Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-10-06
HANSAH'S QUILTING.

HANSAWS QUlHING.
HANNAH thought she knew the state O
Aleck Frceman's heart. She had trifet
with him little, and her own mind wa
not quite made up.
She was sitting now In her chamber
sweet and clean with whitewash and new
buff paper, and bowery with green ligh
which fell n0m tho pear tree bought
through freshly SEARCHED muslin curtains
Hannah was nicc.lOoking blonde maid
en-, dressed In tidy che colate print, with
. blue bow nesting In her thick, wsyy
hair She had been writing note by tht
stand, and was sealing II with one Of the
motto seals then in fashion. This one
said, Come" and II was easy 10 see thai
IL Endorsed note of invitation.
She ran down stairs IN the fresh morn.
ing air, where her father, Deacon Ashley,
was Just ready TO head old Charley to-
ward the village. Her mother, a buxom
matron, was standing bare headed beside
the democrat wagon, handing up the mo-
lasses Jug, and charging the Deacon not
TO forget the pound Of CASTLE soap and
the lampwicks. Hannah tucked up her
trim skirts, and ran out through the dewy
grass.
"See here, father" she called, in her
pleasant voice, "you must stop at the
schoOl. house and give this note TO Andy
Freeman. It's for Jane, you know, ask.
Ing her and Miss Lang TO come 70 the
quilting"
"Ain't there one for Aleck, tooi, In.
quired tho good-natured old Deacon, with
. wink.
81 told Jane he could come in the
evening, II he chose" returned Hannah,
with slightly heightened color. "Dr.
Bingham will DO here, and some other
young men"
"Aleck Freeman is worth the whole
kit" responded the Deacon, "and that
young pill .box, according TO my way Of
thinking, runs too much to hair dye and
watch chains, but Aleck has got good hard
SENSE and first-rate learning. He can ap-
pear with any of 'cm. II you don't look
out, Han, he'll be shining round that
pretty girl from Hilltdale"
at makes no difference TO me, who he
shines round" returned Hannah, with
slight shade Of odense; but, nevertheless,
there was little papg at her heart AZ she
turned back toward the house. Hsnnah's
mind WAS not quite easy about Jane Free.
mans visitor, the pretty girl from Hills.
dale, but she thought X she could SEQ
Aleck and Mary Lang together she would
know In just what quarter the wind was
setting.
The Deacon tucked the note into his
breast pocket, took the Inolaeses Jug be.
tween his feet, and gave old Charley cut
with his lines preparatory to making
him begin to move, an operation OF some
length, as Charley believed the Deacon
TO be under his orders. At last. how
ever, the two were trotting and rafting
past the goose pond, and the big barns,
and tall elms, that cast some very cool
shadows across the brown dust Of tho
road, until with kind OF mutual under
standing and sympathy they came out
against stretch OF post and rider fence,
enclosing field Of the biggest kind Of
clover, It looked like good farming TO
the Deacon's eyes. He could calculate
pretty closely the number Of tons Of sweet
lucy feed there would be TO the acre
and yet this morning the fragrance and
rosy bloom, and the hum OF insects
among the thick heads, brought him
different kind Of pleasure.
With the long sight Of sge he could
rec the cows grazing In the back
pasture, and he thought Of the seattle
on q thousand hills and whose they
were. His gaze wandered back lovingly
even 70 the old stone wallis, with mul.
leins growing beside them, and the
Shadows OF the birds fitting over them,
and everything seemed good, even the
May weed and daisies, and Canada thistle,
that farmers hate by instinct. He felt
gush Of childhke thsrkfulness, because
6the earth is theLord's and the fullncas
thereof"
Presently the Deacon and Charley came
across group Of school children-byown,
ffockled faced. Little urchips, in calico
shirts, tow trowsers, and shilling hats
much the worse for wear. Then there
vas tall red headed girl who had out.
grown al the tucks in her dress, and had
torn her apron In following the boys over
the wall after chipmunk, and one or
two little tots, with very doppy sun bon
nets. whose short legs would not allow
them to keep up. They all carried dinner
pals and dogs cared spelling books, and
st the very end OF the string there was Z
low spirited yellow dog.
"Whoa!" cried the Deacon, setting hii
two boot.soles, which resembled weather,
beaten scows, against the dash board, and
pulling In hard-an operation Charley
did NOT ct all relish, although he at last
yielded, with shake Of his homely head,
which intimated It was done by special
favor, and could not be repeated.
"Jump in, children" cried the good.
natured old man; "l'll give We lift as far
- the school. house. Beats all how little
shavers think Of ketchin' ride. There,
don't crowd, boys, Lot tho girls in first,
and mind your manners; = and no hfted
q 8 roly-poly maid, with pincushion
hands and . very suggestive stain Of Wild
cherries, and seated her on the buffalo b.
GIde him. The others I'll tumbled In In .
tEice.
N'Pesrs to mel wouldn'tsat them puck.
~ thiues." said the Deacon, IN his grand.
hfhsrly &shion, pointing to some sug-
eestiyc GnearD on the little maids high
einghsm apron. "Theyu give you the
SOFIA