The Van Buren press., 1871-07-18
MISCELLANY.
How the Deacon Was Sold.

"He never shall have you, Lefty, least.
wise, if can prevent it. A city dandy
like him, indeed d lust as soonyou'd
marry Dan Blocker, the IDIOT, as to be
come the wife of that popnjay.
And Deacon Merriam deliberately tip
ped back this chair against the side Of
the house, or rather against the sink
room door-it being habit that was a
favorite one with him--and seemed to re-
gard the case as settled
Letita began to cry little, then
thought better Of it, and, drying ber eyes,
grew rapidly indignant
He isn't a popnjay," she said
He's as good as anybody, and great
deal better than Peter Bridge, if you did
but know it "
Peter Bridge was her fathers favorite,
a steady well-to do young farmer, though
people did say he was trile parSimoni-
Gus.
well, l don't know it, and nobody
else don't know it, either, he cried, an.
grily. Peter Bridge 2 king to him,
and has got four times the money, to say
nothing of the old Bridge farm, that is
worth five thousand, if It's worth dol
lar. tell ye, Lefty, a gal could do much
worse than to marry Peter Bridge" "
And much better, | hope, said Let
ty AT any rate, / shall try, for |
wouldn't wipe my slippers on Peter
Bridge. "
"Well, as ! said before, you never
shall marry Ross Hardinge," f" snapped
Deacon Merriam, grimly, $50 that's the
end ont. And if you won't have Peter,
why, you can be an old maid, ! suppose. ="
Il shall not do either-I have prom.
sed already to be Ross Hardinge's wife,
aud have no intention Of breaking my
word-so there" And then, astonish-
ed at her own temerty, Lefty burst into
tears
The deacon sat silent moment In
all his life long he had never encountered
q spirit quite so rebelious as this
IL never, he cried, and in his dis
may he endeavored to regain his perpen-
dicular. But the chair was tilted back so
far that it required some exertion to do
this. and, giving spring, the door
against which it was leaning few open,
and over he went among the pots and
kettles, and down came pail OF dirty
water on his devoted head.
We are afraid the deacon made use Of
expressions that would be wicked for
even sinner to utter. He ratified around
some time before he succeeded in getting
upon his feet, and when that difficult ope
ration was accomplished, his features re-
sembled those Of an Indian chief with
the war paint on. The wife and daugh-
ter fairly shrieked with laughter.
Hush up" he exclaimed "Its
pretty time. if I'm to be made laugh
ing stock of in my own house. | won't
endure it,
"Just look in the glass, " said Lefty.
The deacon sniflled, but he looked, as
suggested, and the sight Of the crock did
not improve his temper a particle.
$50 you will marry Ross Hardinge I"
he asked.
Yes, father"
"You won't, Miss Disobcdiencc. I'll
put lock on the door ofyour room, and
keep you on bread and water. I'll put
iron bars before the windows, and not let
you write word TO communicate with
him.
"But / am eighteen" cried Lefty,
turning as red as peony.
IL don't care il you are eighty one,
No daughter OF mine shall marry fool,
and he is fool, if there ever was one.
The deacon was as good as his word
regarding the lock. He had one put on
the door of her room, and Lefty became
a prisoner Then he told Ross Hardinge
that he never should have Letitia.
why notI' asked Hardinge, quite
coolly.
"She shall never marry an idiot.
Look here, old gentleman, if you
wasn't to me my father-in-law, I'd make
YOU ask pardon for that little speech. As
it is, | suppose I'll have to consider up
on it instead
"And if wasn't deacon, I'd teach
you better things, ycg puppy.
And with this the acon hurried away
to the blacksmith shop Tor the iron bars
to be placed over Letty's window.
"a fool, am ] ?" Ross Hardinge NUT
tered, after he was gone. "Well see,
old gentleman the case is by no means
decided Perhaps there are bigger fools
in this world than I, and one OF them
NAV be a deacon. ! like Letitia, and she
likes me, and I'm not going to give her
L..