The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-06-08
PEGGYWATTS' ADVICE

/ 2Q0 / w 81 ! ~ al I'VE
"You're expecting Sam Stills her,
tonight, l reckon. You needn't col
or up, Alice. I've seen the way he'
been coming and going for the pas
six weeks that means something
when it gets to be steady company.
Peggy Watts paused and gave tn,
maiden searching look, but Alice
could not bear the scrutiny. Sh,
turned away to the window, as if tt
view the pretty New England land
scape in the deep'ning twilight.
rs hfr. Stiits coming to night Of
not, Miss"
mndeed, Peggy, can't say; per-
haps he may call"
"Perhaps yes and you are think.
ing some day to be Mrs. Stills your.
self"
"Why, Peggy, you're ridiculous"
"Rediculous, am L. Well, may be-
Miss. In the first place, know Sam
Stills has asked you to be his wife,and
though you haven't given him de-
cided answer, you're on the point OF
taking a step you'll regret till your
dying day. You are tired of the lit
| tie brown house and its homely furnl-
ture. You are disgusted with the
toll which soils and hardens your
hands you'd like piano like Squire
Smiths to thrum on,instead of sweep
ing, busting and washing dishes, and
you think you'll get that and fine
clothes into the bargain, by marrying
Sam Stills, but it's all humbuggery."
Alice had turned from the window
and was standing by Peggy's side,
looking down into her dark, wrinkled
face.
Peggy's cold, gray eyes sought the
face of the pretty Alice, blushing and
paling by turns, and she drew her to
foot-stool beside her, and brushed
away the soft curls from her forehead.
81 don't mean TO be hard OH you,
Alice. l know you've got that with
in you that units you for the life you
are now leading. but in Sam Stills
company you are on the wrong road
to happiness. I've got two pretty
good reasons TO give why you should
MT marry the mana story to tell and
then I've done advising. Will you
hear me"
eyes, Peggy" answered Alice, bury
ing her face-in the lap of the faithful
serving woman.
"I'm going to tell you about your
mother. We were girls together, and
knew quite as much about her affairs
as she did herself, and remember as
plain as ifit was but yesterday, every
little circumstance connected with her
marriage.
sPeeple call you good-looking, Alice,
but you're nothing to what she was,
with her hazel eyes and chestnut hair
1t was my pride to twine the heavy
ringlets over my finger and then let
them fall carlessly over her neck and
shoulders. There are no such COM
plexions nowadays, so L can't tell
you how fair and beautiful she was.
Her father was poor, like the rest of
us, and his wife was an invalid, so the
cares of the house came upon Lefty,
your mother.
"As soon as the house was put to
rights she would bring out her spin
ming wheel, aud buzz, buzz. buzz, it
went from morning till night, many a
day, to earn the price of new dress
or bonnet. Some way, she always
contriyed to look trifie smarter than
the rest of us girls, and as for the
young men of the town. why Lefty
might have taken her pick. Aunt
Laura Burtch used to say they acted
like a parcel of fools around Lefty ;
but,you see, e,she had batch of grown
up daughters waiting for an offer, SO
she was excusable for being little
jealous. One day-it was when Let
ty was about eighteen-she had a big
days work on hand and sent for me
to help her.
"But few could afford in those days
to keep steady help, and as it was
necessary for me to do something, L
used to go out by the day. whats
the matter, Lefty says l the first
thing when set eyes on her, for she
looked strange like to me that morn
ing.
"'Won't you ever mention il il tell
you = she asked.
mo- says l, and my word was as
good as Il Bible oath with her.
"'You know Squire Morse's nephew
/ Robert, that was here nigh on six
weeks last spring, she said.
"'Yes,' ! replied.
"Well, he wants to marry me-
Here's the letter; you may read iband
then | want your advice
'She drew crumpled sheet of pa.
per from her pocket. II proved TO be
a very long, loving letter.
"He was then twenty -one, the pos.
eeesor of q handsome fortune, and af