Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1872-03-16

life;y you never did any great thing
No, Agnes said John with
sigh, II cant say that l ever did
l never hada chance, you know.
"That's true, John, but | do re
member now of your whipping Jo
Brown, as blgastwo of you, becaus
he called me names. But that wa
only a fist fight"
"Thank you, Agnes" said John
simply, "for remembering that
But is this DermoT a hero?"
"The bravest fellow, John.
don't know how many people h,
has dragged out of the river, and a.
for rushing into burning houses
there's no end to it,"
Gle told you this, Agnes?'
eyes, to be sure. It's delightful
TO hear him talk; he talks 50 well
That's something, you can't dc
either, John. You can't talk; yot
can't quote poetry; you don't know
any thing about Shakespeare. Oh
you ought to hear Mr.. Dermot &c
through with Romeo and Juliet; ;
and Agnes folded her hands il
ecstasy,
John smiled. He knew Shak.
spearo quite we'll 1t was one O.
the few books he had studied.
"And Mr.. Dermotquotes poetry
ooh, so delightfully."-. Burns, and
Byron, and Tennyson, and he can
say such exquisite little things
Now, John, fyou were something
like"
"Bot l never shall be, Agnes"
"No! 'assented Agnes with a sigh.
"And my hands will always be
hard; for | am a working man, Ag-
nes, and my words will always be
plain; but my heart will be tender,
and true, and loving, Will not
that satisfy, Agnes"
"Why, John, il I don't really love
you, had better find it out now. l
am not quite sure. I'll think it
over, and tomorrow night, maybe
I'll wear a rosebud in my hair and
you'll wear geranium."
Agnes gave an approving nod,
then slipped away, laughing, think
ing to herself, Glow the great fell
low does love me, to be sure"
John wandered around desolate
and lonely all of next day. He was
among the earliest of the guests as
sembled in; the evening at Agnes
home. How anxiously he waited
her coming into the room.
Her cousin Kitty did the honors,
and was continually lowering near
him, her laughing face covered with
and a quiet, mischieyous
mile hiding in her eyes. Kitty
had just come down from assisting
Agnes to dress.
She had found a few fresh rose
buds in.a glass on the dressing ta-
Die: a'bunch of withered geraniums
we're thrown carelessly aside.
Dear old John" she had said to
herself, "your flowers once SO
dearly cherished are now left to die.
| met that idiot bringing those
buds, and fastening one in his but
ton-hole. Agnes. | suppose is to
wear the buds, but l will change
the programme by fiDging
them aside, and fastening one OF
poor Johns geraniums in among
my lady's braids." Aud Kitty
chucklSd to herself,
"Ahl" she said with a merry
twinkle in her eye, "My cousin Ag-
nes, you do, indeed, look charming.
Those rosebuds are just the thing. "
Sure enough, DerInot was sport
ing a rosebud in his button-hole,
and was then talking learnedly to
The elegant Miss Highly of its en-
blematical meaning,
John sat gnasbing his teeth,
nails, and glowering out
from his corner, in a way that was
decidedly tragical, and was really
wonderful for an amateur.
Kitty was delighted, anil found
herself in the recess Of a window
every now and then, stufling her
into her mouth to
the laughter that she had
often been told was veryunladylike,
INDUCED in by young lady OF SIX
teen.
The door opened and Agnes came
sweeping in.
Dermot looked radiant.
you'll change your tune when
YOU find she hasn't worn your rose
buds" said Kitty to herself
But no, the creature continued to
look supremely happy;
She turned to John. He had
arisen. Kitty was frightened. His
face had grown white, and his great
eyes showed all of the despair he
felt in finding that his boyhood
dream had forever vanished.
Agnes looked. toward him slyly,
with bushes on her face, brought
there by the consciousness that she
had done so much to make the great
fellow, happy.
The look he gave her was one she
could never forget.
Without an attempt to disguise
his feelings, the impulsive fellow
rushed from the room. Kitty
FASTENED after him, and Agnes fell