The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-11-01

lessOH W you Ill ytulS NV w Si'p
way to passion or malice.
You would hardly imagine such a tough
old graybeard as your Uncle Ned is now was
ever slender, stripping youth, whose mind
was filled with romance, and whose soft,
womanish heart seemed to be beating only
for love, but such | was at two'and-
twenty.
Many is the maiden I had kissed under
the mstletoe and beaued home from singing
school, but, up to the summer | mention,
never met one that stirred more than pas
sing fancy That summer my father told me
he was going to send me On journey to
New Hampshire to finish some business he
had begun by letter with his old fried Owen
Dalton.
| was glad to undertake the mission, for
in those days when railroads were as scarce
as hens teeth, young men got very little
chance to go away from home, so one Monday
morning clambered on top of the old stage
coach and started off, feeling almost for the
first time sense of my .and
freedom.
AS the stage numbered past the old farm
house l saw my darling mother and my only
sister waving their handkerchiets and kiss
ing their hands to me, and the tears started
unbidden down my boyish cheeks, and my
throat sweled with an emotion l tried in
vain to suppress.
My Journey was uneventful until we arriv-
ed at Concord, and stopped at the old Eagle
Hotel to bait the horses and allow the pas
sengers to dine. Here picked up my frs
acquaintance, as travellers so frequently do
and was surprised to find that he was goinl
on the coach with me.
He was a young man of perhaps twenty
ty-fve, light hair, blue eyes, a bright, inge
NOUS expression to as frank mouth as
ever saw. was immediately attracted t
him. He clambered up on top of the coacl
: as | did, and drawing from his pocket
leather cigar case, offered me one.
: had never smoked cigar, but felt kin
of shame to refuse, so / took one and light
ed it with as much, or perhaps much MOI
importance than an old smoker. We glide
into conversation.
where did you say you were going?'
asked.
TO Daltonville ?
To Daltonvile p
yes. Is there anything strange in that
No; but I was supri.ed. l am goir
there, too
We'll, know most OF the families abo
~ |, "a L. .,iro Ic
do you visit .
The Daltons =
The paltons p
Yes. Is there anything strange in tha
asked, as l laughiugly repeated his We
words, in the meantime watching the smo
as it curled from my cigar.
No,nothing strange. except that we shot
meet. am distantly related to the iami
and am going there to spend couple
months. Do you know Auua?'
Anna p | asked, Is there young la
there p
Yes, my boy, a young and handsome
dy-one you cant help liking.
oh, very well then. I'll Driver vi
are you wobbling over the road for ??
'Shure, sur, an think the only wob
as you call it, is in that segar yer SIN
ing.
I Sure enough, I felt my head whirlng,
!, | should have fallen eff the vehicle ha
| not been for the assistance OF my new ior
friend, who took my arm.
1 feel sick-so- sick, | murmurod.
Il guess you are not use to strong c -
Driver stop until get the young II a.
side of the stage
I scarcely remembered what happened
terward except that | was an awful
man but gradually ! began 10 feel bet
and by the time we had stopp.d for the nj
| had almost recovered.
Albert Warvile and myself had bee,
the best of friends. He had cared for
during my illness and not one word di,
say of my weakness.
That night the driver approached me
sotto voce, 'Begorra sur, if the first pal
that cigar was as voile as the last, | d
blame We fur gettin' sick, but had no sr
in what he said, for should not have kn
whether it was good or bad,
Well, we arrived after few days tr
at Datonville. This little village nestle
a valley near one OF the most precipi
ITN mountains of the Franconia range. 1t
place of romance, and | built future h.
of the beauties of the surrounding scer
for | was fond of hunting, and fishing
ID had had quite good deal of experience
We were cordially welcomed at the
rove ton House, where | found my friend
hailed as Cousin Albert. | did not see
. ma Dalton until the supper hour, althou
don't doubt Albert did, as he made hin
at home, leaving me with the two bo
the house, Henry and Willie,
During the afternoon ] gained
youthful hearts by promising to make
f. each an Indian bow, When | saw !
a Vg' one Dalton | WAS not surprised that Albert
Ar- ed her handsome | should have calleC
beautiful, for
"a fairer fair vision neer greeted my sight
! 1t was but the work of few hours fl
g one to fall desperately, madly, boyi,hly in
q .,tS Two with her.
Two weeks glided by. | had beg
se' pay direct attentions to the beautiful 4
ro,m,gh although could not tell whether sh,
m playing with me, or was in earnest,
d rea- received my addresses as queen mig
homage of her subjects +; then just as
20, on the point of telling her my feeliul
would begin te trill some melody and
out of the room.
e GO VIM | was getting frantic, | felt that |
by the o.,,bu a. tho ,,ont 49,. ,,,. . 49,
girls eusn VI 'no Pe"VuP waters ol N
IS shs The would burst through all restraints. B
7s-y Auua's manners preeluded the poss
- of any 'gush" on my part. In despair