The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-02-14

Then let wander while may,
; The noisy wheel goes round;
| And strangers, where we roam to-day,
| Tomorrow shall be found.
"
POsT-MISTRESS OF PEEKvILLE
"You must turn from the loveliest maiden away
If she comes not endowered in silver and gold.
"Saints alive if it amt getting on tc
ten o'clock The mail boy will be her
in less than no time Jim, poke VI
that fire, and have the kettle boiling in
jiffy, now, {" exclaimed Miss Prudence
Pieper, the postmistress of the viIlag,
of Peeksville in Virginia. And starting
up, she glanced up the road, as the
clatter of horse hoofs reached her ear
eyes here he comes And I'm no
fixed for delivery And the time thai
ought to spend in examining the
letters I'll have to be putting on my
things. This all comes of my losing sc
much time trying to convince that hard
headed boy what is best for him. After
all I've done for him Giving him q
| college education, and raising him to
be what he is-good enough to be the
husband of the best girl in the State.
| And that's just what Tn after him
| about but no, he can't see it so. He
wants to go throw himself away on that
poor governess, with her pale face and
fine airs. A body would think she was
a young queen, instead of poor school
ma'am. There's Col Raymond s daugh-
! ter, the richest girl in this State, would
| give her eyes for him. But no"
Here's your mail, Miss Peeper! ~
| cried the boy, at the same time throw
ing the bag on the porch.
""That's not my name-Peeper I've
told you often enough now !"
"Folks say as how it ought to be y
answered the young scamp, with q
sly twinkle in his eye.
Be off with you, you young rascal,
and take your mail here it Is y
Miss Pepper, don't you wish you
could change your name? .? And don't
you wish some day male would stop
here and take shine to you? Would
you deliver that male to any other body?
Ha ha ha Don't hit me, Miss
pepper. I'm off.
And with his merry laugh still ring
ing in her ears, Miss Pieper slammed
the door. closed the window, and pro-
ceeded to undo the mailbag.
"That boy will be hanged yet. What
can he mean by saying folks say my
name ought to be Pepper g Can they
suspest-Jim, you can run out to play,
and when folks come, say the mail is
being assorted. There, go on; [ can
attend to my work better when Tn to
myself"
One after another letter and paper
was scrutinized by the post-mistress and
put in it's place. 4-s.
"Nothing care to see this morning
same old things. Stop! here's letter
for Clara Raymond, III a mans hand.
If that girls gone and got a lover TIL
I'll see" And Miss Prudence held the
envelope close to the mouth of the boil
ing kettle. A moment more, and she
held the letter open in her hand.
ooh, I'm relieved Only bill. Dear
me, what lots of fine things she has been
getting What n grand useful thing n
kettle of boiling water is No one can
ever say broke open a letter, without
lving-under mistake. There, I'm
through. Now I'll put on my cap and
be ready for delivery"
While Miss Prudence stood before
the office window, her nephew, the
with the lovely May Roster, in the
beautiful grove near by.
He was pleading earnestly with the
gentle May; bat she shook her pretty
head, and in tones decided, but filled
with sadness, she said: q
''No. no, Charlie / cannot promise to
be yours. Your aunt dislikes me, and l
will never be the cause of trouble be-
tween you. You are deeply indebted
to her. and she has right to expect
you to marry one who will be agreeable
to her. She has been a mother to you,
Charlie and you must regard her wishes.
l must send you away now. The little |
girls are coming for me. 1t is near
school time"
''Oh, May, you talk so calmly of Civ |
ing me up, while I am almost heart |
broken. Can you really love me ?"
A look from the soft brown eyes was
his only answer. But it was enough, |
and he said quickly: 4 H
Forgive me, May. But will nothing |
alter your determination?
Nothing but your aunt's change of
feeling, which / fear will never be. My
poverty is the only reason for her Oblec-
ton And unless some fairy godmother
should come and give me riches, Miss |
Pieper's dislike will never grow less.
May, her eyes filled with |
tears. But she tried to smile-a FAINT,
sickly little smile it was.
And Charley longed to clasp her to
his heart, and, despite all opposition,
to hold her as his own forever. The |
little girls were beside them, and
Charlie could only say:
II must see you again. | shall leave
home in few days to be gone long
while. I may come before 60"
Nav nodded assert, and encircled by
the arms of her fond little pupils, pro
ceeded to the house. A couple of hours
after, the little girls, Lilly and Rose
Hawthorn, were in the music room for
the purpose of practising. Lilly ran
her fingers over the keys, and struck a
few chords, and then whirled quickly
around and said:
"Oh, can't play There is no music
in my heart. It is filled with harsh,
thoughts. Oh, / wish that
[ was a fairy, that L could make dear,
sweet May Roster happy! And wish
more, that / had the power to change
that disagreeable, selfish, hard hearted
Miss Prudence Pieper into a pleasant,
charitable, and considerate woman !!
''Oh, yes, I know what you mean L
heared what Miss May said, as we join
ed her. How sorry I am for her !
wish she was rich. Tn sure she ought
to be. She must have been once, L
think. Don't you, Lilly?~ She seems
so accustomed to every thing elegant.
And then it must have cost great deal
of money to have educated her. She
knows everything, think"
'rNo, she does not. / know one thing
more than Miss May, and that is, how
to deal with that hateful Miss Peeper, J