Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-10-02

more feeble than had ever seen him
!, His ankle was better, so that he coul
go about the house, and he sometime
e got as far as the barn; but he had beel
e obliged to leave a great deal to. Jane
o White, his hired man, and things sool
3 showed the difference. | had not beel
in the house half an hour before hear
] the praises of Mary winder sounded b.
= both father and mother. 80 80 80
"She saysishe saw great deal of 20,
at. Aunt Abbey's !" said my mother. 80
Il "Oh, yesH I. answered; sshe stayed
there most of the time. +. Aunt. Abbey
thinks the world of her. Where is she
| now Z"
Il "She is over at Widow Browns, sit.
ting with Emma!" answered mother
You know the poor child has been in
decline this long time. Somehow she
has taken to Mary and feels as if she
must have her every day" fsi..
L. o =. a
i Suppose you go over and bring her
Il home, Abner!'' said my father: 'sit will
| be quite dark, and the road is rather
1 lonesome. VII ~. - -.-! s...- ~a..
J.. 1 fancied my father looked at me
with a curious questioning expression as
he spoke, and a dim wonder crossed my
mind as to whether he suspected any
| thing ,but I dismissed it at once ,remem-
'j'bering the letter Aunt Abbey had show
| ed me. = at can't berT thought; "he
would not have her on the place one
hour.''.s "a .....F,..l go 4... .-..l-
Show did Miss Winder come here?'
asked, as mother followed me out to the
/ door.
/ HOE, she came up to Rochester with a
family from Vermont, and then came
hereto bring me aparcel from Abbey.
So, of course, L asked her to stay and
make visit. had piece in the loom
which Jane Pratt had just drawn in
when she was taken sick, and nothing
must do but Mary must finish it. She
does beat all for weaving that ever i
saw. Then your father sprained his an
.kle, and wssn'tvery well, so she stay
ed on and 1 dom t know what L shall do
when she goes away. wish we could.
keep her alwaysw. ,..i .",. i...-- - :
"Father seems to like her, too" said
1, my heart echoing the wish. .'"
He does. 1 never saw him take so to
any one. He said yesterday that if we
ever had a daughter-in-law he hoped
she would be jnst like Mary" .i,.....i..
Well, 1 went after Penelope and
brought her home, and many pleasant
walk we had afterward, along that same
lonesome eross-road. It was rather
hard work for me to learn to call her
Mary. -. ..i--. 81 eti--'' ...'.'
"Yes, you used to scare me. half to
death, saying PeaP interrupted my
mother. 81 had to tell father it was q
nickname Aunt Abbey gave me. Oh
dear! Pm afraid he said and did good
many things that wouldn't bear exami-
nation. 1 have always felt ashamed of
the whole performance" -'i
Marrying me included, suppose.
Well matters went on so for some weeks
I took hold of the farm work, and soon
got things into shape. Invent down to
Commencement and graduated, and then
came back to take hold of the harvest
ing. I had quite made up my mind to
be a farmer. .... i';si-. = i. ,-- .i--.-
When the heft of the harvest-work
and lcheesemaking was over, Penelope
proposed to my mother that she should
draw in piece of fine linen, for which
the yarn was ready. When she came to |
examine the loom, she found the har-
ness in need of repair, and as making
harness is best done by two pair of
hands, she asked me to help her.
81 dent know what the harness is!''I
said. ,.....-... 81. f'.-.4...-'i,,..;I
"Well, it is the system of strings in a
loom, by which the threads Of the warp
are alternately raised and depressed 80
as to allow the passage of the shuttle.
These strings are knotted in a peculiar
and somewhat intricate manner" We
were engaged in this process when my |
father passed through the room.
."That's right, Mary" said he. "Har-
ness him up tightH''. a. s..-l
"She has done that alreadyr' said
speaking without thought.
Mary looked scared.
"So much the better !" said my father
81 hope you will both 60 as well
in double as You do in single
harness" So saying, he went into the
next room and shut the door. |
81 wonder whether my father suspects
?" said 1. Mary looked very
grave, and 1 had to repeat the question
before she answered. -'--- =J-ii ..'".
81 don't know whether he does or not;
but one thlngiI know. Abner: ! shall
not 60 on in this way any longer. 1t is
a shame to deceive him and your moth
er as we are doing. have felt uneasy |
this long time, and now 1 have made up
my mind shall tell him the truth this
very day."'' ''-.''' '''''' |
Sand suppose he orders you out of the
house!" said 1. i''-'9' "a -
gs1rba,, ,-.,,,s ,-,
"And forbid me ever to see or speak
to you againv' ''' '' .t
'"Then we must wait. Anyhow, Alb
ner, we never can expect or pray for
blessing while we 60 on IN this way"
Well, we argued the matter back and
forth. I did not feel easy myself, for
was brought UP to think a lie the mean
est of all things. Finally it was agreed |
that we should explain matters that
very evening, emily insisted on taking
the task on myself.
So we did. .. After prayers that night,
/ told father and mother that Mary and |
were engaged, and emily waited for
their consent .-,,- e., .-i e.
Gail right" answered my father. ~
couldn't wish fer better daughter than
Mary, and I'm sure mother will say the
same"
"Yes, indeed!" said mother, wiping
her eyes. 81 have hoped all along that
it would be So" t...
Mary was very pale, but she spoke out
quite clear and steadily: .. .. g.