The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-04-11
OUR LITTLE SERVANT MAID.

OUR LITTLE SERVANT MAID.
never thought so little of Barbara
Darling as l did that July afternoC
when she stood by the window with
pout on her lips and 8 froWn on her
brow, looking out on the road with eyes
that saw nothing, and utterly obIivious
to the fact that her dear, rosy-cheeked,
bright-eyed little sister was tugging at
her skirt with one small hand and hold
ing up her doll with the other, while she
piteously complained, "There's sumfn
berry awful wrong er matter wifi nv
baby, Barba.; hers broke in her side, an
can't cry any more to save her life,"
until the speaker, as though to make up
for this deficiency on the part of her
=" baby" burst into a loud. long and
fearless cry herself, and even then Bar
bara only pulled her dress out of the
dimpled little hand, and said, in de-
cidedly unamiable manner, "Oh, bother !"
Barbara Darling was not pretty, that
is, not very pretty, at least there was a
diversity of opinion about her. The
young men, alluding TO her eyes and
hair, spoke of viOlets and buttercups;
the young women, on the contrary
young women are so unpoetical when by
themselves !-sneered, 'Blue china and
molasses candy" the young women said
it was lawfully babyish - the young
men called her " a fairy" the young
women " dwarf"
She was the eldest of eight children; :;
had no accomplishment, unless singing a
ballad or two passably well could be
called one was eighteen years old, poor
and-and-wen, to tell the honest truth,
rather high-tempered. And yet she had
for lover handsome, talented, proud d,
wealthy Anthony Ditto, the match that
all the girls in her circle had been max
ing eyes at tor year before he, with
heart still untouched, had met "wee
Bab," as he called her.
How he came to notice her at all good
ness knows, unless the comicality Of the
introduction struck through the dignity
which enVeloped him as 8 mantle, and
softening his heart, let her steal into it
and then being a bury sort of a little
body, he couldn't get rid of her after.
ward.
Miss Barbara Darling" said the pro.
voking Ned Parker, "Mr. Anthony
Ditto" and we Eyes VEIN Bah Oar
| 1ing) burst out laughing, the names were
so odd following each other in that man
ner, you know; and from that moment
we were excellent friends until the day
we ceased to be friends and became
lovers.
Papa and mamma were delighted will
the engagement, and so was I, for O
course loved him dearly; and yet 70
the life of me couldn't stop what b.
called " flirting" though Pm sure
didn't mean it for that You see every
body is so very kind to a little woman
that it is almost impossible for me to b
digniied. She gets used to being treate,
like child, and accepts pet names an
bouquets and bonbOns and gloves, an
the best of everything, and talks an
laughs and sings with pleasant people G
the opposite sex just as a child would.
Now Anthony didn't like it-absur
J fellow wasn't l going to marry him ?
and he used to leOk, oh SO very grim an
ogreish, and lecture me on the imprc
priety of my conduct, until felt myse
the most miserable OF sinners; but
J don't know how to account for it
always forgot the lecture as soon as
was over, and was in disgrace again in
mediately.
Well, the other evening, fourth O
July evening it was, party of US youn
| folks went to the village green to see tn
pyrotechnic U had to consult the die
tionaTy before I ventured on that word
, display, and arriving there rather late
! found ourselves the last comers, an
consequently on the outside of the crowC
| Ned Parker and tried to push our wa
, to the front, but we couldn't; and
, didn't see a thing, excepting a fe'
rockets and blue lights, until the yer
/ L. RTeI 4 q.
that I might at last catch a glimpse
Washington blessing his countryme
and women with one fire hand, while b
pointed to Roman candle that had gon
D up just then with the other.
t Anthony was few feet away, talkin
I to Meta Brooke; and when | ioine
! him, expecting to meet with terribl
. froWD, he greeted me with a charnin
: smile. And all the rest of the evenin
:. he was as amiable as possible, an
q though he had several five minute chanct
to scold me, never said reproving wort
. never even referred to the George v
. episode; but he did worse, he firte
himself
y, That / had never dreamed of, and
:. must say that l thought, at the tim
= it was a real mean thing for q great ia
= fellow like him to do to revenge himse
e on a mite like me.
Yes, he firted for two long, very Ion
. hours; and when (the party called at oil
e e houseJ the children proposed a kissiI
s game, ne, my naughty, reserved love
ic Joined in with the bold Brooke girl, ar
IS cheese her for partner" every tim
J. kissing her on the meuth; and she has
pretty mouth, as he did 50.
n I should have liked to box her cal
le and his too for that matter-but didn
le of course not. l sauntered about wi
r. Ned Parker, and looked up into his ia
y as though every moment I discover
some new beauty in it; and when Net
bade me goodnight (AnthOny could fl
a no excuse for offering to walk home wi
Or her, her brother Dick being there,
re kissed her, and hoped that he had e
ID joyed herself.
| ~