The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-01-14

rutner chiPPer myseu when L was
GAL" .rIl,n
"You're on tho wrong track, mother,
entirely. How would you Ike the Dea-
cons Alice for darter?"
"I,a, SUI !" and Aunt Debby dropped
her knitting and starsd ut Uncle Silas
with wide distended eyes for the space
of thirty seconds but nothing short of
paralysis could longer deprive that ex-
cellent woman of the use Of her tongue.
Deary me- well, to be sure but
why not Alice is good sensible gal
as well as hansum one, and not a bit
split with bein' an only darter, as gals is
apt to be, and then the Deacons fore
handed and his medder jines ourn.
Well, father, considerin' everything,
John might go futher and fare wus."
So think, mother not that Alice
would be my ch'ice--she's too still and
white but then it's not me that's goin
to marry her if John fancies her it's all
right shan't ask him to look Mt her
through my glasses. No, no let him
please himself and he'll please me-"
Polly tried to say something to keep
her silence from being observed but if
her life had depended on the articulation
of dozen syllables she could not have
spoken them. Poor Polly she had
found out at last what allied her she
loved John with her whole warm little
heart, and now he would go and marry
Alice Brown and-a lump got into Pol
ly's throat just here and threatened to
choke her, and before she knew it a sob
escaped, and Polly took refuge in de-
ceitiul tit of coughing, which, like all
f,dseness, carried its own punishment
with it-for 1t distracted Aunt Debby's
attention from her future daughter-in-
law and concentrated it on Polly's self
"Why, child, you've caught drefful
hard cold all to onst you must take a
tablespoonful of hoarhound balsam right
away. L never herd a drier cough nor
that of yourn-it sounds just like Cynthy
Besom's did the winter she took the gal
lopin' consumption, and was dead and
buried ali inside of six MONTHS" And
Aunt Debby hustled about and got out
the big bottle from the chimney cup,
board, and measured out dose of the
hoarhound balsam. Polly knew that re-
monstrance would be worse than useless,
so she swallowed the bitter-sweet mix
ture without protest. Then she was sent
to bed with directions to go to sleep
right away, and with the comforting as
surance that ii the cough did not sue
cumb to the balsam before morning John
should go for old DIR. Drugen the first
thing after breakfast.
Pollys mistake was one that is often
made by young girls who are too much
taken up with the pleasant story of their
own lives to stop to think or ask ques-
tons of their hearts. We are none of us
much given to introspection in our
"salad days - and when at last we do
take to soul probing it is usually too late
to benefit by our discoveries.
Polly-the orphan child of far-away
cousin-had been adopted by Uncle ST.
las and Aunt Debby when very small, so
she and John had grown up together
like brother and sister, and she had
really never once thought of John as
lover, or possible husband, until his
rather abrupt proposal had startled her
into the declaration that she did not
love him, when the truth was she had
been loving him every day of her life
without i'll the least suspecting it. Polly
did not go off in a galloping consump-
ton like Cynthia Bosom, nor did she
pine away and die of broken heart
healthy people never do either-she just
lived on from day to day, MS we all do
and must in spite Of disappointment and
| heartbreak. She did not even droop,
but held up her head like a brave little
flower that will not heed the rude winds,
but smiles through all their buffettings.
Perhaps hope was not yet plucked up
by the roots for hope is sturdy plant
that tioul1shes III sterile soils, and will
sustain life long time on very scant
nourishment.
1t was December now, and the young
folks of Sleepy Hollow were met in Uncle
Silas Briggs woods for a skating frolic
on the woodland pond. When the mer-
riment was at its height, and the skaters
| flying i'll all directions, every ear was
startled by the loud cracking of the
frozen surface then came crash-a
heavy cry-and in few moments later
John Briggs lay at PolE's feet Gesd.
AT least so it, seemed to Polly then
the sun went down and night came in
moment, and there lay Polly in swoon
on the dead mans breast But John
was not dead, or even much hurt, only
chilled to insensibility, and conscious
ness returned before any one had recov-
cred presence of mind to remove Polly
from Der resting place on his bosom.
" Good gracious Polly's tainted !"
cried Susy Brown "run qnick, some
body, and fetch some water"
The girls bad rallied by this time and
crowded round Polly like bees round
crocus bed in spring, and she was in
danger of being killed by Kindness, when
Simeon Brown rushed up with a cap full
of icy water and dashed it slap in Poliy's
face. That woke her mp in hurry-she
gasped, opened her eyes, and seeing the
group of frightened faces about her,
asked whats the natter" Poor
Polly she knew Immediately what the
matter was-she had made fool of her
self-and now everybody would know
that she was in love with John-with
Alice Browns lover-oh, dear and to
mend matters Polly began to cry
But where is John2 Polly cnpnot see
him anywhere. Polly's senses had not
come back fully, it seems, for she did
not know that she was reposing quite
comfortably in Johns arms. "Don't
cry, Polly" said that audacious youth
hitnoalf "a ba I,,,oI IL, 80, +bo Al.