Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-10-21


bright eyes were wonderfully bright and
shining. | am afraid she was quite una
ware how much they avowed, as she
raised them to Johns face sometimes.
Prudence should have kept them averted.
II burned my finger today she said,
displaying it, taking the baked custard
out of the oven.
"Why, the poor little finger! And
such bad stuff as custard is, after all. -
"Do you think so; Pa likes it"
"Nes. SO did my mother She al
WAYS considered it an especial treat. |
was a tender hearted chap. 1t made me
unhappy because | hated it it seemed
ungrateful.'
lilly thought this delightful trait.
I'VE often have custard,' she pursued.
"It's so hard to think up new kinds of
desserts
And a great waste of brains
Perhaps it is. | often wish | had
more time for improving my mind.
"You should take the time, dogma
tized John. He had had it on his mind
10 say this. Ii struck him that Tilly's
education was Shamefully neglected. She
wrote a wretched, scratchy little hand;
she stumbled in reading aloud an ordi-
nary newspaper paragraph; she had once
committed herself to the opinion that
Vienna was in France. 1t was strange
that beauty could be so illiterate-strangc
and shame. The poor child was kept
drudging from morning till night, cook
ING. sweeping, dusting. Why didn I
those two sisters Of hers put their shoul-
ders to the household wheel; 1t was all
they were good for. Some one had said
that Tilly was not old Green's own child.
The more fool she TO wear herself out IN
his service: but women were apt 70 be
fools, they would slave themselves TO
death for any man who gave them kind
word At least, 50 his mother had SAID.
And old Green was certainly aHectionate
enough 20 the girl Poor little thing,
who could help being good TO her, All
this. while he kept up at the same time
an animated conversation with lilly.
Nor was this the only drive they took
together. lie asked her all the oftcner
when he saw il made the wicked sisters,
as he dubbed them. angry. As it proved,
he asked Tillv far ot;cncr than was good
for her. This was only an episode with
him: with Tilly it wa, the most real cx-
pcnence OF her life. John Leonard sell
dom talked of his plans, but she had
mapped out his career for him. When
he graduated in medicine he should be-
come her fathers partner. aud finally re-
Eevc her father OF the burden OF his
practice: and thcn-and thcn-Iilly al
ways herself shared these air castles with
John.
This was d long, long while ago-bc-
fore the war. almost; accurately at the
very breaking out of the war. Those
drives occurred during the April and May
when the first regiments were put IN the
field. At first. John Leonard, who was
an Englishman, escaped the war fever
let these brothers tight ont their own
family quarrcls. But gradually the soul
of the war clarions passed into his
| blood" He must have hand in this
himself. 4 man must belong somewhere.
80 he coolly informed DR.. Green one day
that he had enlisted he was going to
fight for his shoulder straps. "As for
my diploma. I'll wait awhile for that.
The doctor told him he was mad, and
urged him at least to wait year. But
much recked John: 1t Is a waste OF words
to answer Young man except according
to his folly. John was an ardent soldier
b, this time. He had come to America
to seek his fortune; perhaps the way to
it lay along the path Of glory.
When he came TO bid lilly good-by,
she burst out crying That settled the
question as to their manner of farewell.
| lie took her in his arms and kissed her
repeatedly. This was decidedly impru-
dent. although they were only affection
ate, brotherly kisses. Miss Posie came
in as he released her. "Well, Matilda
Green she cried, with an intonation
that meant ANYTHING but well. But lilly
was too heart broken to extenuate her
conduct She left that to John, who said,
good naturedly, you'll give me kiss.
won't YOU, Miss Rosie: Remember, YOU
may never see me again.
And he actua ly kissed Posie, too. He
wanted to put it out of her power to
tease poor lilly. She had been guilty Of
the same impropriety herself.
Poor Till was wretched, indeed, after
he was gone. But she was buoyed up by
hopes and visions She had brave pic
ture, too, of John which he sent her when
he was made a lieutenant. Oh, how
proud she was when that came, She felt
that she was fighting the battles Of her
country.
She never forgot that speech of John 5
about improving her mind. She tried
hard TO find time to do so. Her favorite
method was the composition Of letters to
John. which were never sent, in the
course of which she would laboriously
hunt out in the dictionary nearly all the
words she wanted to use, to insure their
correct spelling. She also endeavored to
find time to read such light literature as
was contained in the weekly paper of the
household. She read the love stories, to
be sure, with an especial zest apart from
their purpose as educators. They struck
a kindred chord.