The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-03-14
Our Little Servant-Maid.

Darling as | did that July afternoon
when she stood by the window with y
pCut on her lips and a frown on her
brow. looking ont on the road with ewes
that saw nothing, and utterly obvious TO
the fact that her dear, roSy-cheeked,
br;ght-evei little sister was tugging at
her skir; with one small hand and hold
ing M her doll with the other. while
she piteosSly complained. There's
sumfin berry awful wrong er matter VIII
nv baby. Baba; hers broke IN her inside,
an can't cry any more 20 Sabe her
life" uutil the speaker, as though 10
make up for this deficiency on the part
Of her "bahy," burst into loud, long
and fearless cry herself, and even then
Barbara only pulled her dress ont Of the
dimpled little hand, and said. in
decidedly unamiable manner, " Oh,
bother :"
Barbara Darling was not pretty, that
ia, not very pretty-at least there was Il
diversity Of opinion about her. The
Young men, abiding 10 her eyes and
hair, spoke nf violets and buttercups,
the Young women, on the contrary
Young women are so unpOetlcal when by
themselves i-sneered, "Blue china and
molasses candy" the young women said
II was lawfully babyIsh;" the young
men called her "a fairy" the young
women "a 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 nd-and-well. to tell the honest truth,
rather high b-ternpered. And vet she had
for lover handsome, talented, proud.
wealthy Anthony Ditto. the match that
all the girls in her circle had been msk-
ing ewes at for year before he, with
heart still untouched, had met 90 wee
Bah, AS he called her.
How he came to notice her at all
goodness knows. unless the comicallty
OF the introduction struck through the
dignity which enveloped him as a mantle,
and softening his heart. let her steal
into it. and then being bury sort Of
little body, he couldn't get nd of her
afterward
Miss Barbara Darling" said the
provoking Ned Parker, "Mr. Anthony
Ditto :" and we ives. VEIN Bah
Darling) hurst out laughing, the names
were so odd following each other IN that
manner, Won know and from that mo-
ment we were excellent friends until the
day we ceased 10 be friends and became
overs.
Papa and mamma were delighted with
the engagement. and 30 Was I. for OF
course I Lowell him dearly and vet for
the life OF me I couldn't stop what he
called " hirting." though I'm sure |
didn't mean il for that. You see every
body in So verv lind to little woman
that it is almost impossible for me 10 be
digniied. She gets used to being
treated ike n child. and accepts pet
names aud bouquets and bOnboDs and
gloves and the best Of every thing, and
talks and laughs and sings with pleasant
people Of the opposite sex just as child
would.
Now Anthony didn't like it-absurd
fellow wasn't I going 10 marry him 7?
and he used 70 look. oh So very grim
and oCreish. and lecture me on the i'm
proprietv OF nv conduct, until felt my
self the most miserable Of sinners ; but
I don't know how 10 account for it
always forgot the lecture az soon as it
was over. and was in disgrace again
Immediately.
"Well, the other evening-Fourth OF
July evening il was-a party Of ms young
folks went TO the village green 70 see
the pyrotechnic Il had 10 consult the
dictionary before I ventured on that
word display, and arriving there rather
late, found ourselves the last comers,
and consequently on the outside Of the
crowd Ned Parker and tried to push
our way to the front. hut We couldn't
and I didn't see a thing. excepting a
few rockets and blue-hghts. until the
very last, when Ned lifted me in his
arms so that might at last catch n
glimpse of Washington blessing his
cauntrymen and women with one fiery
hand, while he pointed 10 O Roman
candle that had just gone mp with the
other.
Anthony was a few feet away, talking
TO Meta Brooke; and when I joined him,
expecting to meet with terrible frown,
he greeted me with a charming smile.
And all the rest of the evening he was
as amiable as possible, and though he
had several five-minute chances TO scold
me. never said n reproving word-never
even referred to the George W. episode,
but he did worse-he firted himself.
That I had never dreamed of, and l
must say that I thought-at the time
IL was real mean thing for great tall
fellow like him to do TO revenge himself
on mite like me.
Yes, he hirted for two long, very long,
hours; and when (the party ended at
our house, the children proposed kiss
ing game, he, my naughty, reserved
lover, Joined in with that bold Brooke
girl, and chose her for a "partner
every time, kissing her on the mouth
and she has pretty mouth-as he did
I should have liked to box her ears,
and his too for that matter-but didn't
of course not. / sauntered about with
Ned Parker, and looked up into his
face as though every moment / discov-
cred some new beauty in it +; and when
Meta bade me goodnight (Anthony
could find no excuse for offering to walk
home with her, her brother Dick being
thereJ, | kissed her, and hoped she had
enjoyed herself.
Oh very much-very, very much,
indeed, " said she, finging a look which
she meant to be tender, but it wasn't
she has big, black, shallow eyes-at