The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-07-24
THE LOVERS ELM.
BY MARY N. PRESCOTT.

Della sat on the doorstep, with
basket of mending in her lap. Paul
stood leaning against the bole of an ap-
pie tree, trimming an elm twig, and
anon vouchsafng a look at Della, who
was well worth looking at, with her
dimples and roses and sunny expression.
You know" she was saying, "Aunt
Hitty is all [ have. She is my own
flesh and blood, and she needs me"
And so do ]" said Paul, briefly.
"Oh do you?" returned Della,
frightening but you can do without
me awhile"
"How can ?"
"Aye that's what you must learn,
sir" she laughed with pretty assump-
ton of importance.
"I can't see," complained Paul,
Why you should prefer the society of
an uncomely old woman, who dose'nt
care fig for anything but her money,
to the one you have as good as prom
ised to love and obey"
{" Why, you know, Paul, that I don't
consult my preferences in this thing.
Aunt Hitty is as good as bed-ridden,
and she my own mothers half-sister and
nobody to do hands turn for her."
All along Of her own alfred temper
and miserliness, that won't hire help
nor treat tham that give it with decen-
cy," answered Delia's iri.te lover.
'' Haven't waited these five years with
my shoulder at the wheel, working ear
ly and late, for a home of my own
But must be put on longer probation,
on account of a woman who'll live till
she's ninety"
" Well, Paul" said Della, gravely,
eff it is burden for you to wait for
me, don't do it. I've given you my
reasons for going to Aunt Hitty. There's
no pleasure in it but it's duty that I
owe my own kith and kin. You cant
want me to stay when conscience says
Go And the twins are getting to be
help to your mother, so she can do
without me but maybe you have some
other girl in your mind, who wouldn't
need to keep you waiting and could
bring a dover. 1 don't want to stand
in your light.
81 suppose that means that you want
to be free you self 2" returned Paul,
| coloring angriIy, I" thinking you'll be
| able to better yourself at Highgate.
Perhaps Aunt Hitty will leave you her
money, and that'll be far finer than
marrying a poor farmer"
''I don't want copper of Aunt Hitty's
money. You ought to know me better, !"
returned Della. '' You ought to know
| that, if you had been as poor as a church
mouse, I'd have waited for you forever
and thought nothing of it"
eyes" said Paul, thrusting the elm
! twig which he. had been trifing with
into the loose earth. ' Yes, I'll believe
! that when this slip of elm grows into a
tree. Actions speak louder than words. !"
Very well" said Della, the quick
1 CHI zh
! want to see it grow" slipping a ring off
her hand. Goodbye, if it must be
So"
Paul put the ring on his little finger.
and walked away. Della sat still and
| darned her stockings. The wind blew
up gustily and shook the rosy apple
bows in a shower at her feet, filling the
air with fragrance the shaded clover
leaves bent to and fro, tossing their
| blooms the sun sifted through the
trees and traced beautiful outlines on
the grass-plot; a market wagon lott
cred down the country road, driven by
a man in a blue blouse a flock of gray
geese were gossiping at the margin of
wayside pool; birds were flying
among the old elms; thin clouds foated
across the sky lazily, as if they had the
day before them and the afternoon
]
seemed exerting herself to make amends
for that which was lacking In Delia's
experience but. whenever did green
fields and blossOming hedges add more
than passing sOlace to a heart bereft
1t had all been so sweet and precious
but little moment since. What was
it that had so suddenly stolen the bloom
from these familiar aspects? It seemed
to Della that she could not remove her
self too speedily from her old sur
roundings. And perhaps at Aunt Hit
tvs she might be able to forget how un-
kind Paul had proved how readily he
had acted upon her suggestion of sepa
ration, as If the thought were nothing
new, and how little he had appeared tC
regret. Thinking sadly, her eyes resi- &c
upon the elm twig that Paul haC
planted in mockery of her constancy
Whit if the unpromising shoot should
| take root some day, when she was goni
{ and forgotten, and bear tardy witness il
) her favor? Then she chided herself 70
5 encouraging sHch an improbable fancy
: and went to pack her trunk for the lit
: tie journey to Highgate and Aunt Hitty
: Della had lived IN the family of Mrs
!, Carruthers for eight years. She ha
T gone there when Paul was down wit
g typhus fever, and all the neighboF
= were fighting shy and nurses weren't {
g be had for love or money. She ha
s been earning her living going out sew
i ing by the day, and when she undel
? stood the strait Mrs. Carruthers was II
o she quilted her needle into its place an
e offered her services. Naturally, s
J. soon as Paul was able to move abou
b his mother fell sick, and by the tim
IL she could use her own feet Della ha
D. so endeared herself that Mrs. Ca
t. ruthers refused to part with her; an