The Osceola times., 1878-11-16
Vl0LET'S LAST PROPOSAL.

N ittt'i ilo'l ~ ld>l
it is and hy-stsined, divers bits OF pe per
of many colors, one of them actually
bearing the eros ed out signature of the
poor dead and gone Mrs Higgins, and
another a mutllated page, bearing marks
OF calculation for tailoring done by
Betsy herself but the whole iunny com.
pilation makes me look around my room
in the boarding house as any prisoner
might upon gaining a briei boon of
liberty, tor the letters come straight from
the dear old mountains that | thought
Violet had spoiled for me forever. Only
one year ago Violet lay upon youder bed,
and having just got Farmer Higgins q
letter / called out to her that at last
had secured boarding place for us where
might hope for little rest during this
one holiday.
"What sort of place is it, Lide ?''
said my sister, turning her head LAM
guidly on the pillow and looking over at
me with her tricksy brown eyes. Not that
she was sick. Pm not going to intro.
duce you to an interesting invalid-oh
no; il anybody could lay claim to SYN.
pathy in that way, it was the rack of
bones of which | WAS composed. We
were both school teachers; but Violet
was not much more than q monitor AZ
yet. while | had climbed the weary grade
OF promotion to a vice principal. Violet
gave me great deal OF trouble; il seemed
to me at times that all my care and
interest could not keep her position for
her, and the bare thought of her bsing
idle and away from me made me tremble.
! would have been glad to support her in
idleness, Tor she was little more than A
child, and all l had in the world, but
could not have her out of my sight.
Not that she had any secret tendency
to lunscy, kleptomanis or anything OF
that kind. She was only an incorrigible
tlirt-that was all but mat wa. enough.
You would think so il you happened to
be of her sex, and under the root with
her abode your brother or sweetheart, or
uncle or grandfather. 1t made no differ.
ence whether it began with disinclina,
tion on one side or both-sometimes this
WAS an incentive. 1t mattered little
whether the party was progressing or
otherwise, old or young, grave or CAV
stupid OF bright it was all the same to
Violet. During the last two years had
been afflicted with no less than seven
offers oi marriage in her behalf, five of
them wholly ineligible; one / looked
upon with a great degree of favor, which
destroyed its every chance of success :;
and the other, that of the principal of
eur male department, Mr. Baxter, filled
me with sickening sense OF the rough.
and tumble way in which pearls were
cast before swine. Here was man of
mature age, of commanding intellect, Of,
absorbing occupation deliberately dup.
ing himself with the idea that his happi
ness depended upon vain, silly chit of
nineteen, when within the tour walls with
him, right under his ipjudicious nose,
we're several women who would have
been admirable companions for him in
every way, suitable in age and intellect
and appreciation, each and all of them
80 worthy and deserving of a rest from
toll, and the love OF manly heart. But
he wss completely infatuated and when,
driven to desperation, consented to her
marrying him, and, rs usual, she was
surprised and shocked, and couldn't
entertain the idea for a moment, he gave
me to understand, with an air OF icy dis.
dsin, that it was merely personal feel
ing upon my part which was the obstacle
to his happiness. She certainly did wear
sn air of secret sorrow in his presence as
she did in that OF each of her rejected
suitors her eyes sometimes filed with
tears, her voice trembed. At such
moments these men have looked upon me
in way that was positively violent !;
between the seven of them my life was
not worth a hslf-penny. Vacation did
not come day too soon for the salvation
Of my sanity, il not my life. How
could ] help, then, turning to this letter
of Farmer Higgins as a refuge from
these persistent aud ubiquitous evils?
at is a sort of place." replied TO nv
sister, "where it Is impossible for you to
do any mischief. 1t is ia the heart of
the Catskills--"
Her eyes frightened; an almost inrer.
ceptible smile touched her lips.
mot hotel, my dear, y / said quickly,
nor a boarding house, nor yet 10
the vicinity Of boarders, nor peopled by
q race of men that you will lind avail.
able for your wiles; and anyway there il
only one man--the farmer him self. He
hss termsgant sickly vile and five
young children; the hired men 20 away
to sleep. and get 10 work at daybreak !;
1t is Ave miles from the nearest village,
and not q house within walking dis.
tance.'
"There must Re doctor and a minis.
ter" said Violet, reRsctively.
"Not at ALL" rejoined !" the people
up there underz.snd the healing powe.
.f herbs . surgeon b only required iol
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