The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-01-04
MIR. MAYNARD'S HIRED MAN.
" sDickery, dickery, dock;
The mouse ran up the clock;
The clock struck one,
And down he run:
Dickery-'


And down he run:
Dickery-'
Oh, my good gracious! how dare
you?'' Fanny laid the pink bundle down
in rocking chair full of pillows. The
bundle protested with vigorous movement,
and in another moment the rocking chair
and the baby came down together. CHOW,
you awful man, the child is killedv' cried
Fanny, with scared face, as she lifted the
tiny morsel from the floor; but the pillows
had protected it, and the startled baby,
after one effort at curling her lips, broke
into charming smile.
"No harm done; and trust I'm for
given" said Mathew Dom.
"No you are not forgiven. shall nerer
forgive you Mr.. Mathew Dom; so please
leave baby and me. have nothing more
to say"
"Well, I'm going"
"You can go, SIR"
The young man went softly, slowly OUT
but he looked neither grieved nor angry on
the other side of the door; he smiled
The circumstances were these:
Fanny had been amusing her sister S
child, and the little cherub seemed never
to tire of musical sounds; so Fanny, who
had Mother goose " by heart, liked moth
ing better than to sit in the cozy sitting
room, which was really the nursery, and
sing those old, old melodies.
Mathew Dom was the hired man, and
on this particular morning had stolen in
quietly behind Miss Fanny, and tempted
of-what? surely not the Evil One-had
bent over an kissed her on the forehead.
And this he had dared to do, knowing
that Fanny was city young lady, living
in fashionable quarter, and used to be
best society.
Fanny's sister had married rich farmer
not quite two years before. People talked
about these Brysons burying themselves
alive; but both Olive and Fanny loved the
country better than the town. Every sum-
mer Fanny was glad to leave the stuffy
old house, as she called it, and almost by
one leap on the express train find herself
in paradise, breathing airredolent of white
clover and sweet-brier. During the winter
the sisters corresponded regularly; and
Olive had sung the praises of Mathew
Dom, their hired man, SO often that Fan
ny found herself thinking of his acquaint
ance as one of the pleasant probabilities
of her next visit.
"We don't pretend to treat him as help
wrote Olive, holding her baby on one knee
and steadying the paper with bronze
men who hire out in these parts. I should
be ashamed not to ask him to the table;
and just for the novelty of it, want you
to take peep in his room. Harry calls
him his rara agis;: and the two really enjoy
themselves together almost like brothers.
Besides, he's nearly as handsome as my
Harry: he, you know, is the handsomest
man in the world!'
And the pleasant pen ran on and told
about planting, the prospective sweet-corn,
and pea blossoms, and how the grape-vines
were full of the tiniest punches, and the
young peach-trees were going to do splen-
didly; and Adela had two of the cum
nngest, milk-white teeth" and I know
not how much more loving nonsense.
Now Fanny had a rich lover, and, like
most rich lovers, he was not prepossessing
in his personal appearance. In her own
written language to Olive, "he pestered
her to death" To be sure it was pleas
SAINT to see his splendid equipage IN front
of their door, with the two superb grays,
for Cd rare occasions Fanny yielded to his
solicitations to take ride; and he always
contrived to drive her by his castle of a
brown stone front, perhaps to tempt her
for Fanny was as fond of beautiful things
as women ought to be, and was well aware
of the advantages which money can give.
Both her father and mother were anxious
that she should marry the Hon. EbeneZel
Wolcott, but Fanny was high-spirited, ant
they seldom advised her. The girl knew
that they were living beyond their means
for her sake, and this know ledge had beer
bitterly earned. She and Olive had man.
conferences over it.
81 think if you were married. sait
Olive, "papa would come here and take
small house; then business need not pres
him so in his old age"
Ebenezer had done the proper thing
had offered Fanny his heart, his house, hi
carriage, and his horses; and although hi
was known for pugnacious old gentle
man, terribly set in his way, he was honor
able, and he loved beautiful Fanny Brysol
with all his heart. And Fanny had toll
him that she could not then decide-tha
she was going for the summer months t
sister Olives and at the close of her visi
she would give him his answer.
"And may l come out there sometimes %
asked Eben.
: Fanny gave reluctant consent, an
wished with all her heart that she had re
fused him; so, with the understanding tina
i he was to call as friend, the two parted.
At the depot Fanny found her sister
carriage in waiting, and was accosted b
the handsomest as well as the tallest ma
she had ever seen. Six foot four and pre-
+ portionately majestic, he seemed like Apoll
and Hercules in one.
" Can this be the hired man. though
Fanny; and then she looked at his dres
J. Not a trace of servitude about him; but L