The Republican journal., 1874-11-12
Joy Hatfield's Courtship.

weeks, and as the school did not open un-
til the end Of September, had still about
five weeks, in which might recruit my
self after my long and weary period of
teaching, broken only by these three
weeks OF hot, dusty New York
| was wearied out, body and soul and
| could hardly express sufficient thankful
ness at the prospect which now opened
before me, Of country air and fare, noun
tain stream and rural rambles, health and
relaxation.
Ot course accepted the invitation at
once, and equally OF course | told Charlie
Cartwright all about it the same evening.
Charlie and | had been engaged now
Tor about year, after courtship which
i think lasted only as long. We were to
be married in the Winter, when Charles
uncle was to take him into partnership :;
and did really wish tor an opportunity
to gain d little health, and little flesh on
my bones, and not give him such skeleton
for wife as looked then, after my sea-
son OF grinding at the daily routine of
teaching for though | would 60 back to
the school, it would be only for two
months, and then good-by to it forever
How Charlie ever come to care for me
! could not imagine.
was such little freckled thing so dit
tdent, when out of my daily walk of life :;
and knew SO little that seemed to interest
him. Yet he certainly professed to love
me very devotediy; and his attentions to
me had been unremitting. He was such
a great, handsome, stalwart fellow, that |
suppose he mistook the protective interest
he felt III me for love; any way, ! did.
| Well, | told Of my invitation, and he
was delighted at the opportunity it gave
me to recuperate, He delighted me, too,
by promising to come and pay me visit
after | had got fully settled and so |
started of1-W watched him from the carriage
window as he waved his handkerchief
after me-and wondered whether Cousin
JOY was as big tirt as ever, and whether
Charlie would run any risk if he really
kept his promise and came to see me at
"Mountainsde'-a JOY Hatfeld's father
| had prettily named the summer home in
! the country.
Mr. Hatfield was a wealthy city merchant
who had married my aunt and JOY was
his only child
She and had beeu playmates together
years before, and close correspondents
eyer since and both from my personal
knowledge OF her, and my letters from
her, | knew she was. as | said before.
big tlirt
| Indeed, she detested the Summer, be
cause, instead Of being taken to the various
watering places, where her coquettish in
stincts could have had tull swing, she was,
as she insisted on putting it, dragged off
into the Pennsylvania Wilderne S. to vege-
tate with the ground hogs and ehipmunks"
1t did seem rather hard, for She was a
lovely, giddy creature, only eighteen years
old, and seemed only fitted for the gossa-
mer lite Of the ballroom But Mr. Hat
field insisted that she had enough OF that
through the long Winter, and that in the
Summer she must retire to the mountains
and build himself up" tavorite ex-
preston OF her fathers just as IT, she
would say, Il were church, or barn,
or some other editice"
However, Mr.. Hatfield always had his
way, and very sensible, pretty way
considered it, when on that dry. dusty
evening the wagon from the town of Sars-
field stopped before the lowroofed house
he called the "Mountainside" Right on
the mountain side it was, too and be-
hind it the gloomy forest rose thick and
green, extending high up in the distance,
while beside it trickled gently down the
slope a ripping brook, that became
mountain torrent before it wandered down
TO the big river.
Such welcome as | got from JOY, and
from Aunt Hatfield, and even silent Mr..
Hatfield himself! | felt at home at once,
and drew in each inspiration of the fresh
mountain air with renewed thanktulness,
and blessed my fortunate stars that had
brought me to the "Pennsylvania wilder
ness"
What we did in those happy days could
not half remember even if now cared to,
Joy was brighter, more like a fairy in
gossamer than ever. The woods around
were presently noisy enough With our
wild shouts of laughter and the baboling
little brook where we tished tor trout-and |
caught them, too-seemed to echo our en-
joyment, and keep measure with its music |
to the songs We sang.
Then we went pony-rding up the wild |
mountain road, startling the squirrels and |
rabbits; OF we gathered roses and ferns |
for our scrap-books and lunched luxuriant- |
ly beneath the shadowy gloam OF the huge |
forest monsters Sometimes we astonished |
the neighboring town by cantering on the
ponies through the single tree-embowered |
street on our way to the store - while |
the country beaux gossiped and looked |
askance at us. as being from another |
world | forgot that l was a homely little |
New ork school-teacher, as the reflection |
OF joys Wondrous beauty seemed to shine !
upon me, and render even my freckled /
phz attractive
OF course wrote Charlie long letters,
describing our various doings and equally |
of course-like the witless thing | was-I
pictured JOY in all her radiant beauty as
something it was a daily delight to be |
associated with. And Charles letters
were quite as long as mine, and made
especially charming by frequent mention
Of Joy, and an occasional message to her,
to which she was nowise slow to respond, |
and that so wittily that | could not but
forward them duly, as half-iestingly de
sired. And SO by the time Charlie wrote
that he was actually coming, these two
people were as well acquainted as two
young folks well could be who had never
seen each other
And when the station-wagon drove I'D. |
and Charlie leaped out of it, and shook
me warmly by the hand-he didn't kiss me
-Joyreceived him as an old acquaintance,
and we were pretty soon all as happy and
friendly as possible
Now our rambles and mountain rides
obtained new zest, since one had a
cavalier; and though Charlie treated me
as kindly asever, | could see easily enough
that Joy found great satisfaction in his
society, and he in hers-which, after all,
was not wonderful
In the evenings and on rainy days we
played Bezique, or had music, or played |
billiards-that is, Joy and Charlie did. for
| couldn't play billiards; we had facilities
for all sorts OF indoor amusement, and
time never hung heavily on our hands,
Only now and again had y little heart
twinge, when Joy seemed bit more ten
der with Charlie than 1 thought was quite
necessary but it did not disturb me much.
One day, though, l did have real sharp
pang, which might have taught me les
son-if had not been such confident
goose. What sort of beauty was l. to re-