The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1870-05-03

loNClS' IL WIS amusing uOODSe1Ve Jle at
tention he paid her. He gathered the first
spring flowers for her-carried her books
and parcels-pulled off her muddy over
shoes to spare her dainty fngers-produced
an umbrella if it rained and seemed by
his actions generally to consider her as his
peculiar charge. When teased by the old
er boys, as he often was, he would reply:
"She has no father or brother, and am
sure somebody ought to care for and be
kind to her.'
And as they grew older they were assign
ed to each other, by a sort of tacit consent,
in all the little merry-makings incident to a
New England village.
Judge Whitcomb, the father of Morton,
was grave tacitun man, loving his chill
dren dearly, (they were all girls but Morton, J
but in his own peculiar manner.
One day, as he sat reading his attention
was arrested by conversation between
Morton and one of his sisters, and in which
the latter was teasing him about his fond
ness for Lucy Merryman. Some words Civ
EN- back by the brother startled him, and he
raised his eyes, and through the open door,
for he was in an adjoining room, looked
upon his son, boy no longer
" He is fine, manipulating youth, GER
tainly, he thought, as he gazed more ear
nestly. "What if that poor widows inter-
esting daughter should try to captivate him?
/ have heard-yes, known of such things 4!
l must watch! Why, it would ruin him r'
And he did watch, and became convinced
there was danger.
"My son." said he, a few days after
wards, "when does this term of school
close ?''
"In three weeks, sir''
"IIow far have you progressed in your
Latin?"
81 shall commence my second book in
Virgil, next term"
every well, l propose sending you from
home to school, term or two, before you
enter college"
The son looked up i'll surprise "May I
ask why, sir?''
Certainly. think it will be an advan-
tage to you. Your studies will proceed the
same, and contact with strangers will give
you more confidence in your own powers,
and better fit you for the collegiate course.
l will speak to your mother to have all your
clothing prepared, and will go with you at
the proper time, to the principal in Boston,
who is personal friend, and in whom l
have much confidence
The son had nothing to offer against this
reasonable proposition, and at the time
named by his father, said "good-bye" to
his village classmates, fingered very long
at parting with Lucy Merryman, and then
left his fathers house for his first soioun
from it,"
Judge Whitcomb was the nominal post
master for the village, but the business was
attended to by an efficient deputy.
Morton and Lucy had promised, in that
last parting, to correspond, and every week
pretty little missives passed back and forth
between them. The father had made nc
ploNiSioh iol IillS, anu i'll ldC KNEW nothing
of it, He had sent his son away as he once
would have shut him in closet to keep him
out of mischief: and he had no more thought
of his writing to young lady, without his
leave, than he would have had of his climb
ing from window to escape the confne
ment.
But one day being in the Office, in the alb
sence of his clerk, Lucy Merryman cam,
and dropped letter in the box When sh,
was gone he took it up to prepare it for it,
destination, and saw, to his surprise, tn,
name and address of his son. He turned i
over and over, and read again and again tn,
address. Yes, it was to his son. And h
would give much to know what it contained
Morton was a minor and should be unde
his control in everything. Perhaps thi
thing had gone farther than he had feared
The letter looked like it certainly. An,
he must never be allowed to entangle him