The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-06-23
A MAY-BLOSSOM.
An envelope, and on it the words
CRIPSEY HOLMAN,
| own


walking thoughtfully on.
Cripsie was bound for the wood-pile
and here he sat down and broke the
dainty seal. A white sheet was revealed,
midway on which was fastened bunch
of flowers; and just below wondering
Cripsie read:
put these sweet May blossoms here,
picked 'em all for Cripsie, dear;
love Cripsie don't |, though D.
tell you love Cripsie so!
Now Cripsie was homely looking,
red-haired boy, notably cross and disc
bliging-a chore- boy in family by
which he was tolerated, but certainly
not much liked SO everywhere; and,
knowing this, it was not strange that
Cripsie smiled disbelievingly as he read
these words. Yet he seemed a bit
pleased.
"Who in the world" he began again,
blinking curiously at the buds" who in
the world sent me this? There amt "a"
But suddenly Cripsie paused His spil-
ing changed to frowns.
"Of course" he added, angrily, and,
crumpling the pretty love-letter, he
hurled it over the garden fence.
Whack! went the AK on the wood-logs.
Cripsie vented his wrath in vigorous
cuts, unconscious that pair of blue
eyes were watching from behind the
pile. Finally, with his splittings, he
trudged back to the house.
Then the blue eyes rose higher and
higher, golden ringlets appeared, and
full blown little maid stepped over the
wood-pile and followed after Cripsie with
very mournful face.
"It's no use," she said. 81 shall have
to give Cripsie up"
As she drew near the house door flew
open and second little maid ran shout
ing down the path.
% Lutte! Lutie would you ever be-
lieve it? Grips is goin' to get out the
wagon and take US all"
1t seemed to Lutte that she dreamed.
Crispie" she said.
Eyes, Grips" replied this happy maid.
C ! asked him just now, when he brought
in the wood. Cripsie, l said, mamma
says, if you'll take US, we can go over to
Aunt Meg's to-day. She says, of course,
if you don't want to you needn't, cause
she promised you the day to yourself.
Oh! | never saw Grips crosser. guess
I'm worked hard enough 'thout extras
he growled; and l won't do no such
thing Didn't suppose you would /
was just goin' to say, when who'd ever
believe it, Lutie?) Grips said: I'll take
you. Pom my word 0 Lutie what
does it mean" And Prue danced off 10
spread the news.
An hour later the wagon went rafting
down the roadway packed with merry
children, and Cripsies red head con
spicuous on the drivers seat. In the
midst was Lutte, wearing puzzled,
thoughtful look. From time to time she
glanced at Cripsie, who sat sometimes
smiling, oftener frowning, looking very
like sunbeam that cloud was trying
to put out.
What an odd boy" she thought.
First he got mad,
Then he got glad,
And now he hardly knows which to be.
How"
But Lutle's poetic musings were broken
by shout. The wagon stopped and she
started to see Aunt Meg's cap, to hear
the chirp voice say:
Here come my singing birds. l
oOiiShO" ehOhShO IhCy u GdhC why w.
day" And she picked them, one by one,
out of the straw heaps with chuckle
and hearty kiss.
What good time the children had.
There wasn't a cookie maker in the
county could equal Aunt Meg. Her pies
were marvels; and she had a budget of
stories seemingly inexhaustible, and
which always were ripe to tell. And so
they ate and listened; they ate and
laughed. Even Crispie's sunbeam rose
rebellious against the cloud, refusing to
be put out
So passed the happy day. Toward
sunset they packed back again into the
wagon, each with pocketful of cookies
to comfort them on the way. But Lutte
hoped up on the drivers seat.
Please, Cripsie, may sit here?" she
said. 81 would so like to know about
the letter." she thought. perhaps,
when it gets darker, I'll dare ask why he
was mad"
But Cripsie made no response. He
seemed quite to ignore the child He
snapped at the horses, grumbled, and
was altogether so glum that Lutte wished
herself back with the crowd below.
When suddenly she heard:
81 love Cripsie don't l, though?)-
tell you | love Cripsie So
Wouldn't / like to know who sent
that thing? It's bothered me all day
long. Sometimes it's tickled me lots; but
more times its made me mad" When