Smyrna times., 1877-01-31


said She Then said he, if you will not
for my sake, nor for your own sake, nor
/ for the sake of that old love, marry me for
the sake the motherless children who need
! you more than children ever needed
| mother yet, and whO-who are driving nae
crazyr And then Aunt Helen laughed in
earnest, good, sweet, ringing peal; and
! the long and the short of it is that she has
driven up to the Thornton house to-day, to
! look at the cubs and see what she thinks
about them. Maybe she'll bring them
| down here-she's great on missionary work,
you know"
"Well, declare!' was the final chorus
! And we sat i'll silence good half hour; and
! 10y the time our tongues wer running again
| Aunt Helen had returned, and Mr.. Thorn
ton had come in with her and sat down
upon the piazza at her feet, but not at all
with the air of an accepted lover-much
more like a tenant of Mohammeds coffin,
we thought. And, as began to tell you,
we were all sitting and swinging there when
Aunt Helen exclaimed about its being
scene Of domestic comfort. As she sat
| down the big black Cochin hen came to
meet her, and Aunt Helen threw her bit
OF watcr-cracker, supply of which she
always carried about her nowadays.
"Why, where's your husband?' said she
to the hen.
"There he is" said Ned. "He's been up
alone in that corner of the grass the whole
day calling and clurking and inviting com
pany but the rest haven't paid the least
attention to him, and are picking and
scratching down among the cannas."
"Oh, bu. hos been down there twice,
Ned" cried Harry, "and tried to whip the
little bantam, hut it was a drawn battle"
oil hn III tf, hny,. In ION
and scratch :or himself a while," said Aunt
Helen. "lIe has picked and scratched for
his hen and her family in the most faithful
way all summer
"And SOS the banty,' said Ned. THE
bantams's the best; he's taken as much
care Of the chickens as the hen has, any
way; and he never went to rOOst once all
the time his hen was setting, Mr. Thornton,
but sat right down in the straw beside her
, every night.
| "a model Spouse" said Aunt Helen.
"They are almost human," said Mr..
, Thornton.
And so we sat talking till the tea bell
rang, for Mr.. Thornton was going to stay
to tea, he boldly told us, and we saw that
he meant to get all the young people on
: his side by the way he began TO talk to Ned
/ about trout and pickerel and about deep
+ Ned's face was purple, and lie blessed that
tea bell fancy. However, Mr. Thornton
might have found that it wasn't so easy tC
> range the young people on his side it he had
4 made long-continued effort WeenjOyed
L. "a romance under our eyes, hut we had n,
/ sort OF notion of his taking our Aunt Heller
/ away.
I We were Just coming out from tea, ant
/ were patrOnlZlng the sunset little. whlCl
e was uncommonly fine, and | thought | ha,
. never seen Aunt Helen looking like such
i beauty, with that rich light overlaying hel
n like IA rosy bloom, when John came hasten
i ing up.
IA . just want you all to step inside the
:. barn door with me, it you please, ma'am,
n said he. And we went after him to b.
o greeted ty the sweet smell Of the new
t mown hay. and to be gilded 10y the on,
great broad sunbeam swimming full OF
i glory of NOTES from door to door. ID
II you see that?" said John. 1t was flock q
Is the hens and chickens on their custnnar
J, roOsts. "And now do you see that p sal
II he; and he turned about and showed u>
on the top rail of ;he pony'S manger, til
n hig black Cochin also gone to rOOst. bu
t. separately--and his wife beside him? n,
II but little Mrs. Bantaml
"That's who he has been clucking an
calling to this whole afternoon, tn
y wretch - cried Ned.
10 "And now look here" said John, an
we followed him into the harness room
where the chickens had CHANGED to b
~ Matched, and there, in the straw on til
t., floor, sat the disconsolate little bantal
rooster, all alone, with his wings sprea
and his feathers pulled out, brooding h
VI little chickens under his wings-the for
little chickens deserted 10y their mother.
~ ~ declare! ] DECLARE" cried AuI
ut Helen, as we came out into the great moi
Of sunbeam again, "the times are so depravp
that it has really reached the barnyar
I'd The poor little banty and his brood VIII
it's as had as the forsaken mernan."
re "Only not so portical," said we.
IN Helen" said Mr. Thornton, ut is q
We actly my condition. Are you going to ha'
pity for that bird and none for me? A
y you going TO leave me to my fate?" Al
ur in a moment, right einre us ALL as 81
. stood in that great red sunbeam, NJ
to Thornton put his arms round Aunt Hele
mt who, growing roster and roster, either fro
= the sunbeam or something else, could
lg- nothing at last hut hide her face. "Helen
he said, ''you are certainly coming hon
%t with me? And Aunt Helen did not 81
lte no.