The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-09-11

| nCuthCAs Dub thOuHh 4hC 4NaAhCt@c
were so isolated, they had their merry
makings. There was quilting at Mrs.
Deacon Crocket's in Number Two, or
husking at Farmer Dusenbury's IN
Wheatfeld, or haying.bee at Deacon
Smiley's, with dancing in the we'll
swept barn, hung with lanterns, in the
evening; and there were camp-meeting
days, and now and then there was
wedding, and no distance too far to
travel, and Cyrus always harnessed old
Dapple and took Jane along with him,
as Agnes would be going with her
brothers or sometimes, if the road led
that way, he would call for Miss Agnes,
and Jane would sit on the back seat of
the wagon. and only guess at what was
going on before ner in the twilight,
hugging her pain in loneliness of heart.
| Nobody knew but Jare was Just as
happy as the others who danced chorus
| jigs and college hornpipes nobody ever
| would have known. Sometimes there
was a preacher on the circuit, who went
about from one Number to another,
holding meetings, and Cyrus and his
mother and Jane put on their best and
went the rounds, too; and Cyrus and
Agnes helped at the singing and lin
gered after the benediction. One week
the preacher stayed at Ferriston Farm
and asked Jane to marry him and,
though Mrs. Ferriston was sorry to
part with her, yet she advised Jane to
think seriously, and went so far as to
get Cyrus to talk with her about it.
This was the last straw that broke the
camePs back. Jane was sick in bed till
the preacher left The Numbers.
"Dear sakes " said Mrs. Ferriston,
''if its going TO keel Jane over like this
every time she has beau, the fewer
the better. Girls didn't use to take it
to heart so. "
"On the WHOLE" remarked Cyrus,
"I'm glad she didn't take to him. It's
selfish, but how could we get on with
out her just yet? T."
=" suppose you'll be bringn' wife
home one of these days. It's pity
you couldn't hev taken likin' to Jane
yourself, and she right handy in the
house and KNOWN all your ms and
outs, and no fault to find"
"'Choose the one that you love best
Suit yourself and you'll suit the rest"
sang Cyrus "Jane wouldn't have me,
either"
"That's for yOu to say" returned his
mother, thinking that the girl was I'M
born that would refuse her Cyrus
Well. at one time they had Miss
Agnes Price up at Number One to make
visit, and to let her see how the land
lay; and at first words weren't big
enough to express her satisfaction. But
she used to laugh at James old-fash-
Toned way of dressing her hair and cut
ting her gown, and when Jane and Cy-
rus got talking upon ter favorite
themes she would put on her bonnet
and be off fora walk, and Cyrus would
naturally follow without delay.
She wasn't happy unless Cyrus was
praising her dress or herself, unless
there was young company invited over
from The other Numbers and from
Wheatiield for frolic, or they were
going abroad to some merry making !;
and when nobody was present but
themselves she would amuse herself
taking off the folks who spoke in the
last revival meeting, showing how FL
der Prosy, at Wheatfield, conscious in
the midst of long prayer that the can
dies on the desk needed shutting, CROPPED
III lllClu Will LID Cd ouul,
them out between his thumb and finger
and threw the red hot ends into a
brothers new hat on the deacon's seat,
and wrung his hands at this foretaste
of damnation then she would follow
this episode with singing Coronation
gutturally like Deacon Crockett, and
nasally like old Mrs. Quaver, and re-
late how Deacon Crockett always omit
ted the blessing when they had pud-
ding and milk for tea; and Mrs. Fer
riston would look at Agnes over her
spectacles, and shake her head in pro-
test, but laugh in spite of herself. But
by and by my lady began to suggest
Improvements in the house there
might be a wing built out here, the
roof might be raised, the yard needed a
new picket fence whoever heard of q
house without flower garden?
{" l thought we had one, ell, Jane ?"
said Cyrus. -.
"Where ignorance is blissP" re-
turned Agnes. Nobody has such old
fashioned things as marigolds, bache-
lor's buttons, hollyhocks and love-lies-
bleedings III their garden nowadays
everybody laughs at EN-"
Il SuDDOoC lJOIu IudOe CD
jected Mrs. Ferriston; and then Agnes
openly confessed that she should die of
the landscape papering on the best
room, which Mrs. Ferriston had
guarded from the flies for years, as if
it had been gallery of paintings by
the first masters and, for her part, de-
clared, looking out at the window, she
hated to see nice fields about house
disfgured with vulgar-looking pump
kins and cabbages After she went
home, Cyrus set to work quietly max.
ing some of the alterations she had
suggested-for they were to be married
in the spring asking James opinion
and cooperation as if she had been q
sister. In the first place he built on
the wing, and cut another window in
jane room.
You'll be able to see to prink bet
ter, Jennie" said he, "or maybe ON
second thought -"maybe you'd rather
have room in the new wing? Take
your choice" for James parents were
dead, and she had now been living year
in and year out at The Numbers.
&c shan't want either one or the
other, thank YOU" she answered.
Why not. / should like To know .