The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-06-17

: his ideal that he fell in love with tn
3 cold stone, and would not 0e comfort
] ed by the choicest flesh and blood q
3 his acquaintance 1t was so wit
2 Ralph, who became so smitten witt
: creatures OF his own fancy that b.
, yielded to the infatuation, sold to
, furniture Of his editors cell, bouzh
this outfit, and here we are. VIVA
will ever become OF US PrOvidenc,
only knows, ald have heard som
r unbelieving people say that Provi
, dence didn't know more than half o
, what was going on in California.
, expect we'll find hardships enough, p
added she, calling home her thoughts
such as terantulas and Cinnamon
and no new style OF bonnets, but
were determined to rough"
"Well, Ralph, what do You wan
now ?" she asked with a shade o
petulanee in her tone, as tnat gentle.
man twitched he sleeve tn call hel
attention.
''The team is harnessed, said he
"and the COW is MIXED, and every
thing is ready, except breakfast. You
are Wofully behind time with thai
: this morning. Suppose you try a lone
hand at Il, my dear" he added, in an
, undertone. Then, turning to DOty,
he begged the benefit OF his veteri-
nary lore for the CALLED shoulders oi
one Of his horses, and the enamored
fellow, never saspeeting the subter-
fuge employed, suffered himself to be
led away, and was soon absorbed in
the prescription OF cold water abfu.
tiOns and other soothing agencies fol
the relief of the travel-worn creature
Next to . woman, D0ty loved 8
horse. When these Samaritan offices
were completed, and the collar was
nicely cleaned and tenderly adjusted,
Doty bethought himself of his chum,
telling an emotion OF surprise and re-
proaeh at having forgotten him fol-
SO long q time, and made haste to
seek him out sud tip him a wink OF
fellowship and friendly solicitude.
There be sat, the same old Jim, in
formal and respectful speech, with
the elder sister, seated on the same
cushion with her, but, bashful and
prudish as Quaker spinster, shrink
ing to its extreme end, as befitted q
batchelor when opposed in converse
tion to married dame and a baby.
Dutehison felt subdued. His talk
was broken and absent and distrait,
and he felt an appalling consciousness
that this lady pilgrim was bored with
his stupidity. How he envied Doty's
gift OF frothy loquacity! Even if she
were another mans wife lIel had no
desire to appear on the chronicles Of
her memory as a superlative fool.
Husbands sometimes die, you know,
especially on tours of emigration, when
| the Cheyennes and other road agents,
are liable to slaughter the men and
carry off the women into terrible
captivity, and big-bearded, tender
hearted mouutaineers come along to
the rescue and-but what kind of q
brutal vision was this floating through
Dutehison's brain ? Let the truth be
confessed, for this pale and sober wO-
man he was beginning to feel pecu-
liar and very exalted friendship not
love, of course not, for that would be
improper. What II her hands were
brown with domestic labor. Work,
he argued, is the heritage of wo-
man as well as man and the
prisoners helpmeet cannot have q
hand like q lily and tho vel
vet touch OF the violet. Or what If
lines of care were tracing themselves
over her once comely face Care is a
virtue, and without it woman Is q
butterfly. Her hair was yet glossy
and black, her accents were low aud
sweet, her eyes were full and lus-
trous, aud, lest of all, her soul was
very close to them, shining out in
glances of truth and steadfsstness CT
which one was worth all the alluriug
flashes and evanescent sparkle with
which her sister enthralied Doty.
At last, at last, Dutehison had found
woman after his own heart; alas,
only to find her another's.
"Did you sing Home, Sweet Home,
this morning ?" queried he, fidgeting
"a IL the cushion were stuffed with
thistles,
"I was singing something to baby,
1 forget just what" was the reply.
81 knew it was an angel" he brood
ed, 81 knew it was an angel"
This rough riding seems to sort of
wear on your husband, madam" he
continued, after pause.
"What-did-you-ssy? she asked
with pauses between the words, as if
she had not heard him right.
"Mr. Seward doesn't hold his head
up like he will when be once gets
swallow of the coast air.u
"Yes, Ralph is little depressed -
rejoined the lady, "He is so afraid Of
Indians that he will persist in stand
ing guard when he ought to be asleep.
Then as sure as he once snatches a
moments rest those saucy little
wolves commence their chorus, and
he is on bis feet again.
"Wonder if be wouldn't like to give
a fellow job as corral-guard," mused
Dutchison.
ga what ?" said she in a puzzled
tone.
"Why, a corral-guard, you know,
to lounge around the camp all night,
and look this way for the reds and
that way tor the wolves. and watch
after the horses aud the COW and
and-the women"
so, how nice and comfortable that
would be !" she exclaimed, with a
brave little laugh, as they oOeyed the
summons to breakfast. "rhen
could sleep nights myself, and dream
OF home, without seeing my grand
mother in war-paint, and our clothes
line hung with sSalps."
Such was the drift of the inter.
course between the two parties dur
ing this common sojourn at the
spring in the aspen grove. With this
variation, however, that Stewards
aversion to Doty seemed to increase
with his acquaintance, and when the
parting came it was as happy for him
as sad for the object of his unaceount-
able dislike, who, by the way, was
not allowed the scant consolation of
pressure of the hand or whisper in
the ear OF his Amaryilis, being
thwarted in several attempts by the
strict surveillance of her vigilant es-
cort. Fain would he have spoken
Ruth's immortal words, "Whither
thou goest will CO." but it was not
so permitted.
Sad was the parting to both of the
partners, and when from the gloom
OF their pine forest they caught last
glimpse of the ponderous wagon in
tiny relief against the western sky,
they felt that their life in Yankee
Canon was henceforth to be doubly
desolate. In vain were the songs
with which they endeavofed to light |
en- their lRbors and to which they
were accustomed TO time the stockes |
of their axes the echoes of the words |
rejected their sadences in tones OF
heartless mockery. ALI banterings
over his comrades predieament were
felt to be cruel by him st whom they |
were aimed and tasteless by their
author. Nothing in this world, tell |
you the truth, is more pitiful than the
efforts of one lover to assuage his |
pains by jests on the plight of anoth-
er.
So waned the day away. Some in
fiuence appesred to have softened
the Drawn of their shoulders until their
axes, usually so many playthjngs in
their hands, were heavy as the heav-
iness OF their hearts, and the polished /
blades were left to cling in the scar Of
the first incision, becoming marred
by the resinOus juices which oozed
from the wound. Doty pined for
draught of bitters to ward off the
lassitude which he pretended to think
was the forerunner of a mountain
fever, and Dutchison expressed fears
that his constitution had suddenly
collapsed, and that he would be OBJ
liged to exchange the hearty freedom
Of the woods for the pampered regi-