The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-06-03

had so completely deserted "the soft
est eyes and sweetest lips,n as if that
and many like speech had been but
empty air.
If Florence had been heroine,
she would probably have broken her
heart; have taken to writing poetry
and reducing her weight at the rate
of a pound a day. But then she was
not a bit of a heroine an army OF
little brothers ans sisters to attend
to left her no time for poetry-writing,
while Blackville, although AS before
stated, an insignificant place, had a
hracing mountain air which forced
people to eat in spite of themselves.
| SO Florry, occupied with small frocks
and stockings, did not lose her pretty
color or roundncss, and if there was
sometimes tears in the "softest eyes, "
and sighs on the sweetest lips, "
why. that is only what is happening
every dey to eyes and lips that are
neither soft nor sweet.
No. Florry had no notion of sitting
for a picture of despair. She had a
stout little heart of her own, as brave
as it was warm, and whatever the
trial she "grinnc1 and bore it, =
metaphorically speaking. Nature,
in bestowing on her pair of dimples,
having put the grin sardonic out OF
her mower 1t was very hard, very
provoking, very cruel of Charley,
no doubt, but still it was Charley,
and she was not going to make an
outcrv against him. That was Flor
rvs way of looking at it; there are
such people now ard then in this med
lev of world.
But her cousin Julia, Fred Willis's
sister, was quite of another mind;
Julia was a young lady who had
opinions and liked to speak them.
She considered that Charley Dennis
was behaving himself in weak,
wicked, and altogether disgraceiul
manner. which Florry was bound to
resent; and this quite apart from her
pet plan Of making a match between
| her cousin and her brother, for julia,
| if preiudiced, was honest. 80 she
had no mercy for the truant Charley,
abusing him as often and as openly
rs Florrv's reserve would allow, till
one day the barrier broke down, and
let the full tide of her wrath sweep
over
Fred was describing party of the
previous evening, at which neither OF
the girls had been present.
Il suppose hot Miss Brent was
there as large as life!' said Julla,
hose habit it was to use the pronoun
of censure in referring to Adela.
Eyes, she was there" answered
Fred, and laughed to himself for
moment Then aloud, "The fool
Charley Dennis makes OF himself
with that girl!n he said.
"And what he can see in her." ex-
claimed Julia. She's no beauty,
certainly"
"Oh, as to that, she's pretty
enough" said her brothcr-masculine
and feminine ewes are so apt TO see
this matter differently" but as out
and-out little flirt as ever l saw.
Friend Charley II find himself at the
end of his string one of these days,
or I'm much mistaken.
"And serve him right pronounced
Julia. with vicious emphasis.
"Why serve him right here un-
expectedly put in FlOrry, with more
spirit than was usual to her soft voice
WHY should anybody object to.
Chariey's waiting on Miss Brent if
he likes:
"Oh. if it suits him, TIE nothing to
saw against it, I'm sure" was all Ju-
liza could say in answer. Each one
of the three knew quite well what
had been meant by his being served
right and each knew that the others
knew, but still it was the thing to Ig-
more it in Fred's presence, so Julia
could only look the pins and needles
she longed to speak.
But the moment Fred was gone,
she Unidentified herself for this forced
clemency. She pounced down on
FIorry, and never left her till she had
worried her into tears and confession.
Then she paused half in triumph,
half in pity. IL
Now. don't be goose, Florry,'
she said, soothingly, tapping the bit
of flushed cheek not hidden in the
clasped hands, "if there ever was
man worth crying about, I'm sure 1t
isn't Charley Dennis"
Florry made no reply to this, but
she lifted her head and set some
stitches rather blindly in the embrol-
dered frock on her lap. But 1t is
lucky that Master Harry, for whom
it was destined, was not connois-
seur in fine needle-work, else 1t Is to
be feared that that cotton rose-spray
would have been a thorn in his side
so long as any thing remained OF 1t:
Depend upon it, Florry," resumed
Julia, with "A pause, "you're well rId
of him, if you only would think so.
A man that don't know his own
mind better than that. Why, do
believe it's full month since he set
his foot inside this house-Le used
to be in and out, till ! was fairly sick
of the site of him. | only wish,
went on Julia with energy, "he
would come again, just once, just to
see how much difference it makes to
us-and | declare" she broke oil
abruptly, looking out of the window,
which she faced, ''ii there he isn't
this minute opening the gate. Well,
he-what-you-call-him as near when
YOU talk about him, sure enough :"
Charley it really was at the gate,
and at the gate we will be polite
enough to leave him, while we eX-
plain bow he came to be there just
in the nick of time.
1t is very common rural custom
"to improve the shining hours OF the
fall moon, not, indeed, as doth the
little busy bee" but after fashion
quite as agreeable, if less industrious.
Each Jack with his chosen Jill beside
him, bowls along the open country
roads at pace to be settled by his
own taste and the power of his horse
Now the BlackyiIle moon being just