The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-04-11
HER BLUEEYED BOY.


BY those who recked not tear or prayer,
Ere thou cOuldst speak thy mothers name,
My tiny bud my babelet fair
"My boy. my boy mS bluCCyed boy,
Gould within thy bluc eyes gaze.
Or have an hour 10 kiss thee III,
'lwOuld light up many weary days
But thou art far away front nc:
Between us ocGaEs b'llOws beat,
And can but thy ciuIe kiss,
My lairy rose, my babelet sweet"
As NJ IS Isabella Spooner finished read
ing these verses, and proceeded to cut
them ont of the paper they had graeed
with a pair of scissors that, in company
with a bunch of keys, hung from hel
generous girdlc, amurmur of admiration
and sympathy arose from her audience
This audience consisted of Mrs. Spooner
IsabeIla's mother, a tall, thin, pale
woman with great deal of forehead
that is, in regard to her height-andy livery
white, well-shaped hands, which looked
as though they had been nodded out Of
lard; Mrs. Dusenberry, lady who
looked about tive-and-forty, but who
according to her own calculations, grew
young so fast that her friends conf.
IDENTIFY expected that in few years she
would be girl again, with lips so thin
that they came near being no lips at all
bumpy brow, small, black, uneven eyes
q nondescript nose, and figure remark.
able for its unobtrusiveness; Captain
Hottop, Miss Spooners uncle, a hale
hearty, rather handsome man, who had
spent most of his life in sailing vessel
Mr.. Wellington Octoper, young pork
merchant, called "Devil-fsh" by those OF
his companions who had been to the
Aquarium, "because it came so devilisl
near being Octopus, you know" witt
reddish hair, reddish complexion, and nc
forehead to speak of; Miss Eugenia Ann
Octoper, sister of the pork merchant, 6
pert young girl, who came down to break
fast in diamond earrings, and talked :
great deal about "style;H and two Or three
elderly men and three or four young
men, who, being mere nobodies, can, oi
course, only expect mere mention.
II was lovely day in the last week Of
July, and these people were gathered to
gether on the broad yeranda OF the Spoon
er homestead lMrs Spooner took a few
summer boarders for company, and
truth to tell, they could not have been IN
a pleasanter place. The house, substan
italy built Of gray stone and draped with
beautiful wistarias that climbed to the
very roof, faced the Delaware River, and
the CLEAN of the water through the
branches of the catalpa trees that stood
Just outside the garden gate, laden with
snowy flowers among which the bees were
having rare riot, was pleasant sight TO
see.
Miss Isabella Spooner, the real mistress
of the homestead-her mothers extreme
lassitude rendering her only Y the nominal
one-was comfortable, sentimental old
maid, with an obtrusivc figure (in which
respect she formed great contrast to
her friend Mrs. Duscnberry), light, very
light blue eyes, and a snuD nose. She
wore her hair brushed back from her for
head-a forehead much like her mammals
and falling in a curly crop in the back
of her neck. In evening dress these curLs
were always tied with bit Of bright rib
bon, which impaired to them quite a
juvenile appearance and charm.
Miss Isabella dotted on poetry, and
looked upon all rhymers us "heaven-
born In fact, she had an intense re-
spect for and admira ion Of all persons
connected with literature, and WAS wont
to say: Gould | have been pen-gifted |
would have asked no other boom"
GLOW very sweet" said Mrs. Dusen-
berry, in a soft, too soft voice, as Miss
Spoouer, after reading the verses quoted
above, took her scissors in hand. They
remind me of some lines | introduced in
nv first letter to Professor CAM at the
time | became so interested in the habits
of the birds Of North America He said
afterward, by-the-by, that the brightness
of that letter absolutely dazzled him.
Mrs. Dusenberry prided herself on hel
letter-writing, and, anxious that hel
talent should not be 'hid under bushel,'
wrote on the subject which she though
would be most interesting to him, with 4
hint as to the impression he had made OF
her rsceptible heart, to every man witt
whom she came in contact, as soon al
possible after forming his acquaintance
"And when do you expect her, lsa
bella?" asked Mrs Spooner, lifting he
hands, of which she was very proud
from her lap, to regard them NOR
closely, and then listlessIy dropping then
again.
"This afternoon, toward evening,
answered Miss Spooner, taking lette
from her pocket and referring to it
"She writes: 4 hope to arrive just as th
sun is beginning to drown in your beau
tiful river, and the evening star peep
forth as bright--as bright, alas! as tn
eyes CT my blue-eyel boy"
"How very sweet" said Mrs. Dusen
berry. at reminds me of a note | re
ceived the other day from DR.. Drake, il
answer to one l sent him begging him 70
a copy of his lecture on the 'Huma-
Skeleton
"Wcll, l should say she was righ
smart. Yes-s," said the young pork
merchant, in a nasal voice. Them verse
sounded very pretty l don't read any
thing iQ the newspapers but the lar
quotatiobs and hog-market reports NY
self, but l know good po'try when hea
it. And you read first-rate, Miss Spoone
you do. Yess."
at was nice" said his sister; "but n
better than a friend Of mine can do. Sh
can write PONIES by the hour, but sll
don't print none. She don't need It
cause her pas rich. She on'y does it fc
fun"
"Wcl1, Pm blessed" here broke in Cal
tain Hottop, dropping his feet with
bang from the char-top on which The
had been elevated, "if / wouldn't like
know what this is all about. Who is she
And who's the blue yed boy?"
. | NNNh,, Llnss mel vnn'vn inst rom