The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1872-09-04
MIR. MAYNARD'S HIRED MAN.
"'Dickery, dickery, dock;
The mouse ran up the clock;
The clock struck one,
And down he run: -

Oh, my good gracious how dare
you?" Fanny laid the pink bundle
down in a rocking chair full of
pillows. The bundle protested with
a vigorous movement, and, in an
other moment the. rocking chair
and the baby came down together.
"Now, you awful man, the child is
killed." cried Fannie, with a scared
face, as she lifted the tiny morsel
from the floor; but the pillows
had protected it, and the startled
baby, after one effort at curling her
lips, broke into a charming smile.
"No harm done; and [ trust Pm
forgiven" said Mathew Dom.
''No you are not forgiven. I
shall nerer forgive you, Mr.. Mathew
Dom; so please leave baby and
me. I have nothing more to say"
"Well, I-I'm going"
"You can go, sir"
The young man went softly,
slowly out, but he looked neither
grieved nor angry on the other side
of the door; he smiled.
The circumstances were these:
Fanny had been amusing her
sisters child, and the little cherub
seemed never to tire Of musical
sounds; so Fanny, who had ONO
ther Goose" by heart, liked nothing
better than to sit in the cozy sit
ting-room, which was really the
nursery, and sing those old, old
melodies.
Mathew Dom was the hired man,
an,, On this particular morning had
stolen in quietly behind Miss Fan
ny, and, tempted cf-what?: surely
not the Evil One--had bent over
and kissed her on the forehead.
And this he had dared to 40,
knowing that Fanny was city
young lady, living in fashionable
quarter, and used to the best So
ciety.
Fanny's sister had married a rich
farmer not quite two years before.
People talked about these Bryson's
burying themselves alive; but both
Olive and Fanny loved the country
better than the town. Every sum-
mer Fanny was glad to leave the
"stuffe old house." as she called it,
and almost by one leap on the ex-
press train find herself in paradise,
breathing air redolent Of white
clover and sweet-brier. During
the winter the sisters corresponded
regularly; and Olive had sung the
praises Of Mathew Dom, their
hired man, so often that Fanny
found herself thinking of his ac-
quaintance as one of the pleasant
probabilities of her next visit.
owe don't pretend to- treat him
as help" wrote Olive, holding her
baby Oh one knee and steadying
tle paper with bronze weight
''for he is not in the least like the
men who hire out in these parts.
II should be ashamed not to ask
him to come to the table; and just
for the novelty of it, I want YOU tc
take a peep in his room. Harry
calls him his ,'ara aris and the two
really enjoy themselves together
falmost like brothers. Besides, he's
nearly as handsome as my Harry
he, you know, is the handsomest
man in the world!" sy,s,
And the pleasant pen ran on and
told about planting, the prospective
sweet-corn, and pea blossoms, and
how the grape vines were full ot
the tiniest punches, and the young
peach trees were going to do splcn'
didly; and Adela had two Of the
"cunningest, milk-white teeth, >
and I know not how much more
loving nonsense. 4 ....
Now Fanny had rich lover
and, like most rich lovers, he was
not prepossessing in his personal
appearance. In her own written
Language to Olive, she pestered
her to DEATH" To be sure it was
pleasant to see his splendid equip.
age in front Of their door, with tho
two superb grays, for on rare occa
sions Fanny yielded to his solicita
tons to take ride; and he always
contrived to drive her by his castle