The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-06-02

some broken Crockery," said Scott.
Wen point out the charms of rustic,
ity to him." said Martin, making mo.
ton toward the ash-heap by the side of
the door. Gwen swear that, shut out
from the rude world in such cot as
this, with the lakelet's smiling bosom at
our feet" (here he directed our attention
to the green slough where late the young
| pigs rolled, eve are content to dream
the happy hours away"
Wen rouse him at four o'clock in
the morning, give him bacon for break
fast, and VOW that this sort of thing fills
our soul with delight" said Scott.
THE ineXpressible and superhuman
humor of it," remarked Martin, twill
consist in making them come with swal-
low tail coats"
NO" said Scott, it will consist in
Angelina sitting by the side of that old
door in a rocker, talking about the free
dom from conventional restraint there is
in the country"
Good heavensm 1 said. "You don't
! suppose, gentlemen, that Angelina could
be-that | would permit-that she can!
! Why, woman cannot understand a
practical joke"
But they insisted upon it. Scott said
| they could have rafting dinner ready
down at the cottage, and when the joke
was all over we could treat them to a
genuine surprise and transformation
scene, all the brighter and more beauti-
full from the contrast.
Now, put it to you, did you ever hear
of anything so diabolically, insanely
wicked as this scheme?
Do YOU know what I did? Consider
my outraged feelings, and think, if you
III tell you: l agreed with them.
AS remarked before, all my humor
was exercised at one time. 1t overcame
me just then. l was idiotic enough to
tumble neck and heels into this plot. l
owed Ty. one, and l found myself sud
denly burning with an Unsuitable desire
| to lavish my humor upon somebody.
And then the conspirators were so casu-
istical. They convinced me that all this
would only throw into high relief the
matChless charms of my genuine home
when they all got to it. And l was proud
of my box, tell you.
Well, to be brief, we Matched our
wickedness there at night on our veran-
dab, Scott swinging in the hammock, and
Martin, With his grin made green and
ghostly by the moonlight, smiling like
the arch fiend himself among the roses.
1t was all deliberately planned to the
| smallest detail, Scott now and then going
down to the lawn to roll and laugh
What is more, it was carried out to
the letter. Only, instead Of two, the in
vited guests grew to four.
One bright morning in August, there
might have been seen, to put it tradi-
! tionally, getting off the Hudson River
train four princely-looking fellows, unex-
ceptionally alfred. One of them wore
mutton.chop whiskers, and carried
shotgun and rod in silver-mounted
case. 1t was Ty. Two or three of the
freight men around the depot got the no.
ton that it was the Duke Alexis. AS
soon as | heard | encouraged the idea.
Glover, who, as you know, is vale
tudinarian, asked the first man he met if
| there was any miasmata in the vicinity,
and heard the man say that he thought
it might be got up on the hill, but the
stores on the river didn't keep much of
anything but hardware and fish. Fred.
| Granger looked as if he'd been taken
softly out of an open box or band. box,
and Liston gave the heather around the
door few dimes to propitiate the town.
Then they all lit cigarettes, and were
presently met by Scott and Martin.
Now it isn't over mile from the depot
to the rustic retreat, but l believe they
drove those fellows about five miles,
through all the most inaccessible places
in the township, before they pulled up at
the rookery.
According to agreement, rushed out
of the place in fez, crying: =" Welcome,
welcome to Nymsclove"
l shall never forget Ty's expression of
countenance as he stoodup in the vehicle,
and surveyed the scene through his
glass. We had written them the most
| glowing accounts of-we,l, of the other
place. There sat Angelina in calico
dress, rocking herself by the ash-heap
and darning wooden stocking of most
preposterous size, that Scott had evi.
IDENTITY imported for the occasion.
But the two conspirators gave them
little time to think. They hustled them
out with many additional welcomes to
the sylvan haunt. Everything" cried
Martin, "you will perceive, is purely
rustic, and nature out of her magnifi-
cence furnishes sufficient delight"
Seems to me, said Glover, soto voce,
"it's dirty"
Look at the color, the prismatic hues
of that little lake." exclaimed Martin,
pointing to the hogwash; "by George,
sir, we'll have you whip some trout out
for US, we will, and no mistake. Gentle
men, Mrs. Crinkle."
welcome to Nymsclove," said Mrs.
Crinkle, modestly, 81 trust you will find
the delights of the country ample"
"Step inside, step inside" cried Scott;
come iuto the cottage"
Upon my word, when I recall that
fastidious group crowding into that
carpetless room, where there was nothing
but pine table and two or three pine
chairs, when remember SCOTS bring
ing out ginger-beer bottle, with tea, and
green tumbler, and recollect the polite
petrifaction that would betray itself on
the faces of my guests, l have to smile
yet.
But alas! l did not know to what
depths my companions had gone in their
| wickedness In the first place thew ar