The Newtown bee., 1877-10-04
JOHN T. PEARcE, Editor and Manager.
9ll5stsSs Stories.
The Meadow Spring.


 been s''
 There was despairing emphasis in Mrs. Marshall's voice. She had let fall tue towel with which sho was wiping the tea cups, and stood a picture of con sternalion and despair.
 "Only down to the spring mother" "But look at that bran new lawn dress, torn half off you"
 The brier bushes did it."
 The girl did look rather wofully at the pretty dress half destroyed, but had flashing, mIschievous, sweet little face that could not stay long in shadow.
 Never mind, het; come here and tell me what year bought the white heifer in, said Mir. Marshall, who stood at d desk in the corner making out his quar- ter's accounts.
 Mrs. Maishnll picked up her towel, murmuring despuiringly us the girl turn ed toward her father.
 1.-Two years last May, father, It was the year 1 was fourteen," said Ret, look ing over her fathers work with his hand op her shoulder.
 He turned his head and kissed her. Nice child," he said, approvingly.
 Nice child !'' exclaimed Mrs. Mar, shall, exasperaIed. "As if her remem boring about the cattle was of half as much consequence as her tearing hcl dress all to pieces the dress sat up til eleven o'clock last night to finish. Thom as Marshall, what do you suppose vii ever become of that girl of yours ?"
 Mrs. Marshall always shifted the re sponsbility of the children upon he husband when they showed any signs O. moral deprsvity. So Thomas Marshal looked up at that girl of his. Sh' Was pretty sight with her hat tipped sideway on her curly head, her half pout ing, half-smiling rosy little mouth, ant her soft, sloe-black eyes turned appeal ingly upon her fathers face. He ssiilet upon his girl He couldn't help it.
 "What were you doing down at tn spring, Ret ?" he said gently.
 "Rath WAS telling me the legend-th legend of the spring, you know, father
 Where is Rathburn, and what IS th legend of the spring, daughter 2"
 Why, he said that ever so many year ago girl came down the path lhroug the woods, with pitcher on her head to get some water at the spring. Whel she dipped the pitcher in the spring, sh saw her face in the water, and she sai to herself:
 "Whsever my true love is to be-
 Lethim look into this spring with me- And when she was doing that there wa young lord from England riding b on horseback. He saw the girl lookin in the water, and was curious to knoN what she was looking at. So he got oi his horse and came softly and looked i the spring beside her. There he onl saw her face, but it was so pretty tht he fell in love with her, and afterwar ma' ried her. And Ralh says that eve since, if two young people look in ths spring together, they will surely marr each other"
 Stuff and nonsense Y exclaimed MT Marshall. Il should like to know, Re if hearing such silly stories as that worth tearing your dress for ?' : But Thomas Marshall laughed. "I'll risk the girl, Ssrah," he sai , while Ret went out at the door, ''l' risk her while she'll tell her father u love stories she hears. She'd better te, her dress than break our hearts with s cret ways. Brother Johns girl yO knoW-n
 The mother bowed her head in silenc and said uo more.
 Ret stood in the porch watching h. brother Raihburn come down the hil There WAS some one with him, ar while she was trying bard to make ol who ii WAS, some one" was as earnestl observing her. He saw in the porch { an old brown. vine-shaded house on hill, little figure in a pink lawn dres very badly torn, and with a straw h shading face that was evidently fai ) whilea mass of bronze curls, swept one side, fell over bare, white shot der.
 "What little fairy is that, Rsth r said.
 : My sister, replied Rathburn Ma : shall, proudly You shali have ht 7 Maxi he added confidentiaily. !. They lad been collegians togetht 2 Rath Marshall and Max Kingsley. Nj was just from Europe. The friends h :. met for the first time for four years.
 "Is that the little Ret you used to [