The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1873-10-16
AN oDp coUKTsnrP.
uY uELENA Dixon

northern shore Of Lake Eiie. Ebepcxer
was forty-dre. q miller by trade, and
bachelor from choice. Polly was q maid
en- of thirty-ssYeu-eyeybody declared
that this was ber age though all had seen
and read these words traced bY Polly's
own fingers ia the sand on the beach,
times without number, Polly Fedelia
Wiggins, aged tweutythree.
Ebeuezer lived an alone, 10 lonely
house by the mills Polly lived with her
sister anj was thc only milIiuer, dress
maker, and doer OF odd jobs with the
needle the place could boast Of
/ One afternoon, when the sun was creep
ing down over the hills, Polly threw
down lbe shirt she was making for Ebe-
nezer stickuey, aud taking her sisters
children, went down on the beach for a
walk. nalfan hour anerward Ebenezer
was walking Ia the same direction He
bad becu kept away from the mill al day
+ by a ieIon, which neither hot lye nor
T lemon, noi half dozen different poulli-
/ ces could drive from his thumb.
/ llo walked over the shingly beach hold
+ ing an afflicted thumb tendery in bis
palm.
/ At length, through an opening in
cIunp of elders, he discovered Polly
/ Virgins 1t was a raw day iu early
spring, but for all that PolIy's hat was
of aud she was bowling aud gesticuating
aud engaged in earnest conversation,
+ Polly is either going crazy or else she's
trying to perform like them theatre folks
we saw when we took that excursion to
/ Buffalo, SO saying Ebenezer crept to
! the intervening bushes. He parted them
carefully and peered through, chuckling
to himself with delight, while the pain
IN the thumb was entirely forgotten as
he watched Polly go through one of her
surprising bows. But the broad smile
disappeared from the listeners face,
leaving a look Of blank aslonishment as
he heard Polly say:
Yes, Ebenezer Stickney, | consent to
marry you on four conditions.
lie saw her glance timidly, not at the
whskered face among the bushes, but at
the stump, then as if she had been asked
what those conditions were, she went
on:
You must quit wearing that snuf-col-
ored, pigeon-taied coat that your grand
father was married in. You must smoke
cigars, if you can't live without smoking,
instead Of always having that old black,
Dutch pipe in your mouth Then you
must shave of those od-fashioned, griz-
zly-gray whiskers, and raise mnstache
aud quit riding that dingy-white, bob
tailed, mean-looking, rackabones Of r
horse, everywhere you 90, aud with your
coat tails hanging down to cover his ribs
too. That old pigeontailed coat! it looks
bad enough any time, but ten times worse
when you're on horseback.
Ebenezer looked sober enough now
and hung his head like scolded boy.
He was very proud Of his personal APP
pearance, and often said to himself as he
arranged his dickey before the glass:
There isn't a married man around that
can compare with me for starching and
sickness.
And if there was time when he tho't
he looked particularly grand it was
when he was dressed in his Sunday suit
and mounted on his faithful white horse.
lie was trying to make up his mind
whether he ought TO step out and call
her the biggest simploton in all creation
or 20 off about his business, when Polly
began again 10 a tender, chiding tone as
If her feelings had been hurt:
o, Ebeuezerl how can you ask if | love
your Didn't Jim Winters pack off 10
California just because wouldn't have
himy Didn't Ruby Oakes try to drown
himself because miuened him? Didn't
refuse Jerry Vail only last Sunday just
tor you? Aud after I've waited between
hope and despair all these years YOU ask
me that!
Aud Polly covered her face with her
hands as If to conceal either her blushes
OF her tears, but shortly she uncovered
her face-aud pretty pale though some,
what careworn face it was aud contnu
ed:
You're very kind and thoughtful, Ebe
. nezer, 10 ask me about fixing up youI
house. Where you've lived so many
! years can't help being happy home foI
me; but might suggest one or two little
improvements seeing you ask me. You
might just cart the rubbish out OF the
front yurd-the swiIl barrel, and ash hear
and grinGJone, and such--aud make
some posy beds I've got lots Of seed
and you can have some on 'em-holly.
hooks aud cEina-asters, and marigold ,and
double peoples, and sweet williams, aud
. four-o-clocks, and morning glories
They'll want to go by the window an
you'H have to move the pig trough
, Then your square room would be mort
d like something ifit had carpet aud {
sofa and picture or two, and ceutei
Il table, and above all curtains for the win
DOVE.
You hain't got many dishes dom
s'pose, bat I'll bring host. I've gottw'
whole sets Of blue stoneware all excep
the sl0p bowls, besides the best part Of
gili china set, Iou'ye seen en-, guess
The house wants painting, too, | ueYe
saw 50 brown house for white one
Then Wen want au extension table 81
- when Betsey and her children visit n
theY can all 50 down. Don't be ofcnde,