The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-10-11

ant red-brown hair, the sad and splen-
did eyes, and the wonderfully vivid
expression of face that lacked only
bloom. Jack Penn watched these
two with respect and deepening atten.
ton for at least three months; yet could
not devise way TO make their acquaint-
ance, much as he wished it. But a. tc
him that waits all things arrive, !" and
one Sunday early in September, as the
pair came up the path towards him, he
noticed that the old lady stepped more
feebly and hung more heavily than ever
on her daughters arm. They had
scarcely passed him before she sunk to
the ground, slipping from her support as
silently and helplessly as a dead leaf
slips from the bough. Mr.. Penn sprang
forward to help her, and, lifting that light,
wasted shape in his arms, laid her on
the bench close by. The daughter
face was white, even to the delicate lips,
but she did not lose self-possession.
She applied salts to her mothers nos
trils and rubbed her cold hands, and
when faint sigh began to speak of re-
turning life she asked Mr.. Penn to fetch
a carriage. This he did, with no delay
and, lifting the old lady in his arms,
placed her beside her daughter, took the
direction, and, mounting beside the
driver, was at hand to help when the
carriage reached its destination.
From that time Mr.. Penn was count
ed one of Miss Chester's friends. She
lived in a tenement house, on fat,
alone with her mother. They were la
dies; but they were poor. Caroline
Chester did the work of the family
alone, and there seemed to be no callers.
If there were, they were ladies, and
came by day, for when Jack Penn be-
came so friendly that three evenings
out of the seven were spent in that pleas
ant little parlor he never found inter-
ruptions there. Before the next spring,
however, Mrs. Chester died, and when
Jack found that Miss Caroline was left
alone-since the rooms were rented for
the year and she must keep them till
Maybe felt like the proverbial French
man, who, having married his love, wss
at loss where to spend his evenings !;
and, therefore, this bewitched bachelor
made an impressive offer of his heart
and hand to Miss Chester, through the
proper medium of the Post-o1fice, and
in due time received a favorable answer.
But Jack was destined to a shock of
the most unexpected kind. After his
acceptance the Sunday afternoon prom
enades were resumed, for it was now the
end of April and spring came in warm
and early. Parma violets scented sunny
Broadway; jonquils, tulips, hyacinths,
sheaves of delicate rosebuds, clouds of
spirit-like azaleas, quaint foreign lilies
and orchids made gay the florists win
dows; and Fifth Avenue was blaze of
glory, to which the lilies of the field
could not hold a candle, with spring
fashions, when one day Jack Penn and
a graceful young lady in deep mourning
might have been seen in amicable con-
versation on bench in the Park. JOna-
than was extremely happy, if his face
did not belle him; and Miss Chester
looked far from miserable, though there
was a certain unquiet expression on her
sweet, ponsiye face.
"Jack," said she, at last, "you know
am poor?"
Z" So am l." he serenely rejoined.
"But have to work for my living
$50 do l." was the imperturable re-
ply.
I'm afraid, thought fancy-that
is-maybe you are like many men ]
have heard Of You won't like my kind
of work.
He looked round amazed, and then
burst out laughing.
81 really can't think of any thing
just now, Carry, that could object &c
in you, unless you may, possibly, be q
female pickpOcket."
Carry laughed too, but it was not
quite a spontaneous laugh.
"Oh, Jack! But let us out with it
l write to support myself, for we had
nothing but mothers small annuity"
THAT is hard work, dear. cam
think of any thing more stupid thar
copying lawyers folios.''
"That isn't what / write, at all, sir
| do my own writing. mean storie!
and sketches and poems, and now In
on novel"
Jack jumped to his feet and stared a
her.
"Youl"
"Yes, me. Simple as stand here
Jack, I'm live authoress." And herr
she giggled Historically. For jack
face was going through transition pc
Rod almost as obvious as if it had beer
geologic. He stepped back pace o,
two and looked at her again.
"You an authoress! Why, 1 neve
saw hole in your gloves yet. And
know you can cook a beefsteak bette
than Delmonico's chef. L don't be
lieve it,"
"But it is true" she said, it'll
sadly. al can cook and l can sew; but
for all that, do write things and prin
them"
81 don't believe it," firmly replies
Jack, sitting down again, with an air o
obstinate triumph. 81 never shall. l
isn't in the eternal fitness of things tina
/ could fall in love with an authoress
You never have talked high art to me
You never crammed me with poetry
even though 1 am horribly spoone
lust now. You never said word abou
'your last poem,' or that story i
HOMER or the article in Parkers's
aud 1 know you are putting on val
] a., os o,,4ho,.sbio r,naroIu fa Saaro A.