Centre Hall reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1868-1871, 1871-02-17
JOHN HARLow'S CHOICE.


Therc was a young lawyer by the name
Of John Harlow in New York. He told
his partner thai be wanted 10 90 home for
a Meek. He said he wanted 10 see his
father and the bows, and his sister. but that
he especially wanted 20 ride old Bob 20
the brook once more, and to milk Cherry
again, lust to see how il felt 10 be a
farmers boy.
~John.n said the old lawyer, " be sure
You fix up a match with some Of those
coaAtry girls; no man Is hit for anything
tillshe Is well married. and you are now
able With economy 10 supper. a wife.
Muiti you get one Of those country girls.
These paste and powder people here aren't
tit for q young man who wants a woman" "
The next morning John had letter
from his sister. Part Of il nan about
thus -
sTve concluded, old fellow, that il you
don't marry you'll dry up and turn TO
parchment. I'm going 10 bring home with
me the smartest girl | know. OF course
she don't know what | am up 10, but you
must prepare 70 capitulate.n
In the old home they were looking for
the son, The family proper consisted Of
the father, good Deacon Harlow, Johns
two brothers, ten and twelve years old,
and Huldah, the !" help" This last was
the daughter of neighboring farmer, who
was . Aa6r- and hopeless rheumatic, and
mnsi .df llzedsaghter's bard earnings went
TO exc cat the scAnty subsistence at home.
Aunt Judith. the sister Of johns mother.
locked after the household affairs Of her
brother in-law, by coming over ouce q week
ard helping HuldAh darn and mend and
make, and by giyi:-se Huldah such advice as
her inexperieEoe was supposed 10 require.
But now Deacon HarlowAs daughter had
left her husband TO eat his turkey alone in
Boston, and had brought her two children
home TO receive the paternal blessing.
Not that Mrs. Amanda Holmes had the
paternal blessing chiefly in view in her trip.
She had brought with her a very dear
friend, Miss Janet Dunton, the accom-
plished teacher in the Mt Parnassus
Female Seminary. Why Miss Janet Dun
ton came to the country with her friend.
~~she could hardly have told. Not n word
md Mrs. Holmes spoken to her on the sub
ieet df the matrimonial scheme. She
would have resented any allusion 10 such
a subject. She would have repelled any
insinuatiOn that she had ever dreamed that
marriage was desirable under any conceiv-
able circumstances. She often declared,
sentimentally, that she was welded 10 her
books. and loved her leisure, and was de.
termined 10 be an old maid And all the
time this sincere Christian girl was dying
TO confer herself upon some worthy man OF
congenial tastes which meant, in her case,
just what il did in John Harlow 's,-some
one who could admire her attainments.
Mrs. Holmes and her friend mad arrived
twenty-four hours ahead Of John, and the
daughter Of the house bad already installed
herself as temporary mistress hy thought
lesslF upsetting, reversing, and turning
inside out all. the good Huldah's most
cherished arrangements. All the plans for
the annual festival that wise and practical
Huldah had entertained were vetoed, with
out thought that this young girl had
beenfof year and half in actual aut hor-
ity in the house, and might have some feel
ing Of wrong iE'haying guest Of a week
overturn her plans for the next month.
But Mrs. Holmes was not one Of the kind
10 think Of that. Huldah was hired and
paid, and she never dreamed that hired
people could have any interests in their
work or their home other than their pay
and their fod But Huidsh was patient,
though she confessed that she had feeling
that she had been rudely " trampled all
over" j suspect she had good CRY at the
end Of the first day. cannot affirm it,
except from a general knowledge Of women
Wien John drove up in the buggy that
the boys had taken TO the depot for him.
hig first care was to shake hands with the
deacon, who was glad to see him, but could
not forbear expressing hope that be would
u shave that hair off his upper lip" Then
John greeted his sister cordially, and was
presented to Miss Dunton. Instead oI
sitting down, he pushed right ON into the
kitchen, where Huldah, IL calico frock
and clean white apron, was baking biscuit
for tea. She had been schoolmate Of his
and he took her hand cordially as she stood
there, with the bright western sun half
glorifying her head and face
"Why, Huldah, how you've grown p
was bis first word Of greeting. He meant
more than he said, for though she was not
handsome, she had grown exceeding comely
as she developed into woman.
Undignified as eyerm said Amanda, as
she returned TO the sitting-room.
The next day the ladies could get nc
good out Of John Harlow. Ire got uT
early and MIXED the COW. He cut wood
and carried it in for Huldah. He rode old
Bob to the brook for water. He did every
thing that he had been accustomed to dc
when boy, finding as much pleasure in
forgetting that he was a man, as he had
once found in hoping TO be a man. The
two boys enjoyed his society greatly, and
his father was delighted 20 see that he had
retained his interest in the farm-life.
John was not insensible to Janet Dun
tons charms. She could talk iluently
about all the authors most in vogue, and
the effect of her fiusncy was really dazzling
to man. John was infatuated with the
idea of marrying a wife of such attain
ments. How she would dazzle bis friends
How the Governor would like to talk to
her How she would shine in his parlors
How she would delight people as she gave
them tea and talk at the same time. John
was in love with her as he would have
been in love with a new tea-urn or rare
book During that week he talked and
walked and rode in the sleigh with Miss
Dunton, and had made up his mind that
he would carry this brilliant prize to New
York. But, with lawyer-like caution, be
thought he would put OFF the committal as
long as possible. IL his heart had been in