The Republican journal., 1872-05-23

and accessories of fashion, after which she
could model with ease and despatch
Obadiah met her, and yielded up his heart
without a struggle. She was woman
of tact, and these live longest in the hearts
of men. She t1atters their weaknesses and
steers clear of the troubled waters of past
indiscretion. She never allowed a blunder
to be made in her presence, and has the
happy faculty of making a mishap appear
rather as an advantage. Not that Miss
Hopkins was all this; but she might have
been had she lived in happier time, for
she had the genuine intutive power that
insighted the special characteristics OF all
the people within the circle of her acqaint-
ance She made dresses badly enough, but
more than atoned for it by well-turned com
pliments. Each Gus omer came in for her
share her figure, hair, eyes, or any feature
that needed bol5terng, got it from the
dett tongue of Miss Hopkins. They could
not give her up, she was as balm in Gilead.
Besides, dressmakers were not common
in those days, and she was better than
none. Obadiah offered himself, and was
accepted. The marriage was to take
place at the end of the month. His heart
was overtlowing with Joy. He commenced
immediately to renovate his house, and a
wing must be added. He sent to San
Francisco for carpet and furniture; he
supplied wood and provisions in proper
ton e his happiness. There was no end
to the hams, the beans, the lard. There
was never more devoted lover, and his
delight was not broken in upon by the en-
vious competition of rivals; others visited,
but she went with none but Obadiah
They rode on horseback and had quiet
little dinners together. He felt at these
times that he had never loved before no
one had ever SO seduously watched the
different stages Of his appetite. After the
first rude crash OF meat and vegetables,
came the titillating insinuations of pud-
ding and cakes from the hand he adored
Never since in his own mothers house
had pie been made on purpose for him.
His last bachelor day had come; the sun
rose in the heavens, and seemed resolved
to hang forever there" At noon, he
wandered into revine Just at the edge of
the town, to pass the leaden-t footed hours,
and to muse upon his prospective happi-
ness unmolested. With feverish i'm
patience, not unusual upon like occasions,
he walked up and down and around, and
finally halted at the sound of voices He
could see, and not be seen
"Wel, Cynth, how are the times ?''
asked the tlashy-looking stranger who had
been loaiing around the town tor several
days.
every much as they have always been
in my life and line. My time has been
divided pretty evenly between starvation
on the bedrock and riotous living on the
bread of fools"
81 hear you are once more again about
to enter upon one of those blessed periods
of prodigality. How did YOU manage it?'
Manage it % said she. ''Bleedin o
fingers, throbbng eyes, and an aching
back rather enlarge a woman's capacities
for deviltrv ); at least, they drive me semi
annually to marriage. A choice of evils
however, is something to a freeborn
American citizen. When I married you
was crazy under the incessant growl of
dissatisfied boariers."
"Cynthia, YOU are about as active and
energetic woman as one sees in a life
time" said he
Yes, this blind old fool urges me to
marry him, and desire more comfortable
quarters than the legitimate profits of
ultsS llltkiI9 can give me Two pOOu anO
sufficient reasons for any marriage. Be-
sides he has money; and, if don't rake
his pile, | will, at least, get some good
harness to remember him BY"
when does the event come off?' asked
he
If by the event you mean my mar
rlage with Obadiah Fuller, allow me state
that it comes off this evening, at eight
o'clockn
Nights sable mantle had scarcely drap-
ed the Sierras, when, through the out
skirts of the town, with stealthy tread,
stole a mutf1ed figure. Along the level,
and down the grade, passed a form, with
speed to which that of bearer of the fiery
cross, at the command of Roderick Dhu,
was but a snail's-pace. The wheeling OF
an immense pair Of lungs heralded its APP
proach the retreating sound of ponder
Gus footsteps announced its transit. The
inmates of wayside houses. started by the
unwonted sounds, hastened to the doors
only to hear the last, fading echoes.
1t was Obadiah Fuller, fleeing from the
destruction of his idol Overland Month
ly for May.