The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-09-12
VIOLETS LAST PROPOSAL.

A letter from Betsy at last Crumpled
it is and fly-staiued, divers bits of paper
of many colors, one of them actually
bearing the crossed-out signature of the
poor dead and gone Mrs. Higgins, and
another a mu5llated page, bearing marks
Of a calculation for tailoring Gone by
Betsy herself; but the whole funny com
pilation makes me look around my room
in the boarding house as any prisoner
might upon gaining a brief boon Of lib
crty, for the letters come straight from
the dear old mountains that | thought
Violet had spoiled for me forever. Only
one year ago Violet lay upon yonder
bed, and having just got Farmer Hig-
gins letter | called out to her that at
last | had secured a boarding place for
rs where Knight hope for little rest
during this one holiday.
What sort Of a place is it, Lidew
said my sister, turning her head Ian
guidly on the pillow and looking over
ut me with her tricksy brown eyes Not
that she was sick. I'm not goins to in
troduce you to an interesting invalid
oh no; if anybody could lay claim to
sympathy 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 monitor as
yet, while had climbed the weary grade
of promotion to a principal. Vio-
let gave me a great of trouble; it seemed
to me at times that all my care and in
terest could not keep her position for
her, and the bare thought of her being
idle and away from me made me trem-
BILE. | would have been glad to support
her in idleness, for she was little more
than a child, and all | had in the world,
but could not have her out of my sight
Not that she had any secret tendency
to lunacy, kleptomania, or anything of
that kind. She was only an incorrigble
flirt-that was all; but that was enough
You would think so if you happened to
be Of her sex, and under the roof with
her abode yonr brother or sweetheart, or
uncle or grandfather. 1T made no differ
enCe whether ii began with disinclina-
ton on one side or both-Sometimes this
was an incentive. / mattered little
whether the party was prepossessing or
otherwise, old or young, grave or gay,
stupid or bright; it was all the same to
been afflicted with no less than seven
offers of 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
our male department, MIR. Baxter, filled
me with a sickening sense of the rough
and-tumble way in which pearls were
cast before swine Here was a man of
mature age, of commanding intellect, of
absorbing occupation, deliberately dup
ing himself with the idea that his happi-
ness depended upon a vain, silly chit of
nineteen, when within the four walls
with him, right under his injudicious
nose, were 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 so worthy and deserving of
a rest from toll, and the love of manly
heart. But he was completely infatu-
ated; and when, driven 10 desperation, |
consented To her marrying him, and, as
usual, she was surprised and shocked,
and couldn't entertain the idea for a
moment, he gave me to understand, with
a personal feeling upon my part which
was the obstacle to his happiness. She
certainly did wear an air of secret sorrow
in his presence, as she did in that of each
OF her rejected suitOrs; her ewes some
times filled with tears, her voice trem-
bled. At such moments these men have
looked upon me in a way that was posi-
lively violent; between the seven OF
them my life was not worth half-pen,
ny. Vacation did not come day toe
soon for the salvation of my sanity, il
not my life. How could | help, then
turning to this letter of Farmer Higgins
as refuge from these persistent and
ubiquitous evils?
1T is a sort of place" replied to my
sister, "where it is impossible for you tC
DO any mischief. 1t is in the heart OF
the CatskilIs-"
Her eyes frightened; an almost inper.
certible smile touched her lips.
"Not hotel. my dear" said quick.
ly, nor clearinghouse, nor vet in
the vicinity OF boarders, nor peopled by
a race of men that you will find ayaila,
ole for your wiles; and anyway there i:
only one mantle farmer himself He
has termagant sickly wife and five
young children; the hired men 90 ava,
To sleep, and get TO work at davbreak
it is five miles from the nearest village
and not house within walking dis
tlnce"
There must be doctor and min
ister," said Violet, refectively.
Not at all" | rejoined; 4" the people
up there understand the healing power
of herbs; surgeon is only REQUIRED TO,
the setting of bones, and lives mile,
away. The minister rides over every
Sunday from a neighboring parish, only
leaving his pulpit to mount his hors,
and 90 back again. | think it will do
Violet" | added, eagerly; 81 reall,
think it will do. | must have rest. or
snail lose my senses"
And SO you shall have rest, dear
said Violet, land we'll have real splen
did time together, just YOU aud |! +"
And we did, fer about week | be
began to understand the nature of Vic
let's magnetism Her beauty was chief
remarkable in that it was never the SAM
from one moment 10 another. Her colo
went and came; her voice took every in
Election, from the widest gayety to tn
tenderest melancholy, and the presen
moment, wherever or whatever it nigh
be, seemed always the one she held rares
and best. She had wonderful powe
of adaptability. | found her capable o
entering into my ideas of pleasure witt
a zest that cheated me into believing
they were her own. 1t can readily b.
believed that there is certain limit t