The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-01-13

La, THURSDAY, JA]
berry bushes and the alders and sumacs,
who should come lettering by but Sibyj
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
"There, Sibyl," I heerd him saw,
"my love for you is as deep as that
pool. Aren'tyou satisfied? What does
1t signify If do stay at home and amuse
Bertha, if I'm thinking of you all the
time and wishing I was herep You
don't want me to be rude to a gurl
who's visiting my mother, if she has
got mouth like a shark, and she a
kind OF cousin too. I'm sure you needn' It
be jealous OF her, Sibyl; she can't hold
a candle to you!''
/" am jealous of your good name,
Jack" says Sibyl. s'It 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?''
Ihey say you mean to marry her,
and you don't love her. I could bear it,
you know-at least w0uld bear it-if
you loved her dearly; but it hurts me
like wound to hear them talk as if you
had no honor and no love for any thing
but money"
Il shall set it all right some day,
sweetheart" said he. ssThe fact is,
Sibyl, my father and mother fret me to
death"
They want you to marry Berthap"
"That's it, and you and l must wait
till their whim wears itself out. have
to humor them a little.''
"Oh, then you deceive them, Jack"
"And is that so terrible? I must
either deceive them or you, sweet
heart" said Jack, kissing her; but ST.
byl only sighed, and then they passed
on.
You see, I was forced to play at
eavesdropping, because 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 necklace
or some trife now and then to
please her; and since Sybil couldn't
get the district school any longer, cause
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 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 a silk pelisse, and they got
talking about Thanksgiving beggars,
for Thanksgiving he'd been appointed.
81 always give 'em something, /" said
Mrs. Rhett, 'swhoever 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
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 ISL
So do,n 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-eve, but he'd showed,
and threatened to snow. more, and not
a star was out, yet a 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 60 and get
Sibyl."
1t was some time afore we could per-
suade her to join us, for she want
none of the fooling kind; but finally she
got herself up so you'd died a-laughing.
She blacked her eyebrows with burnt
cork, and clapped on false front of
inky curl her aunt Libby wore on Sum
days, which she eombea out in tag
locks, and covered her head with an
old moth-eaten woolen hood, and put
on torn shawl over linsey gown and
. calico apron, and made mole out of
putty on the side Of her nose, and alto
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