The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1880-12-23

tain to take their death.
eyes, father, she answered; "bUt we
must have the tdbleGu first, and she
| looked up, blushing more deeply than q
| damask rose in June into the face Of Mr..
Frank EmmOns, upon whose arm she
happened to be leaning,
/ Fan right, " responded the old man
with a sigh Of relief. for the burden would
! soon be lifted from hls soul. ''DO you
want me to helpyoug
''NO; but tell mother, please, I want
her. And Miss Minerva darted away
to her own private room, while the old
man told tine fddlers to adjourn to the
| kitchen and make themselves comfortable
| until wanted again.
| Evidently some Of the girls understood
what was going on, if the Beacon did not,
/ for they cleared one end Of the hall,
/ hung great patchwork bed-qUilt across
and marshalled the company into some
/ thing like order Then, after a brief
/ pause, In which there was much whis-
I pering, the improvised curtain was drawn
4 aside and disclosed Miss Minerva stand
/ ing hand in hand with Mr.. Frank En-
mons, with a yOang lady and gentleman
as supporters, and the old minister be-
Z fore them. --. ..f .-..s
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 .eanestness that startled all
''Je-ru-sa-lem It looks like a mar
riage"
The hearty laugh that followed suficed
for full explanation and it needed not
the assurance of the minister to convince
| him that his daughter was honestly and
I legally married to theman of her choice.
| And yet at first he was disposed to be an
! CRY. Then he saw the fOOhshness Of
such a 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
I can't speak the new tangled name-is
1t? Yet It wasn't hardly fair to fool the
/ old man so, Minerva. u did expect YOU
would find something in your stockings
tonight, child, but NOT 2 great, live man.
| However it IS all right (anything she
could have done would have been SOY and
wen make the best of it, and your moth
er and I VIII have plenty to do In getting
things ready,to fill the little stockings
that" - -4
A soft white hand stopped his words,
red and ripe lips were pressed upon his
own, a silken face was laid upon his
wrinliled one, a few tears Of happiness
were rained down upon his broad breast,
and with faltering tongue the old man
called the young husband to his side,
gave him the hand of his darling, and
ssid, f'Tale her and may God bless you
both, my children. If have lost
daughter I have found a son and shall
have another arm to lean upon when my
eyes grow dim and steps unsteady
and"
More he would have said but a great
ringing of bells summoned them to sup
per-and such q supper. It would have
made grim Famine commit suicide IN de-
spair to have looked upon the tables, and
Time throw away his hour-glass and sit
blythelY down and enjoyed the feast
The good mother had known the secret
from the first, and with her pride stiIhu-
lated had distanced ell former efforts,
5even to produce q Christmas supper, and
the only complaint was Of excessive full
ness, when again the Yiolins summoned
the party to the hall