The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-03-25

trees, and creeping through the tan
gled boughs, till it seemed like q
great cathedral at evening service, !
thought. There was a delicate hush
there too, and once in while an early
bird trilled hest ating roundelay, and
another responded from some hidden
branch; and the crows went languidly
cawing overhead, and sometimes rabbi
scampered by, and the voices of the
men who were busy over the gypsy fire
boiling down the sap made long rever.
beratiOns, melodious as the wind sweep
ing across an Eolian harp. We drank
the sap, cool and sweet, as it dripped
from the wounds in the maple
trees, and stirred the boiling pot
under the cross-sticks, and the afternoon
faded, and the sunset blushed and looked
into the wood, and the workmen dropped
away one by one, leaving Eben and me
to follow at our leisure. But he fingered
still, covering the pot, smothering the
fire, though had long ago warned him
that tea was waiting. We stood there,
side by side, looking into the smoldering
embers, when I said again:
"Oome, Eben Andrews, lord of loiter-
ers, can't wait any longer"
"Neither can l." he returned, facing
me. II must know tonight, Lefty,
whether you love me or not"
Whether love you or not! re-.
peated. "What ever gave you that
crazy notion?"
because have been crazy enough
to love you, Lefty" he answered, and l
had heard that love bege.s love-"
well, we will let by.gones be by
.n:l N1s,, curo I novnr rova
You any encouragement. But pray don't
speak of this to Aunt Lakeland"
"a man doesn't usually brag about
being Tilted" he answered. Now,
though I should like to have had my
aunt know l had refused her precious
Eben, l was sure if she found it out
there would BE- an end of my visits to
Lakeland; she would never have allowed
Eben's happiness to be placed in such
jeopardy; and somehow, though =!
didn't care for Tidy Bruce, and had
refused Eben, and was by no means
devoted to my aunt, yet liked to go to
Lakeland; had never asked myself why,
and didn't care to know.
"Well, Tidy" said I, that night, after
Aunt Lakeland had had prayers, and
Eben had taken his candle and gone to
bed, and we were left to rake over the
kitchen fire, well, Tidy, Eben's found
out his mistake!"
Her eyes snapped like brands of fire,
and the color flew all over her face.
II guess you'll find the mistake is
yours before you're much OLDER" said
she. "l'll wager, though, that he doe MT
feel anxious; he knows you only want
to be coaxed."
Perhaps / did. But l must say it
nettled me to see how we'll he bore
himself. Ihad read in novels how the
hero was either soured by unrequited
affection or became splendidly melan-
cholv and morose and lost his appetite;
but Eben didn't carry out either pro-
gramme; he behaved just as usual. and
passed his plate for a second piece OF
pudding, and made jokes, aid didn't
seem to mind.
II guess Eben was joking the other
day." Tidy suggested, pleasantly.
"Pretty serious joke" said I. "Sup-
posing had said yes?"
Then it's supposable case, Ell? l
thought as much"
1t was dreadfully mean in me to men.
ton it to Tidy at all; but l just wanted
to show her that wasn't ready to marry
Tom, Dick and Harry because they
should see fit to ask me to, and at the
same time I wanted to impress upon her
that she was no prophet. Tidy was ten
years my senior, and if she knew how TO
mislead me for her own advantage made
it easy for her. I was like one having
eyes and seeing not. Eben never limited
love after that, however. He was al
ways kind and obliging. When I went
home he often carried me to the next
town, ever so many miles away, where
met the stage for Wateredge, and we had
the long lonely road to ourselves, prom
Use you; but he never once said love, or
pressed my hand under the buffalo robes,
as young men will, I've been told, or re-
ferred to that afternoon in the maple
grove, which was hardly ever out OF my
mind. It was about two years later
when made my annual visit at Lack
land at Thanksgiving time. There were
only three of US to sit down to dinner to-
gether, and Aunt Lakeland said:
"Of all things one seems to need q
large family at the holidays. How l
wish had ten children all coming home
with their husbands and babies! l do
wish Eben would get married and bring
q wife here!'
II can't find anyone to marry me, ~
said Eben, as cool as January morning.
"Pooh! that's likely. The girl scould
lie . fool who'd refuse you, If do say
it." I think she sometimes forgot that he
wasn't bone of her bone and flesh OF her
flesh. YOU'D never have to ask her but
oncer'
"That depends upon the GIRL" said l,
not thinking what l was saying.
II never should ask her but oace, said
Eben.
"How unfeeliug!" said I, as easy as a
cushion, though, Heaven knows, l had q
great lump in my throat, and l should
have cried if hadn't said something dis
agreeable instead.
Though we had surprise party that
night and all the neighbors far and near
came in sleighs-if you lived within
ten miles of Lakeland You were neigh
bor-and the house echoed with fun and
frolic and we played forfeits and danced
in the big kitchen, yet felt heavy-heart-
ed in spite of myself. / can see Eoen
now leading in Virgins reel with Tidy
Bruce; he was famous dancer, but that
was the last time he ever tripped on the
fantastic toe, thanks to me.
0uAS AoShAoAO woS SSbAAAS lCOoAO 1A
winter, and she begged me to say till
spring, for now that sister Neil was mar
ried had to do the visiting for both,
and had been nothing 10th before; but
must say that felt miserable and sore
about Eben; and it seemed to me all at
once, that he must think stayed because
I couldn't tear myself away from his
neighborhood, and that was sorry for
what l had said down in the maple
grove; aud SO, when mother wrote that
there was to be grand bali at Water
edge on Christmas night, I announced my
intention Of going home. We had had a
remarkably comfortable season, though
the sleighing was tolerabiy good; yet
there had been no very cold weather,
and folks seemed to believe that the ma
ture of winter was changed, and there
wouldn't be any to speak of. Aunt
Lakeland said everything to keep me,
and Eben even thawed enough to say
that three wasn't the crowd he'd thought
it, and the season would be ten miles