Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-12-05
Geletteo AlistcIlonp.
TOW

Perhaps am little too hasty, a
little too ready too light up at minutes
notice but there are some words that
seem TO me % carry an especial grain of
gunpowG il them, and the above is one
0 tho sort To nave person, after
you've been through a long explanation,
put his fingers to metal ears and query
you thus, or worse still, GLOW 2" is too
cxasperating for human nature to bear.
But that is what John Stringer did to
me, bending his head little nearer, and
speaking in an absent, aggravating man
ner that tantalized me beyond words
You see John Stringcr and | were en-
gagged; we'd been engaged for long
time, and perhaps had got to be little
too matter o course to each other. =
We were sitting there over the fire, after
the old folks had gone to bed, and fell
to telling him about Sophie Mills we'd
ding-her white silk dress. her brides
cake, and her bridesmaids frosted all
over to match it, and ended this way:
"But it don't make any difference,
John, to people that love each other; all
that's o no more account than last years
snow-drift. They could be married in
calico and homespun, with feet on rag
carpet like this, and love each other just
as we'll"
How ?" said John, absently. He was
watching the Goals flicker up and die out
again, and picking up stray chips now
and then to fling on the embers-a fash
ion he had when he was thinking
Now ] had the headache all day, and
| guess | was rather more tindery than
usual though / didn't think so then -
but when John bent his great broad shout
ders over, as if he hadn't heard word |
said, and, in fact, had something better
to occupy his mind, | just fred up, first,
and then the blaze died down into sulks,
and when we parted that night John and
had our first and our last quarrel.
Ny heart did not misgive me that
when ! saw Johns great tall figure going
out the door it was the last time he'd lift
the latch for many year but so it was.
You see ] held my pretty head high
in those days, and | wouldn't show that
I was a bit out about it, so | paired of
with Mrs. Plumbers Jesse. a lively,
spruce young fellow enough, but no moro
to be compared with John than cookie
shell is to a brigantine.
| Oh, well, mother sighed, and tried
right hard to bring us together again,
but it wasn't to be.
John was powerful, muscular man,
and ] used to gee him 60 up the road
many time when was out in the shed
milking, and, peeping out at him through
] the chinks, I thought bis broad shoulders
stopped more than ever, and his figure
was growing more stalky-like.
Such an awkward fellow as John was
4 I came near rushing out on him once.
with my sun-bonnet and with my sleeves
rolled up, and finging my arms around
his neck but John liked to sec folks tidy
and | never did it.
Jesse Plumber was the beau O the
village--dapper, neat, and dainty as you
please and all the girls thought,I had
come to my senses when / clustered EN-
o Jesse. And BY and by it was Jesse
that came sparkin o nights. and sat o
winter evenings over the embers, and he
was so soft-spoken and pleasant that even
mother forgot her vexation. (She al
ways set store by John, mother did -
Wen, in the spring we were married
and had string o pearls and real
silk bridal dress, and felt kind o lifted
like when the girls crowded round me
and hoped I'd be happy. l hoped 50,
too; | wasn't sure Of it.
Remembering the days that came after,
! can't recall one hard word | ever heard
from Jesse. We weren't near enough
to each other to quarrel; we just laid
apart like two odd volumes; there wasn't
any fire 'twixt us. nor anything 'twixt
us, either love or laughing, whereas
John and I had always been bubbiing
over one way and another.
| / worked hard, for my silk address, and