Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-04-29
take care that you do not shut out Gods

|
that he had never loved her so well, bu
he answered not a word. He walket
home with her in silence, and refused Il
enter the house.
Mr.. Burch, besides being owner of the
mills, was an amateur farmer. He tool
delight in drives and strange breeds o
animals, and rare specimens of plants
He seldom visited the mills, leaving tht
care of the business almost entirely to hi
j foreman. Beyond these facts the towns
people knew little of him, for he lived IL
great seclusion at his place, Riverbank
which was a mile or two out of the vii
lage.
Having heard that his foreman wa,
about to be married, he offered him tht
prettiest AlderEey heifer on his farm as
| present, and invited him to come and Sc
lect 1t himself David thanked him very
heartily atthe time, but had never availec
himself of the offer. Mr.. Burch supposed
this might be owing to difndence, and one
day rallied him on the subject.
I'm not going to be married, sir "A
least not at present" said David, looking
glum. .----- ---.---------.,-----.---.S
Indeed hope nothing serious has
occurred, said Mr.. Burch.
cts all of" said David, shaking his
head. .r.t3.
"a lovers quarrel, perhaps If that's
all, don't despair Young ladies like tc
be coaxed."
"Not Sallie, SIR" said David. -,.-
81 suppose then she has taken some
new fancy. They're tickle creatures, these
womenkind. What suits them to-day, of.
tends them tomorrow. Well, cheer up, my
lad, and learn to get along without them,
as do" said Mr. Burch, smiling and lay
ing his hand lightly on David's shoulder.
"Pm certain Sallie never loved any one
but me-" answered David, decidedly, "and
| since you are so kind as to take an inter
est in the affair, 1 will tell you the truth
| about it. She was unreasonable enough
to expect to saddle me with the care of
her old father and mother"
And you could not afford to take such
a charge. Wen, am glad you told me,
for that is easily settled Rather than
two young people should be disappointed,
I'll raise your salary"
1t was not just thct," said David; 'the
bearings have little property of their
own-but she had some tine,spun notions
about the matter, and wanted to take them
into the family"
p said Mr.. B., and paused abruptly,
seemingly intently occupied with punch
ing little holes in the ground with his
gold headed cane. "One shouldn't be
hasty in affairs of so much Importance"
said he at length. perhaps you may yet
induce her to reconsider"
" 1t would be of no use to try" said Da-
vid, for you might as we'll attempt to
move the sun as to move Sallie Dearing
when once she gets set upon anything she
tancies to be her duty"
Very unreasonable truly" said Mr.. B..
but there was a touch of sarcasm in his
tone. "And you could not think of yield
ing yourself?"
Never, sir, 1seUer."
Well, you shall have the Alderney all
the same, for / suppose you won't sell
your placer"
self Mt NNHffb L et6dp sitT nor hnv rome 70 h'' ''f
Mr. Burch laughed, and as he walked
away he said to himself, 81 guess the heifer
will console him for his loss"
David did not, indeed, buy a rope to
hang himself; but he slipped his neck into
the matrimonial moose in the course of
few months, and moved into his new house
precisely as he had planned to do-the
only difference being that JEANNE Burns
was his bride instead of Sallie Dearing
Sallie, meanwhile, was not left entirely
without consolation, for, if she had lost
lover, she had gained a friend, and that
friend was no less a parsonage than Mr..
Burch.
She was much surprised one day, on
opening the front door in answer to the
summons of the great brass knocker, to
behold him standing on the step, and his
horse paving at the gate-about as much
surprised rs you would be if the statue of
Washington, which adorns the square,
should dismount from its rampant steed
and pay you visit.
He extended his hand smilingly, and in
quired for her father and mother, upon
which Sallie invited him in. He said he
had been trying to obtain some of the old
English strawberry plants. He had the
HoVey seeding and the Bartlett, and in
fact almost every other variety; but the
old English had become very rare, and he
was told that Mr.. Dearing had it.
Upon which Mr.. Dearing said that he
had, and that Mr.. Burch was welcome to
some, And then they fell into long
conversation about horticulture in gem
eral, and Mrs. Dearing treated him to
glass of her elderberry wine. SO he
stayed an hour or more, and though he
addressed but few words to Sallie, his
hazel eyes were upon her even while he
preteXt or another, he continued to come,
until at last he came without any pretext
at all.
The old people valued his society on
their own account not a little, but more
because, as they said, the companionship
Of gentleman like Mr.. Burch was such
an advantage to young girl like their
daughter. As for Sallie, she regarded
him as q dear brother, or at least she
thought she did, until her old friend, Mrs.
BurdOck-the same who was so scandal
lied by the "pink ribbons s"-destroyed
the illusion.
1t was one afternoon in early June,
when Mr.. Dearing slept in his arm chair,
his wife darned his stockings, and Sallie
sat stitching away upon some pretty piece
of nonsense-which, truth to tell, she was
much addicted to doing-that Mrs. Bur-
dock stalked in like some gaunt and griz-
ly Fate. After discoursing a short time
about the lateness of the season, the pros
pect for crops-Mrs. Blacks " rheumatic"
and Mr.. Browns broken leg-she came
at last to the subject uppermost in her
mind, and which had been the real mo-
tive OF her CALI q vr va .~r--
$50 Mr. Burch is going to be mar
ried," she remarked, looking keenly at
Sallie, That young woman gave little
start which caused her to prick her finger
and stain her work with blood, and, let
us hope she derived q momentary salts,
faction from the fancy that the cambric
was Mrs. Burdock. and the needle dag
ger She did not, however, look up nor
make any reply, but her mother said, in
the most commonplace way in the world !;
"Is her Who is the ladyY"
"Thst hain't found out, but he's fxin'
up his house with the beautifulest new
things. made an arrant there and saw
'em myself 1t must be the Queen of
Shelby at least" and Mrs. Burdock
eaekled at her own wit. "He's been
downAto Boston three times inone week.
only think Of it," she added, lr..-
What followed Sallie did not hear--she
felt confused and bewildered, and was
thank ful v hon she could steal away to
her chamber Then She reproached her
self for feeling distressed at the news
"What is II to me-" thought she,
whether he is married or not2 lie has
haa,, Ia 4 Of - IL