The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-08-12
he Missing Ring.


his hand nearly OIL, tne dressnakerS in
the sitting-room with dress to fit, and
nobody to fit it to ; there isn't mouthful
to eat in the house, and there's all his folks
from Newburg coming to tea, and you go
about as if you We're dreaming, and the
world wasn't upside dywn This comes of
your sitting up so Id nights last week with
Reuben Haddam. / shall go distractedW W
If had been asleep, was fairly aroused
now, and rushing into the kitchen, exert
ed myself to the utmost in trying to bring
the world back to it's feet again, and relieve
the overburdened mind of my material
relative. Dicks cut--a slight scratch on
the wrist nearly hidden from view by a
coating of tears and maple sugar-was
speedily dressed, and what consolation the
sufferer needed in addition to the sugar
was duly administered. peeped into the
bedroom, but found father quietly sleep
ing, and mother was furnishing the de-
sired somebody to fit to'' to the deprived
dress-maker; so went into the pantry and
busted myself for the next hour in prepar-
ing the wherewith to replenish the bare
cupboards. Ibaked pies, fried doughnuts,
made tarts, and baked plum cake large
enough to furnish an army of giants. The
chimney roared as if it were in anticipation
of Thanksgiving day, the kitchen was
scented like an Indian spice garden, and
the fire burned in delighted, determined
way, as if it had more than ordinary ill.,
terest in the good things it was cooking to
such a lovely brown. Mother, tearing her.
self moment from the dressmaker, re-
lieved her soul with a satisfied sigh.
"Miss Crafts says she knows beautiful
way to make your new blue merino," said
she with an air of penitence, at the same
time tasting one of my light golden-coated
doughnuts.
But just then, for wonder, / was not
particularly exercised about my new me-
rino; and as it was still ON the shelves of
some Dalton store, and so, by no means,
ready for Miss Crafts beautiful pattern, l
could not affect any enthusiasm.
"Jf your pies, and cakes, and tarts are
as good as these doughnuts," she began
again, "Mrs. Perkins won't be likely to
turn her nose up at them, though all his
folks think that nobody but themselves can
cook anything fit to eat, and Mrs. Perkins
is more conceited than any of them. What
/ suffered from that woman when | was
first married is not to be told r'
81 wanted to ask you whether you'd
have your trimmings cut bias or straight
way, Mrs. Curtis" said Miss Crafts, ap-
pearing at the door and away went moth
er again, leaving me to proceed still furthe
in my efforts to bring the world to its feet,
and battling Dicks effort to keep it still
struggling upside down. His wrist panied
him SO that he needed entertainment to
keep his mind off of his troubles, and to
that end, he stood on his head in my nicely
buttered baking-pan, just ready for the
cake, and was pulling out bits of the deli
cate dough with which to make mittens
for the cat Whereupon boxed his ears,
and he went into the sitting-room with
such pain in his wound that mother feared
modification, and was anxious to send for
old DR.. Stevens.
/ enjoyed being left alone with my own
thoughts that day, for they were very hap
py ones, and could work now as well as /
had dreamed, to the tune of them. l was
young and foolish, you see, and had only
known since last night that Reuben loved
me. To be sure, had little idea that he
liked me better than he did any other girl,
because he always came home from church
with me, and from spelling-school, though
Hitty Wright the squire's only daughter,
who bad been to boarding school in the city
because the village academy wasn't fine
enough for her, shook her curls at him,
and called him Mr.. Haddam in her most
fascinating lisp. Then of late he had been
at our house three or four times in week
and had supposed it was to see me,
though he always asked for father, when
he knew he was sick in bed all the time.
"Why, you know father couldn't get up
and see you when he was sick abed. Moth
or says you come to see Phebe !" remarked
Dick, pleasantly to him, when he came
last night; and Reuben's face was as red
as mine, for Miss Crafts was there, and
Mrs. Stevens, as well as mother herself.
They all laughed as if they thought it
cunning, but do believe if only Reuben
had been there, should have boxed his
ears souDdly on the spot Mother says
Reuben is dreadful basbful, and suppose
he is, though he isn't clumsy and awk-
ward over it, like Sam Davis But when
he has been alone with me sometimes, he
Il az hlushed and sfa,nr,arad d.aadc,1I,, as