The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-06-23

Charlotte. 81 hope he's not going to NOR
tify us with his country belle l think he
might not do just as he does. Why, he
knows he could wait on almost any young
lady of our acquaintance, and yet he pre-
fers to go off and hunt up some rustic
beauty. l wonder he will doso."
at is strange" rejoined Susan but
he's so obstinate, too You might as well
try to turn stone in it's opinion J"
az know it," chimed in Miss Charlotte,
81 only wish he knew how his own sis
ters felt about his visiting such people,"
"And so do L." returned Charlotte.
"That do, indeed ~
But even that might have no effect
upon him."
"Just as likely as not"
"I don't care" said Susan, recovering
her usual spirits, /" I am going to tell him
myself what fool he is making of himself;
and how he is mortifying his own family.
If he don't care for the feelings of his sis
ters, then he can't live over and above
happily with his wife"
But do you know that he is off court
ing?" inquired the not yet satisfied Char
lotte.
"Know it ?'' replied Susan. "Who is
there that doesn't know it? Haven't
been questioned about it by Miss Sawyer,
and had it thrown in my face by Miss
Thompson, and been obliged to confess it
to Miss Norton? And amt there a hun
dred others who would be glad to see us
brought down by just such thing as thatP
Just the thought of it-of Caleb's marry
ing a country girl Why, it's absolutely
preposterous He must be out of his
head ~
"Something must be the matter with
him." acquiesced Miss Charlotte, playing
with her dangling curls.
Just at that moment the object of their
earnest animadversion came into the room.
To see him, one would very naturally have
thought it quite questionable whether he
could even mortify such girls as his sisters.
There was a wide difference between him
and them, even in the matters of outward
appearance. They might have been rather
little proud, than ashamed of him.
" So you've got back ~ exclaimed Susan
taking care to direct her eyes to another
corner of the room.
Eyes, got back" said he. "How do
you all do?'
"It's of precious little consequence to
you, should think, how we do, Or how
we feel'
"Why, what now? What's on the dock
ct now?" inquired he, pausing in the ex-
ploring circuit he was making over the
room.
What's the matter ~ replied Susan, as
she caught the burning eyes of Charlotte,
"matter enough, should think You've
got back from one of your country excur.
sions ~
" es, safe and sound" said he.
"Yes," testify chimed in Susan.
! "And is it for that, that you feel SC
bad ?" he asked, his eyes cleaning with fun,
yet his brain full of the knowledge of the
difficulty.
"Caleb," exclaimed she, "you know
what mean v'
81 am sorry to say that believe do"
he calmly replied.
"It's the talk your visits into the coun-
try make, that mortifies us so. We might
, be somebody, if 'twasn't for being pulled
back by just such things as this ! Nobody
will visit us, and we can't be asked any
where, if"
eff take ride out into the country
, occasionally !" interrupted Caleb. "Ha
ha p
"You needn't laugh about it," ventured
! Charlotte. sit doesn't make us laugh"
: "Ha ha ha p again rung from his
clear pipes. "You will be cut off from all
society, if l indulge in turn in the
: country What an idea -
"Country people are vulgar" said Su,
san, with emphasis; "and when people
r know that our acquaintance lies among
them, they will have no more to do with
us"
"No, that's what they WON'T" added
Charlotte.
"l'm grieved to the heart about it
really" said Caleb, affecting uncommon
seriousness. "I'm really grieved about il
i wouldn't be the means of denying you
the benefits of really good society, girls, fOl
! something of consideration for dom
honestly think you can we'll do without
G them"