The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-05-20
What Two Women Saw.

Wv Maude Chaplain and l. and did
not altogether like the position in which
we were placed.
While daylight lasted, and there SEEM
ed so much life about the farm, 1t SEEM
ed very pleasant to have the house to
ourselves, to be able to wander together
through the quaint old rooms and to
talk on the subjects very dear to both of
US, without the dread of being over
shadowed by the London female cousins
and the roistering youths who had come
to spend month of the shooting be-
meath our roof.
For time we reveled in our compare
tive solitude, and pitied the female cou-
sins, the eager sportsmen, poor papa,
and the rest of the household, who had
been beguiled into accepting an invita-
ton to Mrs. Rattletrap's picnic at the
Scrubs, piece of moorland some eight
miles distant from our house We were
all expected, but my old school-follow,
Maude, pleaded headache, and / was
not sorry to have an excuse for staying
at home with our guest
We had met bat seldom since we had
left the prim school at Taunton; and
although Maude had already been with
us week, what with the noisy clatter
of our friends, the croquet Journeys,
the lawn dances, and the other pleasant
ways in which our evenings were spent,
we had hitherto had no opportunity in
dulging in those mutual condolences so
dear to women who are in the blissful
state known as engaged" There was
particular tender bond of sympathy
between us, inasmuch as L was in BIZ
weekly correspondence with her brother
John, to whom 1 signed myself, "yours
affectionately,'' while her betrothed was
Harry Somers, who had been visitor
to our house from his childhood Ere
they drove away in the afternoon the
other girls twitted us rather severely for
not joining them, and it seemed gen.
eral opinion that Maude's headache was
nothing more than sham.
But the gentleman said little; in my
opinion their hearts would have been
gladdened had all the party abstained
from attending the picnic, their inclina-
tions tending toward the wheat stubble
in =" five acre tield'' and the adjacent
turnip patch, where fine covey had
sought shelter the night before. But as
the girls were resolved on going, the
males of course, were obliged to act as
escorts. By-and-by papa was induced
to join them, and thus it was that Maude
and 1 were left alone.
So engrossing was the subject of our
conversation that we were surprised
when the housemaid brought in the tea,
and dropping courtesy, asked if Sarah,
the cook, might go down with her to
the village, until ten o'clock, to join in
the festivities with which Farmer Ash
combe was celebrating his harvest
home.
1t then occurred to my memory that
the servants had asked me for this holi-
day fortnight previous, and that 1 had
given half acquiescent response. In
the hurry of my domestic duties, and
the excitement occasioned by house
full OF company had, however, forgot
ten the circumstances until now.
"Where is Ben ?'' inquired, refer
ring to one of the carriers who inhab-
tied snug little cottage on the farm,
and was consequently required to place
himself at our service when we so de-
sired.
The domestic dropped another cour-
tesy, and announced that the individual
alluded to had gone to Wells with load
of barley, and would not be back until
late.
And the boy Smith Y''
Please, I'M, master told him he
might go when he'd fed the poultry
and fastened IN up for the night, and
he's been gone this quarter of an hour.
"I hope he made sure the turkeys and
geese were all right, for papa saw a fox
cross the meadow this morning.
oh, yes, IN, he is careful lad is
Smith, and he's got 'em all right
'enow, I'll be bound," responded the
maid
hesitated moment as to whether
it was altogether safe to be thus left !;
but as had given half promise to
the girls, and knew it would be sad
disappointment to them not to go, L
dismissed my apprehensions, and told
them they might leave the tea thing and
be off at once.