The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-05-01
MISS DINAE'S RASn vow.

ever 20 pleasant a smile OF her roullu
homely face. now almost handsome IN
the cherry sunshine that streamed IN.
Not a cloud no rain to-day, mss
and he will come for sure.
DO you think So returned Miss
Dinah. smiling brightly also, and rising
from her bed To run across the floor ana
cen over Teresa ; broad shoulder
Yes "A very pretty morning: after a
minute : inspection and Il pause to listen
10 the birds and inlale the fresh breeze.
Dress me, Teresa.
No longer Young was Miss Dinah
Prvnne-quite fifty. and perhaps more;
but wonderfully active, with eyes a
pretty and bright a IN her %girlhood, not
much wrinkled, and faculties clear az
they had ever been. With >pringlng
step and quick motion she fitted about
the room, making her toilet, hummIng
to herself, stopping now and then TO
scold old Teresa, who hobbled after her
that sort of scolding which i. under
certain circumstances. an expression OF
good humor. such as possessed Miss
Dinah this morning.
And YOU think 1t will not RAIN. she
said for the tenth time. This time OF
year thunder storms come up very sud
denly, remember. She spoke as II
Teresa were some important officer Oh
the staff of the clerk of the weather,
and had better be careful about her pre-
dictionS.
Tot September thunder storms
arc rare, miss, and he ain afraid of a
little wetting, | do suppose. \ little
thing like that wouldn't keep him
back replied Teresa with scorn.
Miss Dinah ate her breakfast III fever
ish Impotence, which she strove to
hide. Afterward she put on her sun
bonnet and mittens, and went into the
garden, attended by old Teresa, with
w~atering-pot, and trowel, and rake, and
other tools, and together they worked
among the flowers. Miss Dinah, as she
progressed, snapped off contributions
nearly as large aS a cabbage.
He always liked flowers, Teresa,
she said, smelling this horticultural
marvel when it was completed. He
never failed to leave me IA bunch every
morning. Sometimes | let them with
er, to vex him. and she laughed at the
memory of her beautiful girlhood ; ca
prices.
1T wa a pity to worry him, miss"
said Teresa, with honest reproval.
Pooh. The more | did the fonder
he was of me. There was nothing |
wouldn do to PAIN him, sometimes.
That vas thirty years ago, and with Il
little sigh, she glanced backward, as
one may III Il minute, through that long
vista.
"Thirtyyears - said Teresa. And
you ain seen him since: and changed
he must be now-as changed as you.
miss. | mind your pictur up stairs
Il was nineteen her it very like
everybody thought So" interrupted
Miss Prynne.
Nobody could tell it for you now"
$40 YOU think SO ~ said Miss Dinah
disappointed. 1T will be a shock to
him when he sees me. They say old
sweethearts always think of the face
that was, and never OF what time must
have done. 1t is SO, too, | can call
him up except as he was then-Ile
tried hundreds of times, but can't-and
he was a fine young man, Teresa
beautiful young man, with great large
blue eyes, and a straight nose, and
white teeth, and chestnut hair and IA tall
and gracetulfigure ; nobody that I've
yer seen since is the least bit like him.
And he is not Il bit altered. Teresa"
and she laughed again. almost beliey-
ing i.
But he IS, miss. lie is old and
crooked and feeble. and YOU will feel bad
when YOU see him-as bad as he vii
feel when he sees YOU said Teresa.
who was job comforter, sometimes.
Miss Dinah looked panied and sighed
again. i almost wish was not to
HIM again, and sometimes | believe
/ shall not. Perhaps he will not come
after all. lou know II made such a
foolish VOW" and she looked a little
frightened.
You often promised to tell me about
1t, miss, replied her ancient hand
maiden, who felt a profound curiosity
in all that concerned this great meeting
that was to be to-day.
Il will-Ili do 50 now. and hear
what you think. 1t will frighten YOU.
| dare say but it was only a girl fol
y, and God knows I've repented since"
They stood now in the shade of the
great cherry tree at the end of the old.
garden-thin little Miss Dinah, with
her great bonnet on, and stout old Teresa
-hpmely figures, but the picture was a
II Bright was the September
sunshine, and the fragrant air full of
he sweet music of the birds. And AZ
they stood thus, Miss Dinah glanced
BACK again through that long vista Of
thirty years and told her story of her
slrlish love simple, but not without its
tragedy and pain.
Well, We told You often how hand
ome he was and how dearly | loved
nm. A noble fellow, Teresa What
fool | was! There Was not a Girl in