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

and see Alice in her white irock, anu
with all them yellow curls hangin' round
her face, and singin 80 sweet ike, why
couldn't help thinkin' of the angels.
"Polly amt no angel surely; but don't
YOU be downhearted, Polly; pretty gals
amt goin ont o. fashion this year; no,
nor next year nuther.
ella! father, how you do talk AS
if Polly didn't know better nor to set
store by her good looks. Why, there
was Clarissy Hunter, when / was a girl;
all perfect wax doll, all pink and white,
and hair the color o. sunshine; well, she
went down to Falbridge to visit her
mothers relations, and took smallpox,
and that was the last of her good LOOKS.
But that want the wust of it; she was
promised TO Hiram Barber, and when he
see she want bit like herself he up
and married Kitty Gibson. If it had a
been me I'd a ruther had Clarissy, if
she was humbly, for she was a sweet.
tempered critter, and q mighty neat
housekeeper; but Kitty Barher-Kitty
Gibson that was-was a Tartar and n
slattern to boot; which amt common.
For you'll mostly see slack, easy-goin'
woman amt got no more snap III her nor
a dish clout; while woman that's suth-
in of a spittire is apt to be mortal spry
and generally has two cleanin' days to
week"
Polly, who had begun to clear off the
supper table, stopped midway to the
pantry to hear the last of Aunt Debbys
"reminiscences, and she could not help
wondering il it would make any differ
ence to John if she should lose her good
J ha1
engaged like Clarissa and Hiram. OF
course, as things were, John would not
care if her eyes should suddenly turn
crooked in her head, or if her pretty lit
tie nose wer 3 to assume gigantic proper
tons on the instant.
John was what women call "handy
about the house and often helped Polly
wash dishes and peel potatoes and on
wash days, in very cold weather, he had
even been known to hang out the
clothes all of which his mother and the
neighbor women put down to the score
of Johns kind heart, and they were all
agreed that he would make model hus-
band.
Perhaps it was all abstract goodness
on Johns part but if so, why was it
that Lobody had ever known him to
slow the least concern about old Mrs.
Moss rheumatic hands when she took
Polly's place at the washtub2 though he
WAS seen to hold Polly's rosy digits for
five minutes just to warm them, you
know, and then send her indoors while
he battled manfully with wet, tapping
sheets and stringy towels.
AS time went on, however, he seemed
to lose all his little helpful ways about
the house the water bucket might stand
empty half the day without his perceiv-
ing it-Polly might reduce her fingers to
pink Jelly driving nails to train her roses
John never seemed to know 1t or to
imagine that any assistance was needed
or expected from him. He was not act
ually unkind, but there was difference;
he did not appropriate Polly as he used
to do he always gave way when Simeon
Brown or Hall Burton or any other of
the young men came about. He was
away good deal in the evenings, and
when he did remain Mt home was usually
absorbed in the newspapers or book !;
must not be disturbed.
Polly wonders sometimes if John has
forgotten all about that scene in the old
kitchen, one spring morning, not so very
long ago. She does not wonder if he
has gotten over being fond of her-as he
said he would endeavor to do-she is
quite sure that he has. Though why she
should cry about it is not quite so clear
to Polly but she does, nevertheless,
and the briny drops fall slowly and
mournfully into the dish-pan. When
she has done up the dishes and wept
her /" little weep" she bathes her face in
cool spring water, and without even one
tiny peep into the little cracked looking
glass goes into the sitting room.
Uncle Silas was enjoying his pipe and
the newspaper together, and Aunt Deb
by was counting off the loops on her
knitting needles preparatory to +" setting
up" the heel in gray yarn stocking,
whose dimensions proclaimed that it was
intended to warm and comfort, during
the storms OF the coming winter, one of a
pair of feet at present reposing inside of
Uncle Silas' far from Liliputian slippers.
John is not present, SO the room is very
still it is worse even than the great
empty kitchen, for the crickets keep that
from being utterly dreary, but the tick
ing of the tall clock in its dim corner
only makes the sitting-room seem more
lonesome. Polly takes her work and sits
down i'll her little sewing chair, and Won
ders what ails herself and everybody and
everything. She longs to throw her
work into the fire and herself on the floor
and cry her eyes out but what would
Aunt Debby say to such doings? All,
if the Aunt Debbys could look beneath
the surface, oftentimes, what an uolift-
ing of hands and eyes you'd take place,
to be sure But Aunt Debby set-up"
her heel undisturbed, and, getting into
plain sailing, she remarked how quiet
every one was This eliciting no re-
spouse, she next supposed it would be
late before Johu got home then Polly
asked where John WASP
" He's gone to Deacon Browns to core
meetin'; Simeon cum along this AFTER
noon and gin him notice. i think YOU
a better went too, Polly; you don't seem
pert; there's nuthin like bit o. com
pany to hven young folks up, or old
ones either"
Polly did not say anything, but pang
shot through her heart anu she wanted
IN cryy 1rDrae than avpr-Nrbot no,ll 81