American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-03-21

Follow and Hope
Sunny hair lit up with sunshine
-.Scribner's Monthly
MASQUERADING.
WELL, you see, Sue, the why's and tn,
wherefOres were too many to write, anC
when you married and went away with
your husband I'd no more idea tina
things would come around as they die
than l had of running over to Council
Bluffs in a balloon to take tea with you
To tell the truth it was all ON account Of
that railroad business, which went cutting
into our orchard and running hap-hazard
over the best pasture land, and taking q
right of way along the wood lot and cross
ing the highways, SO that there's no peace
for the living, let alone the wicked. How
ever, Tee no right to complain OF 1t in
the long run. 1t wasn't as if our house
had been in the family ever since the
Plymouth folks landed, and the Legisla-
ture had given the corporation leave to
run right through the best wainscoted
parlor, and take away the oaken staircase
stained by the blood of Revolutionary
soldier, as they did up at Squire Elderly's
place. l believe you were here when
John Jordan happened this way civilen-
cheering and helping to lay out the rail
road and dare say you've heard me de-
clare that wouldn't marry John Jordan,
mo, not if there wasn't another man on
earth :" Not that he had asked me then,
you know; but girls aren't slow to refuse
before they're asked. But he had waited
upon me home from evening service and
sociables; and he had dropped in to have
rubber at whist Just when didn't want
to be interrupted in the game of cribbage
which Lucius Glover and l were pretty
sure to be playing in the back parlor,
while the family sat at work the other
side of the folding doors, and the mel
lowed light from the astral lamp lent us
q twilight atmosphere conducive to flirta-
ton.
Mr.. Jordan used to be good deal at our
house, talking with father about the lay
of the land, and in that way folks came to
coupling our names together-and no
body so provoked as 1! Mrs. Scrutiny,
who lived opposite, and watched us as
closely as cat watches q mouse-hOle;
who knew when we heated the brick oven
for an extra baking. and counted the
stockings on the line Mondays, and ran
over to see il we expected Sophrunia and
her husband down when we aired the par
Tor chamber; and who, when we declared
that we bad nothing to wear to Mrs.
Merry's dancing party, to Thanksgiving
ball, or charity fair, would give us an in
ventory OF our own wardrobes.
'Why, wear your blue silk, child, that
was made out OF your mothers pelisse;"
or, Dear sakes, there's the white muslin
you had 10 stand up with Sophronia in"
or, I'm sure the pink tarlatan that your
Aunt Kitty gave you is good as new with
bit of darning;" or, when l was
girl, the poplin you got of the old-clothes-
peddler in exchange would have been
thought plenty good enough for charity
Naturally John Jordan's calls didn't
escape Mrs. Scrutiny. believe she could
see in the dark, like cat; and she lost no
time in communicating her observations.
Consequently heard away down at Fish
erville and away up at Haverham that
John Jordan had been seen at our door
three days out of the week, for five weeks;
and nobody would believe that he came
to see father. But didn't treat John
with any kind of favor, let me tell you
l was always quarreling with him be-
cause the railroad was to cut up the
orchards if it was his fault, or as if
cared; but l wanted something to be dis
agreeable about. / was none too sweet to |
him, assure you; and sometimes Lucius |
and would stroll off to a game at back
CANNON in the back parlOr, and leave |
John to the others; and sometimes when |
saw him coming would slip out, and |
when returned it would be pretty sure
to be on the arm of Lucius. He always
scowled when l came in with Lucius |
Glover, and enjoyed that; and once he |
had the impudence to ask,
What, in Heavens name, do you find
to please you in that fop ?" and I was so
angry at his daring that the tears sprang
into my eyes; and at that he looked d. |
vinely sorry, and stammered, al didn't |
know / didn't know it was seriousn' |
and that didn't mend the matter, for it
wasn't serious. Lucius had never eaid |
anything to the point, though he had |
what was more, l didn't know as l |
wanted him to; and I didn't like that |
John Jordan should take it for granite in |
this way. But didn't understand ,chy |
didn't like it, though I've found out |
since.
who said anything about serious
ness:" l snapped out I'm not one of
the kind that asks mans intentions if |
he looks at her! / never want to know |
their intentions, and they don't usually |
have any, except to while the time away" |
answered. NOR forcibly than elegantly |
VERY likely not" said he, going back |
to some plans he had unrolled for father |
to see when he came in; "that is, men |
like Glover"
THAT'S generous" said ], all in arms |
again. 81 really should think that you
and he were rivals"
"And so we are" he answered, without |
looking up. IL hate him because you |
like himt'
"a don't see why" began, awkward |
ly enough.
Perhaps you had better take micro
scope to discover the reason"
If this is love making, thinks i, it's an
odd fashion that I'm not used to; and per-
haps for that reason l was somewhat |
vexed when father put an end to it. To
tell the truth, after had been listening to
John Jordan, Lucius' small-talk did seem
small enough, and his sentiment weak
enough; so sometimes il occurred TO me
that his musfache was his strongest point
But then there were other things to be
considered: life wasn't all sentiment and
poetry and moonlight walks. Father,
you know, was only cashier in the Farm
ers' Bank, at a salary Of fifteen hundred.
We owned the house and land, to be sure:
but if anything should have happened to
him it would have been all day with us
girls. We hadn't any especial gifts; we
hadn't been educated to teach; and al
most every one did her own sew
ing at our place. We were called
q handsome family, you know, and beauty
our entire fortune. Now it
was different ut the Glovers'; they had
bank stock, and railroad shares, and mort
cages, and what not; they had family
tree that would have put the Banyon to
shame; they had services Of silver rs old
as the hills, cutglass and Dresden china, |
family portraits and brocatelle, and real