The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-12-18

seed time and harvest that Hulda should
marry David, and walk up the aisle in
her plain silk gown and close bonnet,
and everybody should say what sweet
wife was the young pastors.
But in the meantime Bob married a
fashionable city girl, and in the het sea-
sons he brought his wife and children
home. couldn't find much fault with
the girl, though tried to hard enough;
she spent too much time distorting her
pretty hair out of its natural comeliness,
and put as many queer artificial humps
about her as a camel; but she had win
some, CHEEKY way with her, and 1 always
had weakness for beauty, be il in man,
woman or beast; and, besides, she al
ways had good word for the young
parson, often Turing Marley away with
her coquetry and wiles, so that David
could have word with Hulda.
He's worth a dozen of that bald,
blinking Marley" she would say, "and
I'll do what can Magda, to foil Bob's
plans"
She was such good-natured creature
wish it had been Gods will to spare
her to her young brood, of which she
was over.fond but while they were
three manikins the gay young mother
got cold and died, and nothing would do
but we must go TO the city to keeI house
for Bob. Hulda's tender heart was
wrung for Bob's widowed and lonely
condition, but could see under his stiff,
hard melancholy a bitter quantity of
worldly forethought and speculation.
knew what was coming, and, indeed,
was prepared for anything. What did
il matter now that the blessed old
homestead was out Of our hold I had
kept some of the mahogany furniture,
much to Bob's disgust, who seemed to
cheaper the richest acres we had, and
spoke slightingly of the knots and gnarls
in our dear old apple trees that every
body knew made the fruit all the sweet
ar. Bob shifted with disdain at my hold
ing the mortgage for my share of the
estate.
"Ready money would be much better,
Magda," he said /; but had my way,
thank God And I told Bob up and
down wanted it understood that there
was to be no obligation on either side
aulda and would take the city house,
and he and the three children should
board with us. To help along with the
expenses j took few more boarders, and
still few more, for one brought an
other. l had sort of faculty for cook.
ing, and if there's one weakness in the
human race more prevailing and beset
ting thar another, it's gluttony. 1 used
to do my best to tempt the jaded yet
voracious palate of that yellow dyspeptic
Marley, an gave him many grim hob
goblin for company after he'd left my
sweet Hulds, for l couldn't forgive his
winning her consent to marry him, when
he knew the core of her heart was
another's. The coming to the city and
finding out how pretty she was had
turned Hulda's head.
Bob's will and cunning were strong
and untiring, and anyway Hulda gave
up poor David Devine, and agreed to
marry that grim and greedy Marley. /
lay awake at night worrying about it
my heart was 80 sore perplexed for poor
David, and wrathful against Bob, and
distrustful Of Providence. / grew des-
perate and wicked, but David stuck to
his faith, dear fellow, though he hadn't
strength to stick to the old spot where
he had been SO happy and so miserable.
He went out as a missionary to some of
those cannibal islands, where wonder
the women didn't eat him-he was SO
handsome and so good.
The very name of Marley became an
abomination to me, and ] forced q
promise from Hulda that she wouldn't
marry for a couple of years, during
which time hoped for heaven knows
what that was strange or remarkable. /
had small doubt but that poor David was
food for the fishes or the cannibals, for
had heard no word from him but l
kept on praying and hoping for hurri-
cane that might sweep every Marley of
! the face of the earth. Whenever Marley
! took Hulla out he brought carriage,
and as it wasn't Bob's way to waste any
| luxury, he used very often to occupy the
! spare seat-he and sister of Marley's,
high-nosed, high-colored, big toothed
young woman called Judith. I saw
what was coming, and told Bob he'd
regret it to his dying day, but he mar
ried Judith Marley within that year.
| She disliked the trouble of housekeep-
ing, so he brought her to board
with me. They took suite of rooms
on the second floor, and before she had
been in the house a month she began tc
raise Cain, as / knew she would. o.
which was very glad. 1 should have
been sorely disappointed if she had
forced me to love her, as did the fond
highty first wife of Bob for to hate the
1 Marleys had become my soul strength
and tonic during the days of endless
labor and wearineSs of body and soul
The spite / had against the Who'll,
Marley race, that had spoiled my
Bob for me, and wheedled my sistel
into a per6dy that broke the manly
heart of David Devine-the spite 1 helt
for them one and all kept life in m'
when should otherwise have tainted
by the way. Bob saw that we couldn'
live together, and took a furnished
house down the street; for Bob wa