The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-11

IIngrat1buue Tor his Deque5es GO0k heart
and frightened up when he saw me
giving an air Of smartness to his goods.
He extricated himself from beYy Of
young and fair ones, and came gener-
ously over to help me. In sheer graft
tude I began to praise his young colt
that was pasturing In a field adjoining
our garden, and he remained with me.
Shortly after, when he found that q
queer feeling in his head agreed with
the same discomfort In my poor era
mum, he brought a chair behind the
counter, and in q low tender voice he
detailed to me the interesting diagnosis
Of his pet malady.
On the other side OF me the minister q
son, who was home from college,
and suffering from that period Of ego.
tlsm which comes to young men Of his
kind, remained during the entire even
ing, to show his contempt for the young,
the fair, the frivolous. A few old mar
away, lowered about the grocery coun-
ter, so that it really did happen that I
was surrounded by men. The evening
was passing pleasantly enough. My
dark corner was well patroniZed, and
every woman who has to do with church
entertainments will understand my
qualification and relief when found it
was near 10 o'clock and all was we'll.
At this time o letter was put into my
hand by one of the postoffice messen-
gers-we always made q feature Of the
postoffice Of our festivities, where pink
and parti-colored missives, with doves
and other doting designs upon the envel.
opes, were distributed at extravaganza
rates Of postage. I had Just been fa-
vored with liberal offer from Gus.
toner, and, elated with my bargain,
proceeded to put up my bundles, not
giving much heed to my love-letter
from the neighboring booth. Truth to
say, felt q little tingling Of the blood
at the idea Of the mockery that might
be concealed therein by one Of those
witty village youths, and the letter lay
there for full half hour, when some
body said, in the most commonplace
way, :.
$50 Jack Hunter is back from China. I"
In a. moment everything was black
before me. I dropped nay hands and
my eyes to the counter, and when this
sudden dizziness was gone, / saw upon
the little tawdry envelope Jack g scraWl-
ing handwriting. Here was the little
line had coveted all these years, and
this is what my half blinded eyes made
out:
''I came home because was mad to
see you-because all these years, and
your old perfidy couldn't kill my love
for you. / find you just as I expected
to, in a space Ill enough to be filled
outside and inside With-men. You are
as beautiful and fascinating as ever, and
as fond OF admiration. hear that you
are about to be married to the grocer at
your elbow, who SO engrosses your at
tention that you do not care to look at
the passers-by. God help him, end God
bless you! I have had my lesson. Now
I shall, perhaps, be satisfied. Good-by."
Five minutes after that was running
home, without my hat, and with his note
crumpled up in my hand. The people
at the festival no doubt thought that
mamma was taken suddenly ill. They
could not have fancied was running
after Jack, because he had been there
at the church for an hour, and I had
been totally unconscious Of his pres
ence. Dear heaven! how could 1t be
that [ didn't know, that something
didn't tell me, that didn't feel he was
near me?
But I didn't. went on talking to the
grocer about a remarkable operation for
an ulcer that he had undergone, when
awayl / ran down the road, my heart
in my throat. fortunately the village
street was deserted. Every man, woman
and child were at the festival, except
those who could MOI be out at all; so I
ran on unchecked, q dim fear gaining
weight with me that Jack had not I'M
packed his trunk, and was off to China
again within the hour. But when I
reached his house, which was next door
to my own, saw him sitting out on the
balcony smoking cigar, with his feet
perched upon the railing. But his face
grew very pale in the moonlight, and
his feet clattered quickly down upon
the porch when he saw me run in at
the gate. The cigar fell from his lips,
the ashes tumbling over his broad white
waistcoat.
why, thank God,' he said. "this
must be my own dear little girl. Now,
see here, Jenny" he began, scolding, a
minute after; but he kept tight hold OF
me, and trembled fully as much with
happiness as did.
Nothing can persuade him that am
not a desperate hirt, as beautiful as an
angel, and irresistibly fascinating. I
have not the least doubt that half the
village are laughing at Jacks ridiculous
devotion and jealousy but the we'll
meant endeavors Of his friends and fam
lily to convince him that am plain,
faded, unattractive and neglected old
maid he laughs to scorn as a conspiracy
of envy or jealousy. And how can I
wonder at his delusion? Mamma says
Jack has terribly aged during these
years Of loneliness and exile, and looks
older and not SO comedy as our neighbor,
the grocer but to me he is still the hand
some, alluring, in every way adorable
Jack. He is walking up and down the
little balcony next door at this present
moment, and hidden by our odorous
honeysuckle vine, I am listening to him
ballad:
20 gIrls pc true Wh1le your lover away,
ing
Oft proves pleasant day.
Ehnu