The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-12-17


nerva has come back, Mike" he said
"and is going to have some kind of a
blowout on Christmas Eve. She calls ita
tabler vevaught, or something OF the
kind.
"a fwhat ?" questioned the Irishman,
scratching his head in the most puzzled
manner.
'Thats what sticks me, Mike, though
I did not let her know it. Anyhow there
is to be some kind of female circus, and
the animals will want plenty to eat "
BLESSINGS on the bright eyes of her,
and its ivrything on the old farm I'll kill
if she wants it, the darlin'."
eyes, believe you That girl seems
to have faculty of twisting every one
around her finger, and"
"Divil a won more thin her Guild fayth-
er, said Mike as he proceeded to obey
the orders he had received, IAN muther
lashins of poultry" well knowing that
his share Of the feast would be no stinted
one.
To late hour the making ready was
continued, and all went to bed tired but
happy. And the next day was a continual
hustle. Extra help was summoned, and
the kitchen fires roared, and the i'm
mense Dutch oven glowed and plenty
ruled triumphant, while the old deacon
was in his glory bringing supplies from
town and making himself useful as well
as most provokingly otficious.
So the day passed and the night came
with everything ready for the grand
time
Early the house began to be filled with
a merry company, and were welcomed by
father, mother and daughter, the latter
resplendant in robes Of fleecy white,
abundantly trimmed with soft, floating
laces and looped with artificial flowers,
while natural roses, fringed with myrtle
and smilax. were half hidden amid her
! golden hair and pulsated upon her Joy
ously throbbing bosom.
For an hour there appeared to be
ceaseless Ginning of sleigh-bells, and
rosy, laughing loads deposited at the
door. Indeed, so many were the teams
that Mike was frantic to know what to
do with them. But the Deacon believed
in "the more the merrier" principle, and
kept every one busy and contented. Yet
for all the gaily dancing and singing
company, shade of perplexity now and
then crossed his face. He had not solved
the mystery of the tableau, and it hung
upon him as a troublesome nightmare.
For hours the house rang and trembled
upon it's strong foundation. 1t was q
veritable beehive of fun and frolic, and
many soft cheek took on deeper roses
from stolen kisses; many an innocent
heart bounded more swiftly from the en-
circling arm and many pair of ears
tingied from the slappiEg OF white hands
III payment for saucy jest or pilfered
caress
But good, buxom dame Hannah had
almost as much pride in her cooking as
in her one dear lamb, and when the
ancient clock made its huge, heavy,
cohin-like case throb with the ringing of
ten, she whispered to her husband. good,
prudent soul that she was, that 'the
children must be getting hungry, and
she was going to see about the tables. !"
In response to her suggestion, he
sought their daughter and told her they
were going to have supper, and that the
young folks had better stop romping and
cool of, or some of them would be cer-
tain to take their death.
eyes, father" she answered; "but we
must have the tabteau first" and she
looked up, blushing more deeply than a
damask rose in June into the face of Mr..
Frank Emmons, upon whose arm she
happened to be leaning.
"All right responded the old man
with sigh of relief, for the burden would
soon be lifted from his soul. "Do you
want me to help you?"
"No; but tell mother, please, want
her." And Miss Minerva darted away
to her own private room, while the old
man told the fiddlers to adjourn to the
kitchen and make themselves comfortable
until wanted again.
Evidently some of the girls understood
what was going on, if the Deacon did not,
for they cleared one end of the hall,
hung great patch work bed-quilt across
and marshalled the company into some
thing like order. Then, after brief
pause, in which there was much whis-
pering, the improvised curtain was drawn
aside and disclosed Miss Minerva stand
ing hand in hand with Mr. Frank EN-
mons, with a young lady and gentleman
as supporters, and the old minister be-
fore them.
Amazed, but silent, the Deacon looked
on. He did not comprehend the affair
at all, had no practical knowledge of
charades, but when certain words had
been spoken and ring passed, sud-
den light broke in upon the darkness of
his understanding, and he exclaimed
with an earnestness that startled all:
"Je-ru-sa-lem 1t looks like a mar
riageP
The hearty laugh that followed sufficed
for full explanation and it needed not
the assurance of the minister to convince
him that his daughter was honestly and
legally married to the man of her choice.
And yet at first he was disposed to be an
cry Then he saw the foolishness OF
such proceeding, especially as he had
previously given his assent to the Sc
lection of his daughter, and entered
heartily into the laugh against him
self.
That's what you call a-Jerusaleml
L can't speak the new tangled name-is