The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-12-09

a girl IN all Pixies Clearing to 60 there
] alone, yet it was a favorite spot for
| young folks a-keeping company; such
as amt afeard of ghosts-it amt any
thing but rivals as will make their hair
stand on end. One time Jack come
home and didn't go a-nigh Sibvl for
several days, and She set in the porch in
her best pink gown, and sweet-pease in
her hair, and watched the road stretch
ing out to Square Rhett's, and grew
rosy and trembled when a team or a
man hove in sight, and fidgeted in school
hours, and didn't sleep o. nights, and
got blue as bank of clouds. On Sab
bath-day there he was in the familypew
as fine as silk, in kid gloves and patent
leather shoes, a-holding a hymn-book
along of a strange gurl, who had on a
morey antique gown and blue bonnet
like a flower garding, and was all a-glit-
ter with beads and bugles and things.
She he'd plaguy ugly face for all hergood
clothes, and she was a-singing off of
Rhett's face instead of the hymn-book;
and when meeting was over, he give her
his arm, and never looked at Sibyl no
more'n she'd bin post. We was at
singingschOol the following Saturday
night, and somebody says,
al reckon how that there'll be we'd
ding at Pixies Clearing afOre a hundred
wear"
81 should hope So" says Lucy Ladd
"And it won't be Lucy 'snOr Sibyl's," ="
says Ben.
"Time enough for that" said Lucy.
al joked Rhett about it myself o.
Friday" put in John Piker. 81 asked
why he needed to be going abroad for
wife when there was so many pretty
gurls to home going a-begging."
al hope you're saucy enough, y says l.
ais he really sweet on the CURL to
church with him?" asked our Jane. 81
wonder what he sees in her?'
Solid charms" says Ben. 81 heard
him tell John Piker that it was proven
bal that beauty'd fade, but money'd
hold its own through fire and water!"
al see him kiss Sibyl one day." spoke
up little Tim Ladd, who was lame and
petted; "I see him kiss her twicet. If
he don't marry Sibyl,I IL will" And then
we all laughed; and "Hush, Tim, says
Lucy, for there was Sibyl at my elbow
Jest taking off her shawl.
The next day Ben and me was down
to the Witches Pool-for father didn't
want me to be keeping company with
Ben, and him and me didn't agree on
that subiect-and while we was talking
together there, hid away by the bar
berry bushes and the alders and sumacs,
who should come lettering by but Sibyl
and Jack Rhett! and they stopped close
by while he threw pebble into the
pool, and it went down and down, and
is going down now for all | know, for
there amt no bottom to the pool, folks
think.
"There, Sibyl," l heerd him say,
"my love for you is as deep as that
pool. Aren'tyOu satisfied? What does
it signify if l do stay at home and amuse
Bertha, if I'm thinking of you all the
time and wishing | was here? You
don't want me TO be rude to a gurl
who's visiting my mother, if she has
got a mouth like a shark, and she a
kind of cousin too. I'm surrey you needn't |
be jealous of her, Sibyl; she can't hold |
a candle to yOu!"
81 am jealous of your good name,
Jack" says Sibyl. alt hurts me as if
they he'd run a knife through me when
/ hear folks talk of you as they do"
"What do they say about me?n
"They say you mean to marry her,
and YOU don't love her. ! could bear it,
you know-at least | aoOuld bear tiff
You loved her dearly; but it hurts me
like a wound to hear them talk as if you
had no honor and no love for any thing
but money"
al shall set it all right some day,
sweetheart said he. "The fact is,
Sibyl, my father and mother fret me to
DEATH
"They want you to marry Bertha?"
"That's it, and you and | must wait
till their whim wears itself out. | have
to humor them little"
"Oh, then you deceive them, jack"
"And is that so terrible? l must
either deceive them or you, sweet
heart" said Jack, kissing her; but ST.
byl only sighed, and then they passed
on. ...
You see, | was forced to play at
eavesdropping, because l didn't want
folks to know how | was disObeying IA
ther and going on with Ben.
Well, Bertha she went home, and pretty
soon Jack he went too, to study some
thing or other at the same place, and
folks left off talking about 'em, and
Jack would send Sybil a necklace
or some trife now and then to
please her. and since Sybil couldn't
get the district school any longer, cause
a woman didn't know enough to teach
in the fall, she went out to sewing, for
she he'd to help herself in those days;
and one day Jacks mother sent for her
to make a gown at the Hall, and she
liked that so well she he'd her to make
another; for Mrs. Rhett was a master
hand for gowns. 1t was getting on in
to November; the trees had turned to
flames and burned themselves away,
and the barberries were ripe and red,
and Mrs. Rhett he'd Sybil up there to
make her silk pelisse, and they got
talking about Thanksgiving beggars,
for Thanksgiving he'd been appointed.
81 always give 'em something" said
Mrs. Rhett, "whoever they are. A pie
won't hurt any body. Miss Henshaw
always turns 'em away empty-handed,
for you never can tell, says she, wheth-
er it's one of the neighbors' gurls or a
needy creature; but l tell her the
neighbors' gurls couldn't deceive me,
nor any gurl that ever was born"
"Oh, Mrs. Rhett," laughed Sibyl, 81
mean to send somebody and see if you
find out who she is"
{" So do" says Mrs. Rhett; "and if
don't find out, I'll give you as hand
some wedding gown as gurl need to
put on her back, when you want one"
Though it was not particular pleasant
on Thanksgiving-eye, but he'd showed,
and threatened to snow more, and not
a star was out, yet parcel of us hair
Drained gurls got together, and thought
it rare sport TO dress up in all the old
duds we could raise and go out begging,
and some of us was furst-rate at impos-
ing on kindly spinsters, who hedn't no.
body but cat to care for. And then
somebody said, "Let's go and get
Sibyl."
1t was some time afore we could per-