The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-09-05


"Next yea" -some forget,
"Sometime comes that golden morrow,
"Never" earth saw yet.
LOVE MAKING IN THE DARK.
"Wont some one mark my lines for me,
please? My quilting looks much like Mrs.
Partington's turpentine walks" and Mary
Norris raised a pretty laughing face to the
assembled company, which consisted of the
elite of Brownville, with some of the lower
strata. The little village boosted not of its
numbers as it did of its pretty girls, and
Mrs. Goodwin was resolved to have her
quilt finished by fair means or foul, and,
being desperate, had scraped Brownville
for her quilting-be The usual gossip was
at its hight when it was interrupted by the
appeal of Mary Norris to Mrs. Goodwin,
whose interest it was to keep the lines per-
feet, and to keep the social machinery in
running order So she hustled about, and
soon got Mary to work again.
az WONDER" said Jennie Haskins, eft
Mary Frazier is coming today"
Goodness knows; she is terribly fash
ionable and aristocratic," returned one of
the lower set.
go, she is coming" interrupted the hos
tess; " she promised me not to fail, and she
is such quiet, undemonstrative little
thing that she will accomplish good deal,
even If che doeS come late -
"She wouldn't be fashionable and like
city people if she came as early as the
rest,' put in another Of the lower strata.
For my part l wish she would stay away
entirely. We can live without such stuck
up"
The sentence remained unfinished, for at
that moment the lovely face of Mary Frazier
looked in upon them with a pleasant smile.
In her quiet manner she had glided in at a
side door, removed her hat and gloves with
out disturbing the hostess, and then sur
prised them. Mrs. Goodwin greeted her
warmly, and as usual, with much fuss and
her slighty deft fingers, as Mrs. Goodwin
had predicted, soon began to trace line
after line in her exquisite and neat fashion,
and to Guido many who had come earlier.
All the people who could lie picked into
pieces were, and Brownville had to pass
through the social feminine mangle, custo
mary upon such occasions, and yet strange
to say, survived. After tea the gathering
of the rustic SWANS began. Among them
came handsome DR.. Collins and his old
bachelor FRIEND DR.. Peters. Of course the
entire unmarried portion of the other sex
were setting their caps for the handsome
young physician, and were doing all they
could to increase his vanity and spoil him
generally. Upon the present occasion he
joined right merrily in the games, romped
with Mary Norris, and paid more than one
forfeit upon her red, pouting lips. In,
deed, he seemed to revel in sweets, for the
most of the girls, though making show
of resentment when he kissed them, evi
IDENTIFY sought or challenged such abilities
all but quiet little Mary Frazier. She
stole into out-of the-way corners, and more
than once slipped out of the hands of those
that sought to drag her into their plays.
1t was whispered again that she was toe
aristocratic to mingle with the common
herd, though in truth, from having been
reared in a city, she was unprepared to
permit such liberties. Her extremely deli
cate nature shrank from becoming public
property. Her lips were reserved for him
who should win her love, and were not to
be desecrated. But that she also had cast
longing eyes upon the handsome young
physician was not to be denied. Yet even
the most careful observer had not been able
to detect the fact-a higher color or sudden
bounding of the heart at the sound of his
voice, when he addressed her in tones al,
ways deferential and polite, as if he was
just little frozen or awed by her manner.
Mirth reigned fast and furious as the
evening waned. Chairs were overturned
bluff, while dresses and sashes suffered
sadly. The doctor, seeing Mary Norri,
dash out of the front door, followed her
resolving upon the spur of the moment) tc
seize the time to disclose his love. Such
an event had been one of the things of the
future, if at all; until now he had not
given much thought about it, but her saucy
black eyes and sweet, warm kisses had
completed his enthrallment. Out under
the vine colored porch of the Goodwin cot
tage, where he could distinctly trace the
soft outlines of his love in her fieecy white
dress, he followed, and gaining her side
whispered:
"Mary, ! must leave now. l have {
patient to visit yet tonight, but I cannot
tear myself away without telling you hon
much love you.'
One little hand was clinging to the trelli
as he spoke, and dimly tracing the coveted
member, he forcibly possessed himself o
| it, while his other arm stole around he
slender waist. With an air of timid sur
prise, all unlike the usual spontaneous
demonstrativeness of Mary Norris, thu
young girl dropped her head and muir
mured:
| "I-I-did not think
"You did not think | loved you?
that it my sweet girl? Well, l do sin
cerely. But, Mary, am no adept at low
making, and presume am very brusque
Yet, will you be my wife ?"
"Surely you cannot mean it? You hav
never shown me the slightest preference,