The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-05-20
A Cold Snap.


back-wOods Nell and L called it,
though, to be sure, our own place
want very populOus, considering that
there were seventy odd miles between
the two but tnen we were on the
river-banks, and a steamer ran be-
tween US and Boston once a week,
and we had shabby little newspaper
and q shabbier lecture-course, and an
occasional concert, and sleighing par
ties, and assemblies among ourselves,
willis out at Lakeland people dwelt so
far apart that ii was a days work TO
make ~ call.
Aunt Lakeland was a widow with
no chIIdren, and we had often urged
her to cone to Wateredge to live with
US, but she had steadily refused, and
| thought she shouldn't live OUT half
her days if she were to fOrsake the
familiar fields where her good man
had plowed and reaped. She had an
old servant who had lived with her
since her marriage and kind of
cousin OF her husband-Eben An
drews-had come to manage the farm
after her uncle's death, who was exec
utor of the will, reslduary legatee,
and goodness knows what not, and
by whom she set the world. 1t used
to be "Eben thinks So" and "Eoen
doesn't like this" till got worn to
shoe strings the time l went TO see
her, for you see, mother pitying her
forlorn cOndition, living so out of the
world, and no blood relation within
call, used to send Nell and me to
make alternate visits there TO make
sure she was not imposed upon by her
husbands relatives.
"Who cares what Eben thinks and
likes ?" said I, for, L suppose, l was a
little jealous G1at she should regard
the opinion of this raw farmer as of
greater Importance than mine.
II dare say you'll care more'n
you'll like to own before you're much
older" said she laughing, "and you
won't be the first girl, neither.n
"pli go right home if you talk So"
I cried. 81 don't think 1 shall lose
my young affections for Eben An
dreWs in a hurry. Anybody'd think
L had never seen a young man be-
fore"
"You never did see one like Eben,"
she persisted.
"And l never want to see another"
"rhat's just tne way girls talk when
they're IN love-" put in Tidy Bruce,
who had come down to do up the
sewing for Aunt Lakeland, whose
eyes began to fail her.
Tidy was somewhat of a compan-
ion for ein that lonely place, though
L had no great fancy for her. She
lived six miles away through the
woods, and Ebsn used to go for her,
and carry her home when her work
was done.
"There's our father" she went on
what fun she used to make of Tom
Adams red head but sake's alive,
now she's married to him, every par
ticular hair is gold ~
''Very likely" IretOrted, ''it runs
in the family. 1 heard you say your
self that Eben had the biggest hands
YOU ever saw. l suppose they'll
shrink as soon as ne offers them to
you.
sIHe's got heart to match 'em,"
added Aunt LacklsHd, while Tildy
Uttered.
"Yes," said L, just to plague Aunt
Lakeland, for I had really thought
Tidy imprudent enough TO Joke about
the size of my aunt's husbands cous-
in's hands-''yes, and a mouth to
match the heart ~
$50 much the better to kiss you, my
dear,n sang out EOen himself; and
there be was, standing in the door
way. ] don't know how much be had
overheard, and didn't, care; at least
1 thought didn't, ana L left the room
IN dudgeOn and slammed the door.
A great bear of a backwOOdsman to
talk of kissing me Well / suppose l
was a contrary mink, for when Aunt
Lakeland said that Eben dotted on
green, 1 took great pains to wear blue
ribbons and when he declared that
blue became me nightly, l Just
changed to cherry-c0lor next time. If
Eben liked curls, eOmbed my hair
straight as a Digger Indians; and
when he began to read aloud, L left
the room, or hulnmed a tune as rude
Iy IS you please. Tidy Bruce used to
eiggle, and say that 1 did it lust to
keen myself before his eyes, and she
was always too ready to run and Jump
for him, and fiattered him so broadly.
that could have shaken her soundiv
many a time. She spared no pains to |
please him, wore the color l discarded, |
and made beau catehers of her hair.
She used TO dare me to refuse his arm
when ne offered it, or of his hand |
when he would have helped me into
a carriage or over a stile, and | was
just fool enough. She induced me to
send him q saucy valentine, and to
play all manner of giddy tricks upon
him, such as putting salt in his tea,
and vinegar in his milk, and sewing
up the armhoIes of his overcOat, and
lining his hat with burs But he
made a joke of itall and called me his,
Jester. "That means fool" said /
fiaring up.
"Well, sometimes the king was more
fool than the jester, You remember,n
oracularly.
"So,D said Tidy, afterwards, che
thinks that he has only got to ask
this minute, and yOu'llsay Yes thank
YOU ~
"He'lI find out his mistake,r tos-
sing my head, "if ever he does ask =
as though ] would marry a farmer
when I've been at boarding school,
and can play the piano and read
Frenc Mercy, il you snould see
the young men at Wateredge, you
wouldn't wonder that WASN'T ready
to fall in love with Eben Andrews, |
Tildy.n
''And what are they like at Water
edge ?'' asked Aunt Lakeland.
Like heroes in a romance.n said I, |
spltefully "not at all like Eben An
NO, l reckon they're not, heroes of
i1ddlesticks and nonsense ri
"Heroes OF ysrd-sticks. I guess ,,
added Tidy.
And, sure enough, Eben did find
out his mistake not long after
though you might call IT mine, in the
long run One day in March he
asked me TO go down into the mamie
grove 10 see the sap run, and to take