The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-06-17
PEGS PUG.

L ne I1UilpE WAS dlulOSI SUTalRllU nOSBu,
and the baby was undecided, but all the
rest of the family with the exception
of Peg). consisting of the mother and
three elder daughters, were aquiline.
Peg, brown haired, gray-eyed, cherry.
mouthed Peg, was Enthusiastically pug.
Her nose, | mean, of course. Somebody
says that lovely eyes are as plentiful as
blackberries, but a handsome nose is
rarely met with. And somebody adds
which is also my own eXperience-that
when met with it usually belongs to an
intensely stupid person. 1t seems as
though brains never did go hand in
hand-no, that won't do-never did
lodge above-that's better-a faultless
nose.
Pegs pug was not the puggiest kind
of "A pug, but with the sauciest little tilt
to it, enough that way to be unable to
deny its relations. A third or fourth cou-
sin, us it were of the old original pug.
Mrs Thrush, Pegs mother--a tall
woman, with fair, lusteress hair, rather
prominent light blue eyes, rosy com.
plexion, wid. mouth, and cleaning
white teeth, in ali OF which particulars
Der daughters Aurelia, Amanda, and
Arabella closely resembled her-had
never ceased 10 bemoan and bewail the
tact of Pegs r''" ''rh g." she
was won .s,,y,. wed
manner at her hus. )e-
longed to any OF my Ia.nlly, in
Thrush. Some of your ancestors -lus,
have owned it, ard I think they might
have much better kept it to themselves
instead of helreathing it to an unfortu-
nate child of mine" During which re
marks, and Others OF the like nature, the
old captain would retire a moment or
two behind his newspaper or book, and
then emerge with smiling face to bestow
a careSS upon The rOWn-haired little
girl at his side.
Poor Peg Il needn't say poor Peg,
however, for she hal the happipst, sun
niest disposition, and sweetest nature
and brightest face in all Ltureltown),
on account of her nose-l can see no
other reason-became the Cinderella of
the Thrush family. Not that she sat
totally neglected among the ashes, like
the Cinderella OF the old fairy tale-for
she was the darling of her iather and
baby sister-but size fulfilled the duties
of waiting maid and seamstress to her
elder sisters, thankfully accepting their
cast-otf clothing in return for her SER
vices (the captain had but a small in
come tor 50 large a family, and she took
almost entire charge of the youngest
who had made her appearance in the
most unexpected manner when Miss
Aurelia was twenty, and she assisted
Lucy, the escrVant-maid, at odd moments.
and read to her father whenever she got
a chance.
Well, things went on this way-Peg's
sisters reading, dressing, walking and
playing the piano and croquet, and Peg
baking, sewing, sweeping, dusting and
taking care of baby Etfie and her father
until Peg was eighteen, and then arose
q great commotion in the quiet country
place in which The Thrushes lived.
There had always been a dearth, a
great dearth, of men in Laureltown.
The fact is, ali the boys born in that
beautiful but secluded place rushed
away as soon as they became old
enough to seek their fortunes in neigh
boring cities, and with the exception of
Tamisin Brook, the vestmaker, who
married jeremiah Toothaker, the black
smith, there had been no one married in
Laureltown for the last eight years. No,
there had not even been an engagement,
let alone wedding.
But the welcome newsP Three most
eligible men, according to the Laurel
town standard, were coming to spend
the summer among the hills and valleys
OF their native place-Captain Spark
man, son OF Mrs. Sparkman, of tile big
house; Arthur Thorne, artist, brother
OF the two old maids OF Honeysuckle
cottage; and David Onion, ESQ. the
wealthy bachelor merchant (woolen
goods, / think) proprietor OF Lilac
villa. OF these gentlemen, Mr.. Onion
had been in Europe fer three years, and
before that had never spent more than
aweek or two at a time in Laureltown
Captain Sparkman had only paid flying
visits to his mother and sister tor the
last ten years, and Arthur Thorne had
lived in Southern State ever since his
nurse carried him away from the old
fashioned cottage where his sisters still
dwelt. Imagine the excitement wher
all three proposed returning together
and staying three months
And Peg was i'm '1ediately command
ed to leave father, baby, parior, anG
kitchen, and devote herself entirely tC
her sisters service. Old silks were
turned, new morning dresses made
hall worn muslins altered and re
trimmed, hats, bought and decorated
and for week the old captain never
saw Peg unless he peeped in at the sit
tlng-room door, whore she sat smoth
cred in dry goods, and wee Effie crieC
by the hour, and would not be com
forted, almost breaking the heart of Tn,
little seamst! ess; but until her task
were completed, Pegs task-mistresseI