Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1872-03-23


ready installed herself as temporary
mistress, by thoughtlessly upsetting,
reversing anu turning inside out all
the good Huldah's most cherished ar
All the plains for the an
nual festival that wise and Practical
Huldah had entertained were vetoed,
without a thought that this young girl
had been for a year and half in ac-
tual authority IN the house, and might
have some feeling of wrong in having
a guest for a week overturh her plans
for the next month. But Mrs. Holmes
was not one of the kind to think Of
that. Huldah was hired and paid,
and she never dreamed that hired peO-
pie could have any interest in their
work or their home other than their
pay or their food. But Huldah was
patient, though she confessed that she
had feeling that she had been rude;
ly /" trampled all over.' Isuspect she
had b cry at the end Of the first day.
l cahii6t affirm it, except from gen.
eral knowledge of woman. ~g...
When John drove up in the buggy
that the boys had taken to the depot
for him, his first care was to shake
hands with the deacon, who was glad
to see him, but could not forbear ex-
pressing hope that he would "shave
that hair of his upper lip" Then
John greeted his sister cordially, and
was presented to Miss Dunton. In
stead of sitting down. he pushed right
iato the kitchen, where Huldah, in n
calico fruck and clean whiteaprOi. was
baking biscuits for ted. She had been
a schOolmate of his, and he took her
hand cordially, as she stood there with
the bright western sun half glorifying
her head and face. r
Why, Huldah, how you have
grown p was his first word Gf greeting.
He meant more than lie said, for,
though she WAS not handsome, she
had grown exceedingly comely as she
developed iutO woman.
's Undignified as ever" said AmaIl-
ia, as she returned to the sitting
room. - -,
The next day the ladies could get nc
good out of John Harlows He got NJ
early aud MIXED the COW. He chi
wood aud carried it for Huldah. HI
rode old Bob to the brook for water
he did everything he had accustomed
to do when a boy, finding as much
pleasure in forgetting that he was
maii as he had once found in hoping
to I've man. The two boys enjoyed
his society greatly, and his father was
delighted to see that lie retained BIZ
Interest in farm life. John was not in
sensible to Janet Dunt0n's charms
She could talk friently about all tlit
authors most in vogue, and the effec
of her fiuehcy was really dazzling to
man. John was infatuated with tn
idea Of marrying wife of such attain
ments. How she would dazzle hi
friends! How the Governor wOul'
like to talk to her How she wOul'
shine in his parlOrs! How she wOul'
delight people as she gave them tel
and talked at the same time! .'Oh1
was in love with her as he would hav
been in love with a tea-uru or rar
book. HT' -
| Daring the week he walked and roll
in the sleigh with Miss Dunton, an
made ap his mind that he would cal
ry this brilliant prize to New YOrl
But. with lawyer-like caution, b
thought he would put off the cothmi
tai as long as possible. 1t his heal
had been in his attentions the cautlo
would not have been worth mucl
Caution is q good bfeakwster agains
vanity. bat it isn't worth much agains
the spring tide of love, as John Ha
low soon found.
, For toward the end of the week b
? began to feel warmer feeling for Mi
. Janet. do not think that John wa
seriously in love with Miss Dunton.
I he had been lie would have four
4 some means OF communicating wit
A her. A Thousand spies, with deepie'
> eyes all around their heads, came
o keep man from telling his love som
: how, if he really has any love to tell.
{ He observed often during the we.