Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-10-28
CHEWING GUM.
A AIidsummer's Night Tale.

Sitting all the long summer evening,
patiently pestered by the bOisterous
children; patiently listening to and CO.
inciding with all the crop-talk and
weather. talk of the old gentleman;
patiently indorsing all the old ladies'
upon the best manner ofstewing prunes
or fetching boil to head, and all the
time furtively watching the pretty
figure opposite, the brown curlS and
hands busy stOning the crimson cher
ries; and watching with sidelong
glances the slow hands upon the dials
of the old clock creeping around to the
longed-for hour of 8; watching il timid-
ly longingly, yet half in dread, for to-
night the old, old story must be told,
and eternal joy or sorrow result.
At last the clear, clear chime rising
out. Father goes to the window and
looks at the sky and thinks it will "be
a good day ter-mOrrOW to get in that
hay in the west medder," and goes off
to bed.
And mother puts her bread to rise
and shuts out the cat, and winds Up
the clock, and cautions Melinthy to
lock the front door and mot set moth
ing afire," and follows her lord. A
door closes and all is silent, save the
steady "tick-tock, tick-tOck," of the
old clock.
He began his often rehearsed story.
He was little weak and uncertain at
first, and troubled over obdurate ad-
jectives, and got mixed in the meshes
OF polysyllabic substantives, and now
and then covered an hiatus with a
cough; but he persevered, and by and
by waxed eloquent. Said he:
' az have always loved you, Melinthy.
When was little boy you were days
bright harbinger, rising with the eve
ming star before my longing vision.-
Later in life my soul was like the pur-
pie blossom of the sun dial, turning
ever toward you, the bright orb of day
and dropping low and whitening when
it sank behind the western hills, and
all was dark. And later, when at
boarding school, l wearied of the fair
faces that sought to win me smile, and
me thoughts few to you as the white
pinioned carrier pigeon wings his sure
flight to his mate in his native hills
l cared nothing for the beauties of an
tiquity. Venus and Soldene and As
pasta and Catherine de Medicky and
them others, should say those Others,
were as naught to me, for you were the
jewel locked in the golden casket of me
heart of hearts. And now turn to-
ward you, as the green summer after
noon turns toward the sunset, and ask
you to be mine. TO be the sweet song
bird of NE life, to make soft music in
me soul forever. am no longer boy;
1 am a man, with mans heart and
hopes, See, Melinthy! to my full
height spring before you as sprang
MinerV-"
He sprang, according to announce
ment, and a sharp ripping, cracking
sound, told that little JOhnny's chew
ing wax had been left in the chair, and
the seat of those nice, thin linen PAN
falcons had remained with it.
He whirled about to view the situa-
ton, and suddenly clasped his hands
behind him and turned back-but toe
late, as he saw by the scarlet face be-
fore him, half covered with two little
hands.
With one hand behind him, and NUT.
tering some incoherent words of fare.
we'll, he moved by the flank toward
the door, backed into the hall, backed
out the front door, hacked off the steps
into the msrigold bed, aud never heed
ing the anxious "Are you hurt, Ezra?'
ending in gigglle, he gathered Linn
self up and madly broke for the front
gate, still with one hand behind him.
Out upon the lonely country pike he
paused-an awful pauSe-and stood In
the soft, sweet moonlight.