Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-06-24
HANNAHS QUILTING.

-ITTI0g cnamDer, sWeef
and clean with whitewash and new buff paper
and bCwery with green light which fell from the
Iear-trec bOughs tlrOugRfreshly-star mus
lin curtains
Hannah vas a nice-looking blonde maiden,
dressed in n tidy chocolate print, with blue
bow nesting in her thick. wIvy hair. She had
been writing note by the stand, and was seal
1ng II With one Of the motto seals then in fash
ion This one said, " Gomez and il was easy to
see that il endorsed a note of invitation.
She ran down stairs into the fresh morning
air. where her father, Deacon Ashley was lust
ready to head old Charley toward the village.
Her mother, buxom matron, was standing
bare-headsd beside the democratic wagon,
handing up the molasses jug, and charging the
Deacon not to forget that pound of CASTLE soap
and the lamp0yieks- Hannah tucked up her
skirts and ran 5dt through, the dewy grass.
- See here, father" she called in Nr pleasant
voice; . You must stop at the schOol-house and
give this nOte TO Andy Freeman. It's for Jane,
You know, asking her and Miss Lang to come To
:. Amt there one for Aleck, too?" inquired
the gOod-nature old Deacon, with a wink.
g told Jane he could come in the evening, If
he chose returned Hannah, with slightly
heightened color. " Doctor Bingham win be
here - she added, ''and some other young men"
" Aleck Freeman is worth the whole Kit" re-
sponded the Deacon; ''and that young pilEbOx,
according 20 my way OF thinking, runs too much
20 hair-iie ami watch-ehains; but Aleck has got
good hard sense and hrSt-rate learning. He can
appear with any of EN-. II YOU don't look out,
Han, he'll be shining round that pretty girl from
Il makes no difference to M who he shines
ROUND" returned Hannah, wi5h a slight shade
of offense; but, nevertheless. there was little
pang at her heart as she turned back toward the
house HannalI's mind was not quite easy about
Jane FrCCm mans visitor, the pretty girl from
HIllsdale, but she Thought II she could see Aleck
and Mary Lang together she woIld know in Just
what quarter the wind was blowing.
The Deacon tucked the note into his breast
pocket, took the molasses jug between his feet,
and gave old Charley a cut with the lines prepa-
ratOry of some length, as Charley believed the
Deacon 20 be under his orders. At last, how
ever, the two were trOtting and rafting past the
COoee-IOnd. and the big barns and tall ems that
cast some very cool shadows across the brown
dust Of the road, until, with Z kind OF mutual
understanding and sympathy, they came out
against stretch of post and rider fence, inclOs-
ing field Of the biggest kind OF clover. Ii looked
like good farming 70 the Deaeon's eyes lie
could calculate pretty closely the number OF tons
of sweet, juicy feed there would be 70 the acre;
and vet this morning the fragrance and the rosy
heads brought him different kind OF pleasure.
With the long site of age he could see the cows
grazing in the back pasture, and he thou Zht of
the ssCattle on thousand hills, - and whose they
are HIS gaze wandered lovingly even to the
old stone walls, with mullens growing beside
them. and the shadows OF birds fitting over
III m, and everything seemed good, even % the
Maywced and daisies and Canada thistles, that
IaI mers hate by instinct He felt a grIsh o.
chiIdlike thankfulness, because 1.-the earth
the Lords and the fuliness thereof"
Presently the Deacon and ClLaEley came Across
a group Of school children-brOwn, frecklei-face
little UTehins, in calico shirts, tow trowsers and
there WAS a tall, red-headed girl, who had ont
grown all the tucks in her dress, and had torn
Nor apron in following the boys over the wall
after a chpmunk, and one or two little tOts. with
very happy sunbOnnets, whose short legs would
not allow them to keep up They all carried
dinner pals and dog scared spelling books, and
At the very end OF the string there was a low
ssWhcal" cried the Deacon. setting his two
boOt-sOles, wli,h resembled weather-beaten
scows, against the dashboard, and pulling in
hard-an operation Charley did not at all relish,
although he at last yielded, with shake Of his
hOmely head, which intinfated IL was done by
sTeeiai favor, and could not be repeated
- Jump in, children cried the good-natured
old man; " III give ye lift as fur as the school
house. Beats-all how much little shayers think
OF catching a ride. There, don't crowd, boys.
Let the girls in first, and mind your Manners
and he lifted in q roly-pcly maid, with pin
wild cherries around her dimPled mouth, and
seated her ON the buffalo beside him. The others
all tumbled i'm in a trice.
"'Pears 10 me / wouldn't eat them puckery
things" said the Deacon in his grandfatherly
fashion, pointing 10 some suggestive snesrs ON
the little maids high gingham apron, They'll
eyes, sir !. replied the child folding her funny
little hands contentedly in her lap. "Sissy had
the measles, and didn't, and my mother said 1
might have the colo If wanted to-
The Deacon leaned back and laugh6d, and
Charley shook his ears and turned up at him an
eve OF mild reprOaCh. s'What a little goose You
are!V said a bright-fassd boy, who had been
much squeezed in the legs, ana had just admin
istered several sharp punches in the side OF the
squeeZer as he leaned over the back Of the seat
10 pinch the little girls ears.
s'Bless me. there's Andy Freeman, and had
like TO forget the what-d'ye call it-biiiy-do-
my Hannah sent 70 the girls up at your house"
The Deacon veered half round, and checked
Charley, who BY this time began To consider the
whole thing as disgusting, especially as the low
'sThis must be IL - he went on, fImblfn9 In his
pocket. You see I've left my best eyes at
home; the old pair carry in my head don't
amount 70 much"
ANDY took the folded paper, and promised TO
be careful OF it, and by that time Charley and his
load had arrived at the stone schOol-hOuse, which
looked very much like juvenile penitentiary.
The schOOlmistress was standing in the door
ringing the bell; and the children scrambled
down the side or the wagon and scampered OF,
to save their mark for punctuality.
Jane Freeman had been busy all day with her
friend, Mary Lang, the Pr tty girl from Hills
dale. There u nothing at inst 80 engrOSsing To
the mind of a country girl IS the stylish clothes
Of her city yisitOr. Mary had number OF fash
iOnabIy- made dresses, and, as Mrs Freeman
remarked, she had ''the latest Quirk" in her
pretty hair. She was a good-natured girl, and
had let Jane cut the pattern Of her yisite and
her tabled muslin cape, and had shown her just
how 10 do the captivating twist Now the two
girls were bending out of the sitting-room
window, which looked out upon the orchard,
with It's gnaried boughs, and cool green lights,
and white clover heads dropped upon the grass
Like uuStrgng pearls. Aleck had come up from
the garden, and was leaning on his hoe handle,
talking % them He was muscular, well-made
passed three years In a city, and had rubbed OF
bis rustic bashfulness, told upon him well. Now
there Was half quizzieal, half pleased, look
peeping out from under his eyelids; and old Mrs.
Freeman, sitting on the back porch, with her
glasses in the fold Of a magazine story, covering
her knobby hngcr-ends, glanced at the group
and thought 20 herself that Mary Lang, with afl
her hnery, wouldn't be sorry to catch Aleck
Then, At the memory Of Hannah Ashley, there
came little twinge OF anxiety, for Hannah was
her prime faycrite; and after the manner OF sub
stanfial matrors, she desired her boy TO marry q
practical wife, who knew hcw 90 cook his dinner
and make him comfortable. The sight OF Mary
Lang's white, nerFeiess hands with their pretty
rings caused the old Lady 70 shake her head and
Inutter something about "dolls and poppets."
Andy had come home from school and had le
the loW-sp. rited dog out in the back lot % bark
at the hens a little while by way Of wholesome
recreation He was preparfng % 20 down 70 his
squirrel trap in the woods, and aslhe sat fussing
away and Nhistling on the porch steps, saddeply
ne pulled paper ont OF his jacket pocket and
Ecampered on with Il 70 the window.
''Here's something Deacon Ashley told me %
give SIS He called Il a billy
'.YOu men William" pat In Mary chucking
inn mn dr. he hf