Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-04-26


Dash ia more than punctual.
| Blanche rose and turned hastily from me.
She was putting her work away when Uncle Dash
opened tho front-doori and, at that moment.
| with her slender figure, brown eyes and curls,
| she looked 30 like the girl Of eighteen, as she
met my glance, that was startled
"For PHYS sake Anne The sentenoe was
| never finished for the door opened, aud there
stood Uncle Dash, as straight and handsome rs
| ever, with the same kind smile upon his lips
| His brown face flushed q little.
II hardly need to be introduced, he said, with
slacrity, and his eyes fingered on her beautiful
| face.
"Oh, no, you had cause enough to remember
me" she answered, airily, giving him her hand
her cheeks like blush-roees. "And have not
forgotten-your sermons"
| His eyes danced for moment. and then he
looked grave again. l fancied he thought Of
the moonlight ride and the deacon's crippled
/ horse with his caudal decorations; but he said
| nothing more, and presently we we're snugy
slowed away in the cheerful little carriage,
The drive was a delightful one; fields rich
with grain, the wayside flowers, and the trees
i Just turning from blossom TO fruit basked drow-
i silly In the red sunshine. Every little cottage
/ on the road was picture with its low: sloplng
roof, and vines Of Virginia creeper, and fragrant
/ yellow-dotted honey-suckle. The bees were
/ very busy rocking on slender sprays or fitting
i from honey to dew. The distant homes showed
/ white against the living wall of green hills
away of beyond field slope, and rivert the puI-
1
i faint mist-like azure Of the summer sky, across
| which floated millions Of drifting, snow-white
i clouds.
| Now and then q yellow-haired child made
pretty bit Of color against the dark opening OF
| hall or room; sometimes rustic maiden stood
among the flowers, smiling bAshfully as she re-
/ cognized the rector.
!'Nothing seems altered along this sleepy
i old road I" said Blanche, softly; and 1 could
see that her thoughts were busy with the past
sat least nothing but the people L suppose
/ that pretty young woman we just passed, In the
/ brlght-yelow dress, was little thing IN snort
| frocks when went away-what lovely eyes she
had"
Eyes that was Tilly Morton she Was slip
| OF girl. only nine, when you left the village.
| She is nineteen now. and wife.
| How old it makes me feel! murmured
Eyes, you look old" 1 answered, demurely.
81 should take you to be almost twenty, if l
| didn't know you."
''Hush II won't have any OF your flat'ery. Just
as I'm beginning 10 fancy myself imp ovrg too /;
there sMiss Hoxies little red house by the mill
| stream and the bit of wooden bridge.
| - Miss Hoxie is dead, l responded left all
| her money to Bessie Trowbridge. Bessie 10 old
or than you, very rich: and people say, whis.
| pered, that she worships the very shadow OF
| :" nodded toward Uncle Dash.
| was not prepared or the LOOK that came into
| the face of my friend. She crimsoned, bit her
| lip caught nervously at the ribbon that confined
| her hat and thought, AZ turned away, my
| confusion almost equal to her own, that there
| were tears in her eyes. We were silent after
/ that, and Uncle Dash pointed out the new mill,
/ the recently-built steeple, and the various I'M
| proyements When we arrived at the parson-
/ age he helped us out of the carriage, and, with
| the words, Take her into the parlor, Anne" led
/ the horse by aside-path to the barn
| We stopped moment in the brown old-fash-
ioned porch to praise the roses hanging in great
clusters from trellis and pillar then we went
/ into the wide cool hall, filled with the odor OF
the honeysusk skle that clung to the garden-walls
Nothing is changed, ',,half-laughed, hslf-sighed
/ Blanche, looking at the solid furniture and all
its sombre surroundings. "Oh. dear, how things
/ do need tightening up! Anne. Daisy Lodge ls q
paradise to this. How wish you would let me
stay there! Its cosey little rooms just suited
me. I'm going back"
mot to-day, my dear; 30 try and be cont emit
ed" said. "Make yourself as happy as possi-
Bile, while go up and see Aunt Hannah
"Yes, I'll read cheerful chapter in the BOOK
| of Martyrs she rejoined.
Aunt Human was very i'll. / saw that at a
glance, She scarcely lifted her languid eyes as
went toward her. She was little woman ana !
the drapery Of the great easy chair almost mo
her from sight. After languid welcome, she
said:
! ~ thought heard another voice"
i "Yes Aunt" l replied, my friend Blancne
Heath, was at my house on visit, 30 brought
her with me.
girl' cried Aunt Hannah, her little yellow face
puckering in hundred wrinkles, and the Dor
ders Of her cap shaking with sudden indignation
II did hope she'd never come back She ain 2
going to stay, trust? You know never could
| bear her"
she must stay as long as do, aunty,"
said quietly.
"of course you always do have your way
but tell you what, I'll get we'll in hurry II
ldon't suit my notions to have her here,a young
wild thing and your uncle a single man. On,
understand it all-the designing. creature
"NoW don't you worry bit Aunt hannah,
said l. determined not to be annoyed. 'Blaneht
| is quite sure OF being an old maid, and don
think Uncle Dash will ever trouble himself to
} ask any woman to have him. Besides biahch'
is even now too young and TOO prety ~ y,
: cooped up forever in this old-fashioned place
.tHumph You mean it's too good ior her, o.
you ought too. don't forget her tricks, or th'
. trouble she brought on folks, calling the recto
4 | names, riding wild horses. ana dressing IAe
8 | circus-woman the huesy However, as SAT-
( afore you will have your way only thereh De
? talk YOU know what place this is for gossip ;
Q and back she sank helplessly, adding querulous
", "Do make me some Cruel I'm starving, ALI
!. can't eat thing that Grace cooks
3 Poor old Grace she had outlived her useful
7 ness and Uncle Dash would not for mome,l
: hear of changing her for more competent cooB
but in this matter l was as hsipiess Ae ohe
| for Cruel was something leould not mat
: Custsrds and pies, and bread and all sorts 0
:. ordinary cooking, could manage, but NOT grue
d 40 hurried downstairs to Blanche She was a
adept in preparations of that kind for she ma
lived wears with an invalid aunt so. at my re
4 0uest. she went into the kitchen and donnea on
Of Aunt Hannahs white aprons, turned ne
sleeves over the fair round arms, and went {
y work She stood over the fire, stirring N IN
:, oatmeal, when Uncle Dash came into the kltcl
en- for some paste, and stopped short At sign
: "Anne has put me iuto harness" she sale
y ianebipq and biushng was looking At hin
and was conscious of quicker beating OF th
l heart, strange, suppressed triumph at tne o.
l. preston in his eyes.
4, Hooked back at her her glance was n1e
i upon the white mass she was 30 busliy STIRRING
II see " said Uncle Dash, resuming his usul
" manner useful occupation !" took down nj
u paste-bottle and went out:
m "What could it mean ?" said to myselt agaii
ID energetically, for l was puzzled.
Id ',Just like all the men" laughed bloncne,
w little contemptuous fling in her manner II
l.. woman is only useful = ,.., ,,ara
" II hope you don't think We were porn "ere
ID to be ornamental, my dearl" SAID !. -, :.
'st 'II don't know-perhaps" she answered. pc
tishIy s'there-the Cruel is made
Id carried it up to Aunt Hannah in the De
ge china bowl 1t was delightful ! just the nav
e's exactly Just what she had been wanting
Ionp What treasure l was and now she "
nd sure she should get we'll for nothing had tast'
At, like that Cruel, Why, where dld you ieaLh % no W
on nv dear-you were never sick or WITH SICK pc