Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-05-07
MADGE'S SACRIFICE.
BY Il. NJ. Afford.
From the Argosy.

From the Argosy.
81 say, Kit, isn't this cosy?"
lawfully so!" responded the curly
headed youth appealed to, taking q
pipe out of his pocket, and strokine
complacently its highly polished sur
face.
The young people were ensconsed
on two crimsoned-cushioncd settees
within one Of those dear old open
chimneys, SO rare nowadays, with
logs blazing brightly on the polished
steel dogs between them. A very
favorite resort of any of the family,
when they would indulge in a fire.
light chat.
The room on which the right
beams played so fitful!y was most
picturesque. Rather low, with great
beams showing across the ceiling;
oak-paneled walls, oaken tables and
chairs of various forms, and polish
ed oak skirting to the floor, with a
well-worn Turkey carpet in the cen
ter. The windows were heavily null
lioned, and rejoiced in quaint old tap
estry curtains, in keeping with the
quaintness of the whole room.
eyes," went on the girl meditative-
ly, 81 don't believe there ever was
such dear, homely home as ours.
You can't think how often the
thought of this chimney corner has
kept me right at school, Kit, when l
have been inclined to throw my les
son-books out of the window, and
scamper off on the moors. l do SO
hate poring over books when the
SIMS shining.
Kit shrugged his shoulders, and
said lazily, "There, don't go to lee
turing me any more, Madge, for of
course it's double as hard for us
men," Kit was barely twenty.
"Girls are made to keep quiet. But
what's the use of having broad
chest and strong limbs, | should like
to know, if the one is to get narrow
and the others limp, poring over
books?"
And Kit stood up and stretched
himself, knocking down an mag
mary foe, with fist on either side OF
him.
Madge gazed up at him admiring-
ly, but said, quietly, off l were man
I'd work through, Kit, at something
or other. Do you know I'm hall
ashamed Of you, sometimes, when
see you lounging there so contented
ly, while that dear father of yours is
working so hard in his dull little
study. Ifyou don't pass this time,
shall set you down as Ounce, OF
worse, when you know how they all
pinch at home to keep you at col
lege."
"Talking of that, Madgc, I want
your advice" said Kit, in the most
affable manner. 81 got myself into a
bit of a scrape by not paying my tail.
or at Oxford. The fellow wouldn't
wait, you see, and there was one OF
two other pressing trifes; SO l bor
rowed few pounds-twenty, Think
of Tom Helston; and he's so hard
up now, poor chap, that he can't put
his hand on the pound or two to
come home for Christmas. His
mother and Mary will be in fine
way about it,"
Oh, Kit! how could you?" exclaim-
ed Madge, the color mounting to her
temples, and her blue eyes filing
''Tom Helston, of all people; with his
mother widow, and pretty Mary go
ing without new dress for Christ.
mas event"
Kit blushed this time, and said
penitently: 81 am a selfish, thought
less brute, Madge; but you'll help
me through this once more, won't
you? If you don't stick to me ]
shall come to grief for certain. There
is nothing like being stuck to tor
keeping a fellow straight"
Madge could not restrain Il smile
at the comically dolorous tone in
which this was said, and at the look
of resigned despair Oh her brothers
handsome, sunny face as he appealed
to her.
"Oh! you are mcorrigible, Kit; but
I'll stick to you, never fear, till have
you in safer hands. But let me warn
You that Mary does not approve OF
handsome do-nothings any more than
l."
"What on earth is that to me?''
said Kit, getting red, but not with
anger. Anyhow, you'll manage
about the twenty pounds, won't you?
/ havn't the face to ask the dear old
governor for another advance Just
now"
A panied expression passed across
the sisters face rs she answered,
''That's half cowardice, Kit. It's the
doing wrong, not the confessing it,
that we ought to shrink from,
think. Suppose, now, you give up
your pipe for the holidays. That
would go some way toward bringing
Tom home; and I'll advance you two
pounds out of my allowance to send
him. We must see about the rest by
and by"
"Beggars mustn't be choosers,' -
said Kit, with shrug; "but I call it
hard lines on fellow. Anyhow,
here goes!' and he threw the mahog-
any-colored meerschaum under the