The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1879-07-31
THAT UNLCCkY QUOTATION
\ STORY OF "IIN.tFORE.

\ STORY OF "pINtFOKE.
They would have made Il very pretty
picture ON Il painted tile. is they sat on
the porch in the vivid afternoon light
The cottage itself was as trl2l and COM
plctc as II toy house; its color was soft
gray. The late sunshine was goldcnly |
clear, and all the green world was shin
ing, fresh from Il slower. Auntic Trib !
was sitting in bright red rock1ny-chair
and her pretty old face was as pink and
white as IL bunch OF roses; and as for
Salllc hcrsclf-%cll, ask any critic in
Rockdalc, from the oldest inhabitant
down to the finest toddlcr, and you will |
hear mere enthusiastic comment than
any which can supply. Rockdalc is a
neat little New England village. far |
away out of the world, in IL rocky, billy
and-dalcy district, where the direct he
scendants at the Puritans still hold their
sway.
Auntic Trib's son, Free Grace Hill =
called Free" for short-matlc his name
good at an early ag" by snatchiny his
liberty and marching away "to town
never mind rhat town; we can call it
II. He verified .,s mothers title at
the same time, for she became indeed an
embodiment Of trlbllation: but Free
disappointed her ayrrr'Ily, for he found
q good situation, and worked in it faith
fully and steadily. lie was now a never
failing source OF pride and del yht when
on his brief visits he slaZZlcd Roc: dale
with his "town-ma'l" garments, his
dainty m1lstacllr and general air OF
"style."
His last visit, howe yer. proved an epoch
in the history Of Rock,lalc, and also in
the history Of his fair little orphan cousin
friend, employed in the same house With
himself, but in Il more advanced position.
This parsonage, whom he tlcSi ynattl as
Jack Arnold, Immediately sent poor Free
into the shade, and east him clown from
that pinnacle of fame which he had mount
ed at the cost OF many II palr OF highly
polished boots and much studied elegance.
will not attempt t" describe the ct
feet which young Arnold produced upon
the 'Simplc village mli'lcns." Every pref
ty vile which had formerly been directed
toward the fortunate son Of Auntlc Trib
was now lcyclcd ut his friend, with il force
and energy that produced the effect OF Il
bombartlmcnt. Ere long, however, it was
discovered that the newcomer was proof
against every species OF attack. Not that
truth was that he had fallen under the
very first shot. He had not been beneath
Auntic Trl''s roof twrnty-iour hours be-
tore he had succumbcd Internationally
to the force of Salic'S charms. The little
Puritan maiden, with her cameo face anil
her stcadtaSt gray eyes, stole at once into
his hcart-an honest heart, for there is
novillian in this unprtrn,ling tale and
from hencclorth he was her lcgc kni %ht
for life. 1t was not by passionate plead
ing and great deeds that he under:
took to win her for his own: no,
the task was bat easy, after
all. He was fair, good humorc,, tall
and handsome; Free said he was CAPT
tai fellow, and Sallic had great faith in
Free; he was devoted and unrcscrvc'l in
expressing his affection: what more could
maiden ask? Before his vacation was
over he had bravely made known his
love, and was shyly but readily accepted;
and when he and Free left RocEdalc they
babe tender farewell to happy little
damsel with ring upon her finger.
All this did no: happen long ago, but
in this very year of 1879. Rock'lalc was
nestled away far and deep among the
hills; 1t was not very near the town OF
L., and Il itself was not great
city. How should Rockdalc know what
was agitating the world beyond? BY
newspapers, Of course; but women do
not often read the newspapers carefully,
and the two women Of this narrative sell
dom looked into them. Especially did
they, in their Puritanic riYor, neglect the
amusement columns. After all, why
read Of operas, plays and concerts that
one cannot sec or hear? When anything
was ''going on" in Rockdalc itself, all
the viHagc was on the alert; but no one
cared what the fashionable folk stared at
through their ra-glasscs in the great
cities. So this year, when III. NJ. S.
Pinatore' sailed iauntily, with colors fly
ing, into American waters, many Of the
inhabitants Of Rockdalc rocked not Of it.,
and this simple fact brought constcrna-
ton to the house Of Hill. The "saucy
ship" found its way to L., anchored
there long enough to set a few enthusiasts
to singing "Littlc Buttcrcup' and "Thc
Merry Maiden and the Tar Incorrectly,
Of coursc), and not finding quite so warm
welcome as in some of the larger cities,
soon set sail again for a more congcnial
haven. But the mania for quoting the
librctto - especially the ''lardly ever
epidemic spread in that region as it did
everywhere.
Our friend Jack Arnold went to sec the
performance, and of course he thought
OF Sallie all the evening, and cnvied
young Hill, whose ladylovc was in the
party. The two young men were mcdi,
tating briet visit to Rockdalc, and
hence it was, perhaps, that Jack s
thoughts were too tar away to allow OF
his giving full appreciation to the incom-
parable little opera. All the tcndc,
music filled him with thoughts Of love
from which the irresistible jingle of the
merry choru:es bcguilcd him only 70,
the moment. Therefore, when the day
came for the journey to Rockdale, and he
found himself at last in the presence o.
his beloved, his mind was quite absorbed
by the joy Of it, and he had no leisure
for such tritling matters as the discussion
OF pretty new opera. So Sallic was lcf
still i'll her bcnightcd ignorance; sft
knew nothing of "Pinaforc.'
They began to talk of mundane mat
tiers, however, on the second evening
when they were all seated together.
"That poor Laura Bcamis?' sale
Auntie Trib, compassionatcly "Diti vol
know she'd got back, Frec?'
"Laura Beamis!' uttered Free, with {
laugh, and glancing at Jack, who looked
trific conscious. '|You had flirt-'
"Ycs," interrupted his mother; sane
they do say she's been Tilted by some
town young man to degree that's made
her a poor, brokcn-hearted consump
tive"
"Dear mel" exclaimed Free. "Hear
and lungs gone at one fell swoop! Tha
is going into the dying business whole
sale.'