Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-12-23

NO III dtttl lJdg lAOl Win me, DECauSt
I'm too lame this evening-too lame
See, now" And rising, with the stiff
ioll in her arms. she imped to and fro
or his Inspection then gravely sat down
again in her little rocking chair, with a
face pensive and pale.
John Dyer, who was softly and slow.
Iy pacing the room, paused in his walk,
then coming to his little girl, bent down
like the good and tender father that he
was, and kissed her very fondly; and
she, abruptly dropping dolly to fling
her little arms around his neck, mur-
INJURED. my only papa"
She had once fallen, and fractured
her ankle, and was sometimes troubled
now with a swelling of the knee, which
made her lame.
"Never mind, Lily" said her father.
when the children come, you'll have
a good time playing with them. And
you'll get well, aud dance, one of these
days-dance like jumping-jack-dance
like grandpa himself"
mo more dancing for met broke
forth Elkanah from his ruminations
mot till my boy George comes home.
Then l II dance. But that'H never be-
nexer-never /! -
He turned his back to the fire. and
stood with his hands behind him, alb
sently musing. Every one was silent.
In moment his wandering eyes hap
pened to rest upon the face of his wife.
She was sitting in her sober dress, her
hands placidIy folded together, her pa
tient and noble features composed and
calm; but on her cheeks, in the tawny
freight was the glisten of tears.
why, what IS it, dear old lady .
said Elkanah, in booming undertone.
What ails the old mans darling? All,
l forgot-thinking of George
"Of both, she said calmly.
Elkanah's massive features darkened,
though but for an instant.
Always the same, he said almost
harshly. 80 woman-womankind
Yet, when he talked of going, your an
ger was beyond all. And when he
went, it almost bfoke your heart. Now,
after all he's done-after all the bitter
ness and trouble he's brought upon us
in our old age, your spirits soft for
him -
"And yours. too. Elkanah, she said
quickly
"I stamp it down !" returned the old
AAAcllA AlCLNLlyg AzdlAA 1AEA1 q -AEClA4ASs
now-and-then. Nature tussels in me,
thinking of the good, sweet boy had
before he got to be the migrate son, the
vile rebel; the breaker of our hearts, the
dishonor of my house, the traitor to his
country. But stamp it down y he
Kissed, striking his foot upon the floor.
"Oh, the villain By the Everlasting /!
if he ever darkens this threshold, I'll lay
HIM dead p
Hush, Elkanah r cried his wife, with
flashing eye, and her face reused and
severe. 'Recollect yourselfl My chill
dren are always my children. No such
language before me. Such words put
you far from me-farther even than
your thought of him has already put
you. Now, silence =
The old man shrunk little, shrugged
his shoulders, aud relapsed into sulky
quietude.
Its the only thing that has ever come
between us, he said presently. in a sort
of grieved growl and with a peevish and
grumbIing visaee. The only thing.
We'll, few old married folks can say as
much as that. Now, this comes from
talking of forbidden subjects. And ! was
wrong to say any thing, anyway. Ruth,
nv dear @lse ssAaped forward, smiling
with his left hand IN his friIled Dos0fn
and the other extended, and stood in
courtly attitude, his right leg well ad-
vanced, bowling to bis wife with the
old-time courtesy -"your
pardon. Forgive the hot old man. Let
it be peace between US. On Christmas
Eve, my dear-on Christmas Eve.
For a moment she did not move.
Then slowly, with a faint flush still on
her severe countenance, she reluctantly
put her left hand into his. He hesitated
a second, then bent and kissed her fin
gers, stepped backward with grandiose
bow, and stood in silence.
"Going from me, he presently muir
INJURED to himself, shaking his head
mournfullv. ''After all these many years.
Wealth, home, friends-all going; the
family breaking up, the old ties, the old
existence, all going. And the old wife
going too.
There was a sound of rustling dresses
and soft footsteps on the stairs.
"Hah !" he burst out again, abrupt
" reviving, with a laugh, "here she
comes! o Muse of Poetry, descend
Here's Fanny Redwood! Lovely as the
,,..wn. The blush-rose is coming-with
her rose-dress on. And it's-that were
Young again A bachelor I'd be. And
Fanny'd have a suitor. For she'd just
suit me-
Amidst the delivery of this impromptu
effusion, and the general laughter and
applause which followed, lovely young
girl, cutseying, smiling, and blushing,
entered the room, followed by Emily.
She was of middling stature, and beau
tifully formed; had dark hair and eyes !;
a heart-shaped face, suffused with deli
cate bloom an innocent red mouth !;
an air dreamful and maidenly and
moved with motions like caress6 natu-
rally and often curtseying, and graceful
as a solitary doe. She was exquisitely
attired in a soft, rose-colored silk, with
lace corsage, which glistened in the
tawny sheen of the fire, and was alto
gether as fair a creature as ever stood
beneath the dark-green holly. Tom in
stantIy took his hands out of his pockets
and rose, advancing, and dropping from
his unconstrained posture into about as
awkward a young man conscious of his
boots and solicitous of his neck-tie, as
breathed in the District of Columbia.
To add to his distress, the lovely Fanny,
as he drew near her, and an interview
seemed inevitable, somehow glided past
him with one of her embarrassing curtseys
in the most natural way in the world,
leaving it only open to him, in decent
self-respect, to walk on to the wall, and
stand gazing with rueful countenance,
as if it was what he meant to do from the
first, at the crossed American flags,
dropping in looped folds. with the latter
ed and broken regimental flag his broth
er John had carried into battle, hanging
there between them, surrounded with
deep garlands of ground-pine and holly
branches.
There p rang his fathers voice, as
the tagged and garlanded wall sudden
ly darkened. f'Down goes the fire again.
Upon my soul, Tom, believe you let
Daniel Snow pick out green wood for
the hearths. Phew Just see the smoke!'
81 didn't father" replied Tom, look
ing at the logs, from whose red glow
great serpents of smoke were down
Shooting, and coiling over backward, to
conioin with the huge boa which fed