Daily globe., 1879-05-04

my voice Is q cOmplalnC, ~ crowned Guy! !
The blue sky covering thee like Gods great
Mrs. 3. B. Browning: "!Soups I,uselzing."
BERTHILDA'S OFFER.
Mr.. Flint had the reputation Of being as
hard as his name Certainly he was a crusty
sort Of old gentleman, with q disagreea6le |
habit OF telling what he considered to be the
not at once bow low and say. ''Mr. Flint, you |
are perfectly right" this habit of frankness
had brought him into great many quarrels !
with his friends and relatives, SO that at last
the only one of his own blood with whom he
was on speaking terms was his orphan
whom he was unusually kind, and who be-
lieved him to be modern Solomon.
She had never once contradicted him. When
he told her that the Flints were generally
good. looking, but that she took after her
mother family, who were all as plain as pike
no eu yoa %6en he no said d She
need not mind about being good
looking, because, after all, she was
nice little thing, and would be more apt to
be left to keep house for him forever, she ap-
peared to be comforted. She was mild and
meek, and her vanity had been quite taken
out of her by her uncle's frankness.
She was really, by no means, 81 very plain,
but she accepted MIR. Flint's opinion without
murmur. It was all genuine. She was one
of those little women who naturally bow
6eoGe lore ths head sne ana
he might leave her his money, or some portion
of it. It was too dreadful to think of Uncle
Flints ever dying at all.
As for marrying, it did not enter Berthilda's
mind. She had written herself down a
spinster as soon as she had heard Uncle Flint's
thn yrhio oop10or r1vy
given when she was about sixteen years of
age; but now that she was nearly thirty, she
was astonished by the appearance of a lover,
| in the shape of stout farmer Of forty, a
widower without children, and owner of as
| fine piece of property as could be found in
| the State.
| 1t was case of~love at first sight on his
part, and Berthida finding herself made love
| to. and being quite unused to the situation,
| felt that twas her duty to refuse him, sin e
| to marry would be to contradict Uncle's dis
tinct assertion that she was born to be an old
Mr.. Hoskins SO far as to allow herself to be
seen home from meeting" kissed at the gate,
and occasionally encircled by very large arm, !,
which, after squeeze or two. she always put
away with shocked little squeal
Finally Mr.. Hoskins offered himself, and
| Berthilda, having confessed to partiality for
| him, ended by asserting that Uncle Flint
should decide the matter, and that she dared
not mention the subject to him.
"Well. then, l will" said Mr.. Hoskins. II
amt afraid of no man, and if your uncle has
anything again me, he can out with it and
are SO partikeler, Berthilday; though bein' of
age, can't see why he has any thing to say
To which Berthilda, sobbing, replied that
her uncle's word was her law and was kissed
at the gate, as usual, this conversation having
| Tlonn O ino on hn Iroxr
from church.
On Monday morning old Mr.. Flint, going
after breakfast into the little room which he
| called his Office, and where he transacted
his business as notary public, found lying on
his desk two letters already left for him that
morning, and opening them, found that each
asked him for something.
One was from neighbor named Perkins,
| who desired to borrow a horse Of him. The
other from Farmer Hoskins, asking for his
niece Berthilda's hand.
Mr.. Flint was not in the habit of lingering Q
long over any decision. He regarded the
fact that Berthilda had had an offer as a sort
of miricle not likely to occur again, and he
had an idea that women always liked to get
married.
Hoskins was well to do and respectable
She should have him, if she chose. She had
been good girl to him, and he really felt an
affection for her.
As for Perkins, he should not have his
horse. He hadoverworked the one he ha6
borrowed Of him last harvest time, and the
poor brute had died in consequence. LenG
Perkins his gray mare, indeed! He would
give him a piece of his mind for his impu
dence. And he would settle that business
before he attended to Berthilda's offer.
So he drew his blotter toward him, seized
pen and ink, and indited this peppery epistle
'Sir:-I don't wonder you wrote, and hadn'
the face to come and ask me for what 20,
| wanted q ms have her II,
deed! When every one knows you killed tn
other one with hard work, anG only sent he
home to be buried. A pretty idea that, in
deed! She was just rack of bones when 20,
got through with her, and, I judge, hal
You'll promise to take good care of her, NJ
doubt, You may, if you get her; but you'll
do that by stealing her, and as l suppos
you're quite capable of that, shall see to m.
my locks.
!, "FL1Nr."
This finished, he wrote more briefly to Mr.
Hoskins:
"Desr sir:"-1 can't see anything in the wa
over, If you like, and talk it over.
"Yours. FLINT"
Having done these, he put each into an en-
velOpe and sent them off,
Poor Berthilda scarcely dared to raise he
eyes to her uncle's face that day; but hi
manner to her was unusually kind, and sh
had allowed herself to hope much from il
. . when, as she sat at her knitting in the even
ing, Peggy, the sole domestic, beckoned mys
! teriously to her from the door; and havin.
; thus beguied her into the hall, informed he
: that Mr.. Hoskins wanted to see her at tn
gate.
.. To the gate Berthilda went in astate of ne,
. :. vious agitation which made the blue-ribbo
bow in her hair quiver like humming bird
and there sic found Mr.. Hosklns, so red il
: the face with rage that the color was percer
tible in the moonlight. And his greeting wa
this:
: "Berthildy, if old Flint was any body
uncle but yourn, I'd go in and pummel In
breath out of him. Pve minter do it now.
20, dear" sobbed Berthilda, "what is til
!. matter?"
Giles writ me a letter that was Jest choc
. full OF insults from fust to last" said Mr.. Hos
kins. "Said writ cause was afraid to as
7 killed Abigail Araminty with everwork, an
: starved her to death, and sent her to her ma
' to be buried. Now Abigail Ariminty died of tn
= consumption that was in her family, and
= spent lots in doctors stuffs; and if she ws
: buried from her mas that was the old lady
y wish. And Araminty, she would go there
. . die. And l did all mortal man could, and
= hired help and wasn't nowise hard on Alb
:, gal Araminty; and your uncle. he's liar, an
:. If he'll come out here, I'll wiring his neck. Nv
~ ~ as much as kin do to keep from saying wore
q man hadn't orter say afte he's jined th
!, church. l never was SO mad in my life. II
u pursuing with rage; and he said Pm a THE
q and he's no doubt I'll steal you, if can; an
q l will. It's jest this, Berthilda-you CON
:, along with me noao, and get Parson Speer
e marry us, or there's an end to it. Its all u
If between us. You choose betwixt old Fiji
and me, and if you choose, him, why, I ain
Under IIl no obligations to you no longer, an