The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-10-18

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eyes could see her,
Mrs Middlebury took her pet to the
city, and rushed with her to the modistes,
and to the hair-dressers, and to the shoe
makers, and to dancing school, feyerish
with the hope of making her new doll
gorgeous; and Jane did for a while
feel happier than she had ever felt in
her life. Months passed-four, five,
six, seven, then suddenly she awoke one
morning thinking of Peleg; found that
she could not drive him from her mind;
remembered his kindness, his rustic WOO
ing, his true love; his agony when she de-
serted him and wept. Remembered, too, |
the kindly country folk, whose hearty |
welcome had no counterpart in the cir |
Gle in which she mQyed; and the breezy
riverside and the green woods, and the
fields, and Peleg again at work there in
his shirt sleeves. Remembered the meet
ing house, and the white-haired minister,
and Peleg again holding the hymn-book
for her with his lar-e hand. "Oh! his
dear, dear, rough red hand" sobbed
Jane. cob! the kind, good hand.
And as Peleg had thrown himself on the
grass, so she flung herself upon the moss
soft carpet of her boudoir.
That day she wrote note and sent it
by stealth, since Mrs. Middlebury would
have objected severely, to old Uncle
Caleb. She asked two questions in it;
one was, What is Peleg doing now"
| the other, "Has he forgiven me?'
The answer came one day. 1t ran
| thus:
| "JANE Ross Perhaps you are sorry for
what you have done. You had ought to be.
| I've never seen my son Peleg since we
parted. He's thrown himself away. Gone
| to sea, or to fight the Indians, most like.
I've heard of one of his name doin' that.
| / don't expect him back no more; and It's
only as a Christian that l can ever forgive
| you. What Peleg does we neither of us
will know, most like, until the end of all
things.
"They told me a story when l was child
of a man that warmed frozen snake in his
bosom. When think of you, Jane Ross, l
am reminded of that snake"
Jane was i'll for days after this note
came, but once better, she flung herself
in reckless sort of way upon her new
life for comfort.
Little come of it. There were more
dashing girls, who eclipsed her; there
were beautiful girls, who made her feel
plain and coarse. Men she admired
never looked her way; men she despised
= followed her like her shadow.
Mrs. Middlebury, tiring of her pet
would have. rid herself of her elegantly
and commercially by marrying her te
: one of these men, old enough to be hel
l father, and fashionable club room sot
2 And again Peleg, wholesome and fresh
with breath like new-mown hay, ane
/ eyes that turned upon a woman kindly
D and purely-oh, such eyesl how rar,
they are-eyes that woman can NEE
!, unblushing, with no shame in meeting
b. them-Peleg arose before her, and tn
Y lines she had quoted those same tru
;, lines, rang in her ears once more:
"For of all sad words of tongue or pen,
r The saddest are these, IL might hare been."
n Poor Jane grew pale and careworn be
u tween thought and corsets, remorsc, lat
n hours, and chicken salad.
So the day of Mrs. McMahone
- Middlebury's grandest party came. Nor
# dress, more show, more competition
l. more assumption of European absurd
ties, more of that now unbearable a
tention from that elderly edition G
if Champagne Charley, probably; an
Jane, with the stereotyped smile {
- society on her face, was ready for it al
1s But her heart was heavy, and her hea
FL ached, and her soul was empty; an
10 remorse gripped her tight with his ire
" hand, and whispered, Peleg, Pele
I Peleg! in her rose-leaf ear.
" The guests were gathering, when my
st terious signals from the colored chambe
,o. maid lured the hostess into the hall, al
w in moment Jane was beckoned out:
I "Here's dreadful contre Temps" sa
or Mrs. Middlebury. William is drum
e. He's been insulting the guests as
a. opened the door, and now he is fiat {
the kitchen floor, and every one is bus
is and no time to get new person for Il
id door, unless Nancy suggestion is go'
one. l don't know what we shall d
id Tell her, Nancy"
ga person is in the kitchen, Mi
said Nancy, "a soldier with one ar
that has fought the Injuns. He's be
it GIN his way home-and-I say, may
ok he'll put on Williams coat and op
Id the door. The most ignorant pers
can open door proper"
eco and see if he is fit, love-" So
Mrs. Middlebury. "Tll give him Fl
dollars for it, if he is. He must put
Williams coat though. I shall
charge William tomorrow. Oh, des
Pm wanted. Go love-"
And Jane Ross followed Nancy to t
e." kitchen.
''This is the person, Miss" said Nam
bed And tall, gaunt form, with an emf
vas sleeve, turned toward her. For 4
ing ment it seemed strangers face {
looked upon; the next, she knew thai
ed. was Peleg's. He knew her also.
"Yom home?' he cried. Yours!
me pass-let me gor' But she, rega
less of the gaping servants, caught
waist in both her jeweled hands, {
sobbed:
age "No, Peleg, no; don't leave me
:, My dear old Peleg, l shall die if you
ol9 Don't kill me, Peleg; look at me-sp
keo to me-say that you forgive
Heaven knows have repented."
ac- He stopped then, and looked at
1ts She knew that all lay with her,
went on bravely:
-"They are longing for you at the
farm, Peleg, as I have longed. Y
father wants you, as l have wanted y
Forgive me, Peleg. I never knew
well loved you until now.. Forgive
and take me home again"
And then she let his hand 60, ant
twined itself about her waist, and
zap head dropped on his bosom, and Il
Iiy' tears mingled. And not one of
IIle' servant crew smiled in derision-
Do one, any more than they would 81
-. when the curtain drops at the the
slIn " ", upon honesty and truth and
u, triumphant.
auo Peleg and Jane went home togethe
ing the farm next day; and when in
anu future one may write of Jane:
} nie "She married a man unlearned and poor,
,om- | And many children play at her door,"
iDo r. H. L.