The Van Buren press., 1876-11-07
MISCELLANY.
The Wonderful Cure.
By GRACE THoRToN.

Mary Russell had actually fallen in
love Not such very remarkably strangs
thing for decidedly pretty girl of TWEEN
ty to do; but then Mary was such bash.
ful, shrinking creature thst for her to
give her heart unasked into any man. 8
keeping, would have astonished the little
circle in which she moved, had they
known it; but they did not.
1t WAS while on visit to q young sch ool
girl in the city that Mary met MIR. Albert
Linton, particular fliend of the Price
family. and a frequent visitor to the
household.
Mary's friend-was engaged
to be married to his brother Harold, and
she had more than once limited, to Mr.
ry's scored pleasure. what delightful
thing it would be if they should ultimate
ly become sisters,in law
The visit was but a fortnights one,
and it came all too soon to an end.
Mr. Linton had been singularly atten
tive during the time, and as it wore to an
end he became even more so.
Designing Jennie contrived to leave
them alone together but Mary's ditiidence
prevented her m.mfrar from speaking
what his eyes looked plainly, if she ever
raised hers to read them and so, upon
the day of their parting, they stood to-
gether, the truth unspoken, and only as
he was handing her into the carriage did
he find courage to utter, in a low tone.
the earnest request -
May l write to youY'
She did not answer. She could not
She felt all the blood in her body surging
toward her cheeks But she raised her
eyes just for moment, and dropped
them again the instant he caught the
look.
1t was an unuttered permission. He
was content; and with gentle pressure
of her hand, he said good by, with hap
py smile upon his handsome lips.
This was in the spriug time, and when
Mary arrived at home she found that il
was decided she and her mischievous
young brother Dick should spend the
summer at the old family homestead
Meadow Farm, few miles only from heI
native village.
Her grandfather, hale old gentleman
of seventy, still superintendcd the large
and productive fam, and his two daugh
ters-he was u widower, and both of Ma
rvs aunts were spinsters-ruled over the
household.
Aunt Prissie was the oldest of the fam
ily, and decidedly set and old maidish in
her ways. Aunt Miranda. on the contra
ry, was girlish far below her years, giver
to sentin tnt and verse making, and the
object Of her loving sisters adjurations
and hopeless appeals from morning till
night.
Mary was the pet and favorite Of both
aunts, and her coming was hailed with
such joy that Dick whose pranks they
had botn snfferee from Of old, was kind
ly and forgivingly received for her sake
"Oh, what a pleasant time we shall
have together. lover cried aunt Miriam
da, kissing her fondly. "You love poe
try, and we can talk over the Fire wor
shippers and the Loves of the Angels,
and Mrs. Hemans, and everything de
lghtful together. Prissie is just as eter'
naily busy and fussy as ever and as op
posed to allowing any one to enjoy mo
ments quiet poetic thought
"Oh, pshaw y exclaimed amt Prissie
resolutely. 81 never saw anything made
by star gazing. and going about mutter.
ing rhymes to yourself, like you was era.
zy, or else sp'iIing good paper marking
it all over with nonsense. ! have as
much as | can attend to keeping the
house straight, and making the girls, Bet
ty and Mollie, mind their work. Why,
the very first thing that comes of poetry
is to make you forget where you lay your
sewing things. Miranda there had new
lot Of sonnets sent to her, and she lost
her thimble for week aud if it hadn',
been that stuck her scissors in my law
ender pitcher, they'd been gone, too !"
"Oh, you still have your lavender
pitcher, aunt Prissie, see! said Mary,
looking toward the sitting room mantle
shelf, where stood tall, gaily-painted
ever, of very old fashion, with the too
evident signs of being mended by china
putty on its side.
"Of course | have" returned her aunt,
with pride. "You don't suppose crack
and smash things in absent minded poet
ic fits, like your aunt Miranda Ii did,
there would be nothing left in the house u
Miranda laughed good naturedly
"Prissie says that, because she found
handle of one of the cups in the spring
and. as no one would nowledgo break
ing it. she blames me.
:. Yes. and didn't you crack the china