The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-04-16

much.
But as soon as the garden gate closed
behind them I took my engagement ring
from my finger and flung it upon the
ground, and I actually, l am ashamed to
tell it, but I did-made my hand into a
fist and shook it at my promised husband.
What would mamma, the dear, meek
darling-I don't get my temper from her
have said if she had seen me?
As for Anthony, he wasn't the least bit
frightened, but caught the fist, and shut
it up in his strong right hand like some
thing in box.
II hate your" I cried. "Nobody
ever treated me SO before"
"But how many have you treated so?"
he asked, with a smile; and l couldn't
he'll thinking how handsome he looked
in the silver moonlight.
Everybody has always done what
ever wanted them to do" l went on,
stamping my foot.
"And consequently spoiled you," said
he.
"What did you love me for, if Pm
not-not nice?
"Because l knew the moment I saw
you, you wee thing, you were my fate
| thought you were nice then, and wanted
to take you in my arms the moment you
smiled on me"
"And now?'
"And now I think you bad temper
ed, selfish, willful, unreasonable girl"
"IndeedV and l wrenched my hand
away, but not before he had kissed it with
the most provoking GOODNESS. "Then
We'll part, unless you change your opinion
Immediately, and promise never to speak
to Meta Brooke again.
I shall make no silly promise, Bar
bara" Good gracious the idea of his
calling me Barbara! II have promised
to drive her to the depot tomorrow"
lou return to the city togetherw
eve return by the same train, as we
have done dozen times before"
Geo." said l, almost beside myself
with rage. II never want to see you
again"
Are you sure, Barbara?' he asked
"quite sure? l think you had better
wait for day or two before you Danish
me. If by the day after tomorrow
your birthday-you still hate me, send
me word to that effect, and I will, the
moment your note is read, accept posi-
ton offered ME this morning, and start
for home beyond the sea. Goodnight,
Miss Darling"
Good-nig ht, Mr.. Ditto"
1 And he strobe away up the road, and
| picked mp my ring and stole into the
house, and cried as though my heart
would break. 1t was SO cruel of him to
be unkind to a poor little thing like me.
The next morning, as sat on the front
porch darning the children's stockings
dear me! it seems to me every time stock
ng-darning time comes around that there
never could be another family with 50
many legs as ours-Anthony drove past
with Meta Brooke by his side.
! I hid behind the stocking basket until
| they were out of sight, and then | flew
, to my desk and wrote as bitter a note as
, woman twice my size could have writ.
ten, and l sent it to our village postoffice
that very evening by our little servant.
| maid
Our little servant-maid is pretty lit
r tie maid, with large honest gray eyes, d
, small red mouth, bright chestnut hair, 8
pleasant smile, a neat, plump figure, and
, a remarkably cheerful disposition. And
: clever little maid she is, too-can wash
and iron and cook, and do hundred
other things; but she possesses one taste
e which interferes sadly with the perform
ance of her domestic duties-the most
insatiate hunger for literature, which she
e gratiies whenever she finds an oppor
tunity, in season or out of season, morn
noon or night.
, Potatoes and stews are burned, bread
? cakes and pies baked to cinders, doors
left open all night, breakfasts delayed
lunches forgotten, dinners served toe
early or too late-all on account of this
love of reading which characterizes oul
little servant-maid.
She neary drowned baby once, while
giving her her bath, by letting the dar.
ling's head slip under the water, while
she devoured a story in Harpey's
Weekly she had taken from table near
by. She let my canary escape while she
l removed his empty seed cup with one
hand and Helen's Babies in the other
her eyes being fixed on the book. She
spilled the soup one dinner-time ovel
papas immaculate white vest while try
: ing to peep at the magazine he was
/ glancing over. She set the hot fat-iro1
e on our best damask table-cloth, and left il
! there to indelibly imprint its triangular
! portrait, while she hastily read muir
! der case in the morning paper.
l She could be scarcely got out of bed
f mornings, because she was tired aud
sleepy from reading the book she had alb
stracted from the bookcase the night
= before, and when she did get up she
actually sat before the dreary. looking
= stove for half an hour or so, intently pc
f rusing the various scraps of newspaper
I while she should be lighting the fire.
I In short, if she had not been the mos
t devoted, sunny, unselfish, fond. of-us-al
: little creature, it would have been ut
terly impossible for us to have stood thu
f many mishaps and disasters that sprans
!, from our servant-maid's devotion to lit
e erature. AS it was, papa said to hel
: when she drenched him with soup
+ 'Another occurrence of this nature, ant
l., you co." And mamma said to he
: when she nearly drowned the baby
!. Really, Eleanor, if anything as dread
' full as this happens again, we must part.
[ And I said to her when she freed nay
' song-bird: '"'The very next wrong thing
z you do while reading" and I made {
, significant pause and looked. 80.
f :" Yes, miss" said Nellie, meekly, with
i the tears in her gray eyes, which didn'1
> prevent her, as soon as she reached the
> kitchen, bursting out with Why, why
q why didst thou leave me?" to tune
, made up Of a strange combination Of
cold Dan Tucker" and "The Russian