American citizen., 1876-08-19


becoming-blue is not just the color for my
| complexion, YOU know.
| ''Oh, Aunt Bathsheba, do try it on! 1t
| will be just lovely, with your fair complex
| ION and light hair, - said.
| Aunt b. let me put it on her head. l
| don't know whether it was because she was
| paralyzed with amazement, or because she
| really wanted to see the effect, but think
| it was the latter, because she got up and
looked in the glass. Prue, you never saw
| any thing so becoming in your life, as that
bonnet is to Aunt Bathsheba! / never real
lied, until that moment, how beautiful she
was. She was surprised herself, could
see, and such pretty pink color came into
her cheeks
just at that moment, who should come
down the street but Captain Hargrave.
Aunt b. didn't see him, and l rushed to
| the door and let him in, without her notic-
| ing. 1 ushered him into the sittirg-reom,
md there she was before the looking glass,
with the bonnet still on. If you could have
Seen her blush, when she turned and saw
the Captain, and il you could have seen mis-
face!
She put up her hands to take il off, and
Captain Hargrave said:
"Oh don't-don take it off, Bathsheba, ,
You look just as you did twenty years ago.
sfI am sure thee never saw me in any
thing SO gay as this, twenty years ago,
said Aunt Bathsheba, with little show of
Indignation; but she didn't take it off. |
made an excuse to leave the room, for l
thought it was good time for them to be
ilone together.
The Captain seemed to think so, too; for
IN hour-two hours-passed, and still he
lid not go. i had to go into the room, at
last, to ask them out to supper; and then
what do you think 1 saw?
The bonnet was OFF, fortunately-it would
nave been ruined il it hadn't been-and
Aunt Bathsheba's head was in very close
proximity to Captain Hargrave's manly
bosom. "a sas
1 could hardly. trust my own eyes. II
Jedediah Crowfoot's wife had come down
from the high seats and embraced the
preacher, shouldn't have been more sur
prised! ! -
Aunt Bathsheba's head came up, when
she saw me, you may be sure, anbshe tried
to get away, but the Captain held her fast.
'Phebe,' said he, show do you think
you will like me for an uncle? Your Aunt
Bathsheba has just promised to marry me;
and almost promised to wear that pretty
bonnet on her wedding-day. 1 feel as
net, for dom know whether should ever
nave had courage to ask her, il it hadn't
been for that. 1 knew she couldn't look
serenely at poor trembling sinner, in that
bonnet.''
stThee knows that made no diffasence,
Stephen,'' said Aunt B., reprovingly;
s'and, as for wearing it when am married,
thee knows how people will talk! -
But think she will be persuaded to wear
it, nevertheless. You never saw any body
changed so much as she is by this love af-
fair; and you never made SO happy a choice
in millinery in your life, as you did in that
oonnet. i
In the next mail, Prue Boyce got a.
letter from Laura Thumpwell, nee
MY DEAR PRUE: can't wait till my re
turn from my wedding tour to thank you
for the trouble you took in buying me
bonnet. 1 will frankly own that, at first
sight, thought it was q little odd and So
Der for me, and not particularly stylish,
but Theophilus (my husband) was delight
ed with it at once. He thinks the colors
are just suitable for a minister's wife-so
modest and quiet-and strikingly becoming
to me. can't imagine how you happened
to buy me any thing SO different from what
have ever worn, but am very glad that
you did. Dear Theophilus has such dis
like to any thing gay.
Gratefully, your friend, Il
LAURA THUMPwELL.
Well" exclaimed Prue, s'if any
thing could be funnier than Aunt Bath
sheba in that gay little bonnet, it must
be Laura johnson, that sparkling little
brunette, in that sober drab onei
Truly, 'love is a great leveler' of peo-
pies previous ideas. How could have
made such mistake is more than can
see; but, since it has turned out so
well, 1 had better not own up, but let
them think it was q stroke of genius,
instead of stroke of luck. .''-Densor-
est's Monthly.
The Indians Attack a Steamboat. |