Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1875-01-29


water. What nice, manly boy he is.
Last night he had loving walk with Mag
gle, and when she came in ! saw by the
Divine light in her face that she had
plighted her troth. As she went up stairs
Iput my arms about her and kissed her. In
deep joy, as In deep sorrow, no words are
needed.
Willie went into my brothers study, and
l could hear them in earnest conversation.
AS he stood at the door talking, the moon
shone full in his face while he made his
adie, heard my brother say: The Lord
keep thee and bless thee, my son. The
young head bent reverently, ,as il to receive a
blessing. Perhaps he did.
Willie is so polite TO be a country lad.
These people annoy me by standing and
talking to my brother with their hats on.
and their coats off. To me he is always
the Colonel'ssson, and no private soldiers,
even after my brother left home, ever
thought of offering such an indignity to
him. Of course, know it is not intended
as any lack of courtesy, and my brother
says must not expect any distinction Of
rank in Republican government.
June 9th. 1t was as l thought My
brother told me that Willie asked for Mag
gle. How simple their betrothals are in
this country. Then l should have known
it any way. Maggie carols about her work
from morning till night. Her mother
screams at her, or at the younger children,
but it stills her song for a moment only, and
then she warbes on, in the fullness of her
joy.
L have talked to her of how much read
ing and studying she must do, or Willie
will think her ignorant. She says Willie
thinks she knows enough for girl Yes,
for girl, my beauty, but not for Il wo-
man. Maggie is fifteen and Willie almost
twenty.
July 1st. Maggie has commenced to
weave web of linen. am helping her
piece quilt. We know the marriage can
not take place for six years yet, but we do
not intend our darling shsll go from US
empty-handed.
Maggie is learning to be such good
cook. Indeed | think her currant jelly
clearer than her mothers, and l must say
for Katharine that she is a good cook. l
forgot TO mention that my brother laid his
hand on Maggie's head, the morning after
his talk with Willie and said: Il hope my
daughter will be worthy of the good man
who has chosen her for bis WIFE,
Maggie kissed him, and l knew by his
gentle face that he thought Willie fortu-
nate boy to win the love Of so good a girl
rs Maggie
The journal was doubtless written in
hopes that Fritz would some day see it.
Here followed MANY entries that do not in
any way refer to Maggie or Willie. Some
of them seem almost to talk to her absent
lover, but more of them are walls at her
sistcr-ir- law, Ketherine's, cruelty.
Marie, the little old maid writer, does
not seem To- care for her own wounds, but
every sharp word to her brother made her
quiver.
Marie se6ms to have been a goyerness
and general help in her brothers. house
hold. In one place she says, that 'cruel as
her father has been, she is grateful to him
for the annual income which she still re-
ceives, for were she obliged to receive
pecuniary support from her already over
taxed brother, her lot would be unendura-
bic.
The next entry of Importance to the gen.
eral reader is:
July |, 1853. Willie is home for the
vacation. He is man now. His parents
are so proud Of him, and no wonder; he
has the strength of man and the gentle
ness of a woman.
Maggie has not improved rs he has,
can see that now. Then, am sure, she
does not dress as well as the ladies he is
used to seeing.
have given her my laces they are real
laces that l brought with me from Ger
many: when she has on her white dress
with lace ruffies at her wrists and throat
she is pretty, even if she is not fashionable.
When he went away four years ago he
never went with any other girl than Mag
gle ; now he pays little attention to them
all indeed, / can scarcely see that he
treats Maggie any different from the
others.
1t seems to me Maggie droops a little
this summer. Even my brother asked her
this morning if she were quite well, and
her pallor.
Willie has not written often the last few
and now l fancy she thinks him
changed. Last night, as they sat on the
front porch. heard him say: Maggie,
| wish you would watch your w's and VS.
when you talk English. Please remember
that the II is sounded in white, which, &c,
now be careful, my dear, for my sake,
won't you p
The request was all right, but the voice
was pctulant Alas it is not true that
boys do not see the ignorance OF the girls.
Young people feel, what we old ones know,
that youth and feminity are charms enough
for woman's until she is eighteen, and
then it requires the height of culture to
keep even positive beauty from becoming
commonplace.
'SeptC mber 10th. Willie has gone hack
to the seminary ; he is going to be min
ister.
we have got through much Of our work
Maggie has thirty linen sheets, dozen
blankets and dozen quilts. One of her
feather beds is done and the other nearly
so. | think the girl has no heart to work
for herself. She seems to help her mother
very cheerfully, while she let's her own
work lie untouched.
July 10, 1854 Willie has been home
week he did not call here till yesterday.
Maggie saw him coming she did not run
down the steps us she used to do, but stood
at the top Of the stairs till l opened the
door, He did not ask for her, but for my
brother ois 7 showed him into The study