothing but that adver-
tisement of Puffer's Pills the Deacon
promised fatherl 1 thought Hannah
would be sure to invite US to her quilting
said Jane, in disappointed tone. "Say,
Aleck, have you and Han been quar-.
reling?" and she gave him provoking
little thrust, such as sisters are wont to
administer.
Aleck turned round, and set his elbows
squarely against the window sill, and he
began to whistle low to himself
"Let's take that ride over Saddlehack
Hill I promised to give you to morrow
afternoon, Mary" said he, veering back
again and chewing an end of grass.
Miss Lsng expressed herself delighted
to take the ride; and everybody appeared
satisfied but Jane, who now would have
no opportunity to display the new twist
to the girls before Sunday.
Hannah's quilt had been put on the
frames tne day before, up In the spare
Chamber large apartment with a
carpet in Venetian stripe, high post
bedstead draped in the whitest dimity, q
heavy mahogany bureau with respectable
brass knobs, aud an old fas hioned glass
adorned with festoons of pink and white
pspe,. There were faded footstoOls
worked by hrs. Ashley when a girl, in
chain stitch embroidery; and framed
samplers and silhouette portraits upon
the wall of cappy old lady and spare
old gentleman; and matrOnly punches oil
life-everlasting and crystalized grasses
filing the plethoric vases upon the man
tel piece Everything was In apple pie
order, from kitchen to parlOr. 4
pleasant, moist odor of Hannah's sponge
cake hung to the walls; and if you DOM
know what Hannah's sponge cake was
like, it is useless Ior me TO describe it.
Hannah had put on her prettiest lawr
dress-a pale green that became hel
blonde beauty, and touched it up here and
there with bit of pink ribbon. Mrs. Ash
ley was pinning On her false pulls before
the glass, and fastening her collar with 6
breach adorned with dsguerreOtyp'
likeness of the Deacon, which looked a.
| if it had been taken In particularly baC
| fit of dyspepsia. She dearly loved youps
company and there was bright twin
kle in her eye, and q pucker about he.
mouth provocative of jokes.
When the girls had assembled, and tn
kissing and taking off of things was wei
through with, the grand business of tn
afternoon begun. Everybody praised
Hannah's pretty quilt-pink stars drop
ped on white ground. Miss Treadwel
was champion quilter. She undeTstoo,
all the mysteries of herrin'-bone an,
feather patterns; and with a chalk-line il
her hand, as the Deacon's wife expressed
it, "ruled the roost" Miss Treadwell wa
thin faced, precious old maid, with
kind Of withered bloom on her cheek
bones and laudable desire to make tn
most OF few skinny locks.
beats all how young Sslina Tresdwel
appears" whispered the DeacOn's wife 4
her next neighbor. She's as old as b
if she's a day, and here she goes diddlin
round with the girls"
Hannah, you ought to give this quil
to the one that gets married first" put i
Susan Drake, threading her needle.
Il know who tRat will be-" said Mr.
Ashley, winking hard toward Hett
Sprague, a pretty, soft-headed littl
maiden, with checks of the damaek ros
and dewy dark eyes.
ooh, Miss Ashley !" cried Hetty, sim
pering sweetly, 'hOw can you talk so
You know | never mean to get marie
all my born days. Men are such deceitfu
creatures p
Miss Treadwell heaved deep sigh, an
snapped the chalkline sentimentally, as
she too could tale unfold that would te
OF the perfidy OF the male sex.
81 don't for my part see why every
thing should be given to the Marie
folks" returned Hannah, tapping light
on the frame with her thimble and fee
ing annoyed because Jane Freeman an
her friend had not yet put in On appear
ance. When l get to be an old maid, L
stuff everything soft with feathers an
wool, and keep sixteen cats, like Aur
Biceps."
You an old maid !" cried merry littl
Nancy Duffy. "That's likely story.
guess Aieck will have a word or two I
say about it."
cit looks IS if Aleck had got ne
string To- his bow" remarked Miss Treat
! well, who knew how To give a sharp lit
thrust of her own. He appears to
mighty thick with that girl from Hill
. dale"
Why, there goes Aleck now," erie
Retty Sprague: and the girls ran tn III