The Morning herald., 1875-12-25

n be my ch'ice-she's too still and white: b.,
It then it's not me that's goin' to marry her /;
II John fancies her it's all right shan t
e ask him to look at her thro' my glasses. ).
II No, no; let him please himself and hen
!. please me-" Fss
y Folly tried to say something to keep her
/ silence from being observed but If her lifa
had depended on the articulation of Q dozen
t .syllables she could not have spoken them.
Poor Polly she found out at last what
= allied her: she loved John with her whole
! warm little heart, and now be would 40
and marry Alice Brown and-a lump got
into Polly's throat just here and threatened
to choke her. and before she knew It cob
escaped and Polly took refuge in deceit.
tul fit of coughing, which like all falseness
carried Its own punishment with it--for It
distracted Aunt Debby's attention from her
future daughter-in-law and concentrated t
on Polly's self.
| "Why, child, you've caught drefful hart
cold all TO onct you must take table.
spoonful of hoarhound balsam right away.
l never hear drier cough nor that of youru
1t sounds just like Cynthy Besom's dill
the winter she took the gallopin' consuml.
ton, and was dead and buried all inside OF
SIX months" And Aunt Debby hustled
about and got out the big bottle from tha
chimney cupboard, and measured out dose
OF the hoarhound balsam. Polly knew that
remonstrance would be worse than useless.
so she swallowed the bitter-sweet mixture
without protest. Then she was sent to bed
with directions to 60 to sleep right away,
and with the comforting assurance that if
the cough did not succumb to the balsam
before morning John should go for old DR..
Druyen first thing after breakfast.
Polly's mistake was one that Is often
made by young girls who are too much
tshen up with the pleasant story of their
own lives to stop to think or ask questions
OF their hearts. We are none of us much
given to introspection in our ''salid days.''
ana when at last we do take to soul-prob-
ing 1t is usually too late to benefit by our
discoveries.
Polly-the orphan child of a far-awav
cousin-had been adopted by Uncle silas
and Aunt Debby when very small, so she
and John had grown up together like broth
er and sister, and she had really never
once thought of John as lover, or possi.
Die husband, until his rather abrupt propo-
sal had startled her into the declaration
tnat she did not love him, when the truth
was she had been loving him every day Of
her life without the least suspectinp II.
Polly did not go off in galloping con-
sumption like Cynthia Bosom, or did she
pine away and die of broken heart-hea1-
thy people never DO either---she Just lived
Oh from day to day, as we all do and must
in spite OF disappointment and heartbresk.
She did not even dreop, but held up her
head like brave little flow er that will not
iced the rude winds, bu smiles through all
heir buffeting. Perhaps hope was not vet
ollcked up by the roots for hope is
sturdy plant that fourishes in sterile soils.
IND Will sustain life for long time on very
cant nourishment.
1t was December now, and the young
olks of Sleepy Hollow were met in Uncle
'ilas Briggs woods for skating frolic on
he woodland pond, When the merriment
vas at its height, and tho skaters flying 10
III directions, every ear was startled by the
oud cracking Of the frozen surface then
anne crash-a heavy cry-and in few
moments later John Briggs lay at Polly's
eet, dead
At least so 1t seemed to Polly; then the
un went down and night came in a mo-
aent, and there lay Polly in swoon ON
he dead mans breast But John was not
cad, or even much hurt, only chilled to
1sensibility, and consciousness returned
efore any one had recovered presence of
and to remove Polly from her resting
lace on his bosom.
"Good gracious Polly's tainted v' cried
usy Brown "run quick, somebody, and
Itch some water"
The girls had rallied By this time and
rowded round Polly like bees round a cro-
as bed in spring, and she was in danger OF
eing killed by kindness, when Simeon
rown rushed up with his cap full of icy
ater and dashed it slap in Po1ly's face.
hat walked her up in hurry-she gasped,
ocned her eyes, and seeing the group Of
ightened faces about her asked "What,s
le matters" Poor Polly! she knew immc-
ately what the matter was--she had
ade fool of horself--and now everybody
ould know that she was in love with John
with Alice Browns lover oh, dearl-