Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-03-12


ringing out over the fields OF snow, while
Tom Champion, sitting beside her. decd
ed that this world was very jolly place
indeed, particularly the part of it called
Eastmont. Pretty? Perhaps she wasn't.
Aunt Roxy thought her nose too sharp.
SO did Melissa Jane Hale; and am COM
PEELED, by candor, to state that the spun
gold which answered Kitty Gibson in place
Of hair, was ignominiously mentioned
among the young lady's friends as .'tow. :"
Tow and flax believe are much alike,
but there is all the difference in lite be-
tween haired" and headed ~
'Well, Tom So you're going to ordain
the new minister. 1 hear" said the young
lady above mentioned.
''4es. suppose 50. ! hate him." and
Tom sat fiercely striking the roadside snow
with his whip.
"You what?"
''Hate him" More tiercely than ever
lashing the unoffended snow.
ooh, you benighted pagan" she ex-
claimed What can you mean? Why
do you hate good Mr. Fisher? ?"
Because - you - don't" responded
Thomas. looking up at Kitty, who, for her
part, was looking straight at the gray tips
Of Pompey's ears,
'Of course don't! Haven't been too
well born and bred. too thoroughly chas-
tised and catechised to hate anybody, last
of all my minister
And Kitty chatted gai.y on. until the
pony slackened his pace. and with out
stretched neck, and loosened rein, drag
ged slowly up Long Hill How quiet it
was. Kitty was silent. The sun had gone
down. and over all-over the wooded hill
side, the low living field of snow, the dis
tant blue mountains, fell the stiffness of
the coming night.
''Do you recollect when we were little
folks?" asked Kitty at length, pointing
10 the slope on their left hand, where the
laurels lifted their dark, lustrous leaves,
now supporting light cushions of snow.
ado you remember how We came here
after arbutuso"
''And how we made you queen, and
set you on top of High Rock ?n
''Yes, indeed. Do you remember"
kittv's voice was lower, and, it might
have been fancy, but Tom thought there
was a shade of sadness in it. We get
this feeling very early, but it is one of the
symptoms of age, Notwithstanding. when
we begin to sigh at the sound of the old
songs, and look grave at the mention of
bygones. "Do you recollect that your
mother always looked sad on her birth
days? Do you remember?n Kitty re-
peated.
''Do you remember! As if l ever for
got thing that you ever did As if
ever forgot word that you ever said As
if from that day to this
And then-Tom never knew exactly
how it happened,-he didn't mean to do
it,-certainly not then-but it all came
out, and the next thing that Tom could
remember. the reins We're thrown down
and he was tryining to get sight of blush
ing face that had somehow got buried
among the wraps and robes. Did he sue
ceed? I'm not certain that | know. | am
certain that if l did know, | never
would tell. No! Nothing would induce
me! Wild horses should not draw it from
me. l have always held it to be the duty
of u story-teller religiously to stop her
ears and run away when the climax is
reached for that this was climax | will
not pretend to deny; but assure You that
have no idea of shouting from the house
top. what the lovers themselves would not
have whispered to a mouse in the wainscot.
Ten minutes later-was it but ten min
utes ?-Pompey stopped at the top of Long
hill. They had come up past the pines,
past the snow laden laurels; out into a
clearer space. Below them lay the dark
ening land, the dim and distant hills. and
away above the crown Of Monadnock
beamed, clear and bright the evening
star.-The two looked a moment, then
Tom turned his horses head, and they
drove silently home
Il dave ia a. l..
in Aunt Roxy's sitting room on gray
March morning.
Nov, Tom Champion"
Your servant, ma'am,' responded that
person.
"You don't mean to tell me that you're
goin' to marry that little skimpy of Kath-
crime Gibson ?"
Il hadn't meant to say anything about
it," replied Tom, tying and untying the
string which fastened the bag at his feet
81 da say That's all the thanks get
fur all my kindness to you; go and cit mar
ried and never tell me word about it !"
why, my dear Aunt Roxy, I'm not
married yet, and when l am. expect
that you'll dance at my wedding" replied
Tom. good -humoredly.
Il dance! Lawful heart, man alive !.
Dut ten you, YOU Heeuu 90 10 my dear
ing me, I've been waitin to see you for
a week, to have my say. an now I'm 60
ing to have it, All your Establishments
won't stop me-" Aunt Roxy laid down
her yard OF stocking. and moved her chair
nearer to Tom, as though afraid that some
word might be lost between herself and
her auditor
Pray 60 on. I'm all attention"
VERY we'll Now want to know what
on airth you was thinking of to go'n git
married to such girl as Katherine? Why
couldn't you "a fixed upon some good, SEN
sible body like Melissa Jane Hale? You
needn't make up such II face" as Tom
screwed his lips into the semblance of a
whistle-'I tell You that Melissa James
first rate common sense girl.--What if
she is trihe older'n you be? And what
if her hair has got tinge o red? She
can make the best cheese in the whole
town o Eastmont! And here's this wax
doll O yourn. / don't believe she ever
made cheese or loaf O. bread in her
life! And as fur washin' and cleanin' and
that sort o thing, miss my guess if there
amt music at yer house. for know't she
never wa she'd a dish in bar N, o,1 oil Eca