Connecticut western news., 1874-02-06


 He thanked me, and declined. He liked teaching. The school had increased and was 8 blessing to those outlying farms and cabins, whose young fry would otherwise have grown up mere heathens and savages. If he gave il up, no other would take it, the pay was so poor, and the situation so lonely. Besides, he was now bent on the Inde. pendent ministry, and found this g capital place for perfecting his studies in quiet, and practising their lessons in freedom. These were his arguments, and combated them with ease. Then he turned on me, and told me" have grown to care for a girl in the village yonder, Malva Keith. She is not a lady, and am not gentleman-after my fathers pattern, at least. This state ot life suits her better than any other therefore, if marry her, it and no oth. CT shall suit me-"
 1 had used reason against arguments, and turned them into smoke. To use reason against love would have been folly; and was not @ fool. We shook hands heartily, bade each other "God- speed" and parted the best of friends, never to meet again in this world. The rest of Hugh's story give from his letters and Malva's lips.
 She was practiced coquette, honest enough in her way, and beautiful be- yond measure, with the full, upright figure, 1.-the, round limbs, and rich col bring of prairie Hebe-well aware of her beauty, too, both from the glass and the moro audible homage of at least score of rough and ready admir- CTS, trappers, timber-fellers, railway employees, loafers, and the like, who all vied in paying court to the flower of White Waters. Hugh came in among these like star from another system; and straightway Malva cast off hor suit ors, and hauled down the flag of free- dom to lay it at the schoolmaster's feet. | So far, so we'll but, unfortunately, surrender was easier than subiection to this young lady. Hugh lived nearly three miles of, and was at his work all day. Malva lived just outside the will lage-her father was timber con- tractor, and 8 well-to-do man of the toughest class-and the house was always full of those of her swains, as did not care for work, and found making love pleasant pastime; and Malva was too partial to this incense to re- linquish it at once, and for the sake of grave, stern young man, who had other work than hanging on her apron strings all day. The end of all this was that Hugh grew anxious, then jealous, then angry took to reproving instead of worshiping, and so irritated Malva's pride all of which eliminated in desperate quarrel respecting cer- tain Miles Pearson, whose over- familiar worship of the flower of White Waters had for some time been arousing Mas ter Hugh's wrath. I fear that latter gentleman had inherited his fathers pride; at any rate, he bore himself so sternly on this occasion, that Malva, who was on the point of yielding and asking pardon, suddenly nailed her colors to the mast, and said she "wasn't going to be bullied. Miles was as good as some folk, and better. He didn't get riley and tyrannical ; and for her part she preferred Americans to half bred foreigners" &c.,, &c., blue eyes flashing and pomegranate cheeks afane. Hugh looked her full in the face, and answered her, very white and cold "That is your choice, then? Very we'll. The half-bred foreigner will re- sign you until such time as you change your mind, and ask him to come back. Good-morning, Miss Keith"
 And so walked back to his school, and came no more to the Keith home stead.
 The weather was cold enough then but the real heavy snow did not set in much before January. It had been falling off and on for several days, and was so deep in places that Hugh's school benches had grown very empty, many from the more distant clearings not being able to come. Still, the mas ter was great favorite with children, and these in Iowa and Minnesota are a tough and hardy little race so, on the 9th of January, 187-, though the sky was an ominous color, and the barome- ter falling fast, about nine boys end girls arrived as usual, and, after good warming at hefre, began tkeir studies.
 One of them, Seth Halkett, broughta bit of news.
 "M1les Pearson's gwine to splice with old Keith's gal. Guess there'll be grand fixings down to her place. Ai1 you gwine to the marvin, teacher ?''
 "You shut up, Seth," cried his sis. ter, sharp girl of twelve, who, with precocious womanhood, had got hold oi Hugh's feelings in that quarter. "He's always talkin' when he knows nuthin' teacher; an he aren't done one fgger ol his reck'nin' yet" '.
 Seth stuck his hands defiantly in the ragged bands of his corduroys, ano muttered-" Darn the reck 'nin';" bu Hugh spoke to him mildly, and badt the girl mind her own work. It wal not with children that his sternnes. came out. ... .s,.4-.
 And the snow went on falling.
 It soon grew too dark for studying The flakes froze as they fell in a soliG heap on the window-sill, and plotted out the light. One of the boys looked out at the front door, and got his nos' frost bitten; and murmur rose tha they would be obliged to stay in schoo all night. Hugh went to the back door which was at the lee of the house, ant confirmed the foreboding. The roat was impossible for children already and the snow falling in two cross cur rents, which made sort of frozel whirlwind in the air. There could b. no going home that evening; and h. busied himself in piling up the fires and helping the old negress who waited on him to get supper ready for his pu pills. That night, the two girls wh' had been plucky enough to aocompan. their brothers to school slept in Hugh bed, while he camped down with tn boys in the school-room. They kep roaring fires, and used every wrap ther was in the house; but the cold increaset hourly, and one, the youngest child woke crying more than once.
 : And the snow went on falling.
 ) It never ceased all the next day au' night. Hugh kept up the ires, fed tn children we'll, and told them stories Little Tommy, the youngest, cried, fo his mother at first; but soon cease' when the masterput him on his knee an'