Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-11-27
asFather seems to like her, too said l,

"'Father seems to Ike her, too said l
my heart echoingthe wish.
"'He does. Inever saw him take so tf
any one. He said yesterday that If VIZ
ever had a daughter in-law he hoped she
would be just like Mary
"Well, | went after Penelope and
brought her home, and many a pleasant
walk we had afterward along that same
lonesome cross-road. 1t was rather hard
work for me to learn to call her Mary"
eyes, you used to scare me half to
death saving Pen" interrupted my moth
er. 81 had to tell father it was a nick
name Aunt Abbey gave me. Oh, dear
Pm afraid we said and did a good many
things that wouldn't bear examination.
have always felt ashamed of the whole
performance"
eMarrving me included, | suppose.
Well, matters went on so for some weeks
| took hold of the teamwork and soon
got things into shape again. 1 went down
to Commencement and graduated, and
then went back and took hold of the har-
vesting. | had made up my mind by that
time to be a farmer.
when the heft of the harvest work and
cneese-making was over, Penelope pro-
posed to my mother that she should draw
in a piece of fine linen, for which the yarn
was ready. When she came to examine
the loom she found the harness in need OF
repair, and as making a harness is best
done by two pairs of hands, she asked me
to help her"
81 don't know what a harness is"
said L.
"Wel;, 1t is a system of strings in a
loom, by which the threads Of the warp
are alternately raised and depressed SO 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
That's right, Mary said he, harness
him up tight!'
"'She has done that already said l,
speaking without thought.
MARY looked scared.
$50 much the better said my father.
4 hope you will both 90 in double as you
do in the single harness. SO saying he
went into the next and shut the
door.
az wonder if he suspects ~anything|
said I. Mary looked very grave, and |
had to repeat the question before she an
sWered.
81 don't know whether he does or not;
Dul oiiC tllnS L w hhoN, ADlCi L oLio
not go on in this way any longer. 1t is a
shame to deceive him and your mother as
we are doing. l have felt this a long
time, and now | have made up NY mind
[ shall tell him The truth this very day
"And suppose he orders you out of the
house, said |.
"'Then | must 60!
".And forbid me to ever see or speak
to you again.
"'Then we must wait. Anyhow, Alb
ner, we can never expect to pray for a
blessing while we 90 on in this way
"Well, we argued the matter back and
forth. | did not feel easy myself, for |
was brought up to think a lie the meanest
of all things. Finally it was agreed that
we should explain matters that very even
ing, only l insisted on taking the task IN
myself.
$50 we did. After prayers that night, l
told father and mother that Mary and |
were engaged, and only waited for their
consent. All rightn answered my father.
I couldn't wish for a better daughter than
Mary, and | am sure mother will say the
same
eyes, indeedr said mother; 4 hoped
all along it would be So
Mary was so very pale, but she spoke
out clearly n Steadily:
"'I'm afraid YOU Won't say SO when you
know about it, Uncle Nathan
Mother started at these words and turn
ed as pale as Mary herself, but father only
said quietly, why not?'
Mary went on and told the story in as
few words as possible. When she had
finished there was a silence like death for
a minute or two. | literally dared not
look at either father or mother. Presently
my father spoke:
MARY and Abner-dO 0 think that
your father is so blind that he cannot see
a hole through a ladder?'
Neither of us answered, but there was
something in his tone that seemed to lift
a weight off my heart. Father e on:
"'l began to guess the secret before
Mary had been in the house three days,
and then an accident made me certain, /
happened to want some papers which |
put in the cupboard in Mary's room. She
was out with mother. When [ opened
the cupboard the first thing | saw was a
little Latin Bible. | knew it in a minute,
even without the writing or the f1y-leaf.
1t was the one | had given Abner on the
very last birthday we spent together.
Pm not good at describing my feelings
said my father in a trembling voice, but
as L opened the DOCK IL seemed as II my
brothers face looked out from between
the leaves at me. | took it into the woods
to the potashery. l staid there all day,
and children, if ever any mar had a hand
to hand fight with the devil, | did that
day. But | wasn't left alone as | deserved,
and | gained the victory. That very night
coming home | sprained my ankle. At
first | thought | would tell Mary directly,
but then | said to myself, The child has
come here to see if she can oak me
round. I'll let her work it out in her own
way. When Abner came home, it didn't
need a college education to see how the
land lay. Ididn't tell mother. Thought
the brewing would work itself clear if it
was left alone, and so it has. Only, chill
dren,' added my father impressively, I
hope we have done with concealments
and secrets. They are edge-tools not safe
to play with. They made all the
trouble in the first place. However,Ewe
won't talk about that he said, glancing
at mother. 1t turned out for the best SO
far as | was concerned"
"Well, that's about all there is to tell
Father gave me a farm next his own, and
built us a nice new house, and the next
spring we were married. But neither
father nor mother would ever call my
wife Penelope.-ALdine.
John Paul and the Panic.