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

near the mandepiece. and watched the
father with half-suppressed approving
mirth flushing his impassive and hand
some visage. His wife, Emily, love
ly blonde, dressed in white and cherry
ribbons for the evening, who was sittins
on low seat on the other side of the
fireplace near her daughter, Lillian,
turned her charming head to gaze on
the old giant her gentle face, framed in
its dropping gold-brown tresses land a
little pale and wan, as became the moth
er Of two children, one dead), lighting
with amusement. her lips parting to
show the smiling teeth, and a deeper
lustre glowing IN her blue, earnest eyes
and the tiny Lillian, sitting by her in a
small roclcing-chair. fair and chubby
tot of FIVE years old, in a blue dress,
with short yellow curls, and pale pen
sive countenance, the infant Madon-
na of a stiff lubber doll which she was
rocking to its staring sleep, dropped
this diabolical fetish of all girl-baby-
hood, to clap her small hands, crimson
ing with glee while the youngest son,
Tom, fine, hssome, innocent, ruddy
young fellow of twenty, deep in the
bashful tremors and pUndUueies- Of
first-love for pretty Fanny Redwood, a
/ guest now upstairs at her toilette, and
actually with a crick in his neck from
! having kept his head for about twenty
minutes turned over his shoulder, as he
sat with outstretched legs, and hands
in his pockets, watching for her to come
down, quite forgot her for about quar-
ter of a minute, and laughed long and
loud and happy smile appeared even
upon the sad, calm face of old Mrs. Dy-
ger, turned with its tight lace cap and
brown hair streaked with gray, to gaze
at her good mana face comely yet, in
spite of years and sorrow, stately even
in its smiling with the dignity of
suffering borne in silence-she who
rarely smiled now since the loss of her
two sons-George a soldier ofthe Union,
reported missing at Fredericksburg, and
long given up as dead Rupert the first
/ born, soldier in the rebel army, never
heard from, banned by his father, his
name forbidden to be spoken in that
| house forever.
81 can't do it like you, father, said
John Dyer curtly. his mind upon the
marvellous pigeon-wing. "Old man S
ahead of me yet. Young mans no
where"
Guess there's no young men now-a-
days like father" said Tom, admiringly.
! Elkanah Dyer smiled like an old
lion hattered by his cubs, showing his
/ teeth, every one of the thirty-two still
/ white and sound glanced down at him
/ self in his evening costume, of brown
/ old-fashioned clothes, double-breasted
! buff vest, and frilled shirt-bosom, with
which his big hand toyed; passed the
/ hand over his smooth-shaven, healthy
colored face, and up on the ample dome
! of his bald head, and down to the locks
! of short, curly gray hair, which still pref
ty thlckly fringed his temples, and then,
as one satisfied that he was in good
trim, moved his proud visage slowly
around, smilingly surveying the group
with broad. blue eyes, well-opened un-
der their high-arched. shaggy brows.
Father Dyer, believe you're as vain
as any peacock, said Johns wife, En-
iIy in her most charming voice.
Elkanah's face instantly put on that
look of helpless confession, which the
strongest Of the sons of men assume,
and fancy bland Indifference, when de-
tected by woman.
Cant do that p he said, reverting
to the pigeon-wing with the idea of re-
gaining lost ground Why, that very
easy. So" And he did it again.
20 vanity vanity!'' exclaimed Emil
ly, with charming mockery. Father
Dyer, you want to tempt me to ask you
to dance with me this evening. .
Little Lillian at once crimsoned with
intense elfin merriment
''Oh, grandpa's going to dance with
mamma - she cried, IN her small silvery
voice. Grandpa, are you going to
dance with my mamma when the neigh
bors and friends come in p
''Neighbors and friends Hah well
Disseminated = muttered the old man
with a snort. "Out of the mouth of ba-
bes and sucklings. Semi-Union neigh
bors and semi-secesh neighbors. Six
water grog, anyway. How many friends,
we'll know before long. Before long"
His face darkened for an instant into
savage gloom; then, with a toss of his
head, he smiled his leonine smile.
Dance with your mamma, midget p
he went on in his sounding voice. mo;
can't dance with her. Besides, she'd
rather dance with somebody else-with
Faulkner.
Emily bent her head quickly, and,
spite of herself, colored scarlet. The
old man looked slowly around, serenely
smiling, with purring satisfaction, feel
ing, with a sort of innocent vindictive
complacency, that he had paid her back
at the rate of a four-hundred-pound
shot for a very small bullet. In an in
stant she looked up, lightly laughing,
with quick glance at her husband His
eyes were intently bent upon the floor
a slight frown dented his forehead, and
his face was cold and grave. AS she
saw his look, spasm of almost hate for
him contracted her heart, and quivered
away in hurt feeling and a flood Of
passionate love, the light laughter all
the while upon her face and lips.
Faulkner" ?" she said gaily "Why,
Father Dyer, like my old sweetheart,
Faulkner, very much, especially because
he's such friend of Johns and so dear
to us all but I'd as lief dance with you
as him, and I'd rather dance with my
own husband than either of you"
John Dyzer's face did not change,
and. as one not hearing what was said,
| he slowly walked away. Emily's heart
recoiled, and became like stone against
him. Still smiling gaily, she suddenly
became aware that old Elkanah was
staring down at her with open mouth
and features all wreathed in glee.
''WhY, hear the girl e he burst out,
with jovial roar. There's a girl,
| AlOW 4hGlC , d SpCCSn lOl you. OIlC u
rather dance with her own husband than
either of us Spoken Ikea lady! John,
you dog, why don't you down and kiss
| your wife for that, like mani
Tut, father-tut, tut. tut, tut, tut, J."
replied John Dyer. Emily could have
stabbed him.
what you won't Then, by Cad
ger and Badger. will - cried the old
man, laughing. And would, with the
lumbago.'
He made one stride that shook the
floor, and would have stopped to kiss
her, but she sprung up from her low
seat, glowing like rose, and smiling
like an angel, flung her arms around
him, and kissed him again and again;
then dancing backward, suddenly turn
ed, and flew from the room with a
! speed that swept the air into perfume
behind her flying skirts, and made the
| abundant SPRAYS of holly tramb HE