The Republican journal., 1880-12-02

This little interview, along with the
bright, handsome face OF the commission
er, fingered like a pleasing dream in the
memory of Asenath, unused to inter
course with persons of cultivation, and
the cOurIeSies of refined life, and when he
dismounted at her school-room door on
an afternoon in the last Of June her heart
f1uttered as it had never done. in view of
any similar ordeal.
1t seemed as though the school had
never presented so unpromising front
but his presence speedily dispelled all
bashtuness and inattention, and his crit
lclsms and suggestions appeared the most
natural thing III the world, and left no
sting Of humiliation. He proposed to
visit schools in the adjoining town the
next day his home was distant, there
was no hotel at hand. courtesy and Gus
tom demanded that Asenath should in
yite him to spend the night al her fathers
house So they Went up the hill She on
the gallant black horse. he walking ut
hel side, turning every now and then to
praise the view, dscoursing merrily of
matters and men, till her cheek flushed
and her eyes grew bright, the blue Sky
seemed full of henedictions. the birds to
sing roundelays, the old familiar way to
be touched by the wand of romance, and
the two knight and lady clambering
the hillside, as in the olden days of chiv-
airy.
He proved a most pleasing guest. de
lighting all his entertainers but While
he talked most with Asenath he looked
most at Hetty. Radiant Iletty with
whom poor Asenath could no more COM
| pare than can the pale sweet clover with
the vivid rose; the sweet clover which
\ Is pucked for It's fragrance when nothing
I better is nigh but which is tramped un-
der foot and forgotten in the cagerness to
| grasp the rose, Therefore it was when
he rode away in the morning, waving his
hand gayly to the two in the doorway.
that Eletty's face dimpled all over with
smiles, but Asenaths grew white and
4 rigid, and she turned abruptly into THE
house, Therefore it was that when latea
she walked TO school the enchanted path
way had vanished, and left but drcary
thoroughtale, the birds notes had L pit
cous sound, as though they had lost their
mates; and the sky, benignant as Of ycS-
terday looked dark with 4 coming storm
lhe black horse climbed Gilmore Hill
more than once that summer. evidently
his rider W.,S slow in cXhausting the
'Niew." Father and mother nodded ap-
provingly ut each other. the btpthels
found fine fun in tormentng llct, who
turned celestial rosy red' at the men
tion of his name; but only her own strong
will and the grace Of God kept Asenath
Gilmore's heart from breaking " hie these
weeks and months went by. However.
no one mlstrusted it, and when at the
season Of apple blossoms there Was a
wedding on the hilltop. it was Asenath
who dressed the bride, and out the cake,
and threw the Old Shoe Ascndth with
smiling face; and not until the guests
We're gone, the wedding feast cleared
away, and the stars We're out. din tile
smile die away
There was no more school teaching
after IIettl marriage lietty. to be sure,
was not like Asenath, yct her held had
been sufficient to be missed, and THE
mother was getting uld So ASenuth
lived at home the ola monotonous lifc
seeing but little from her perch but sun
rise and sunset, hill and valley, tile i'll.
mnlshing forest and the growing Village
through the revolving seasons, until THE
summer she was tWcnty-cight when Her
father built the new house near the site
Of the Old.
Among the carpenters whom he emu
ployed was one Ephraim Burns, who was
accounted an upright citizen and good
workman. He being Il solitary man and
Withal an obserVant one. looked with
favor on the houseWitcy ways Of \scnath
Gilmore and made application fol- her
hand.
There is no question but that i'll left to
herself she would have given him 4 point
blank refusal; but her parents, taking
what they called "a common sense view
Of the matter and steadtastly believing
they We're consulting their childS best n-
terests, reasoned with her On this wise
'iIes a likely man, honest, industrious.
and good tempered and will make a good
provider l0u won't pc apt to do better
and its ten to one you'll never have
another chance. Your brother Seth will
bring his wife home in the spring, 80
therell be somebody to take your place.
You'd better think it over, and not he
hasty,"
So she thought it over Evidently it
would give better satisfaction if she left
her fathers house. Her youth was al
most gone. She might teach district
school, or work out by the week all her
life. and what would it amount to She
had given up the hope Of climbing to
fairer fortunes. Therefore, like many
woman before and after, She accepted
She did not care for a wedding, and one
Sunday afternoon. after the sermon in the
school house, Asenatn Gilmore and Eph- |
RAIN Burns stood up before the gray
haired minister, and were made husband |
and wife.
The neighbOrS looked after them as
they went up the hill, remmking that it |
was rather sudden but a first rate match. |
Her father gave her a deed Of the old 4
house and two acres Of land, some new
furniture was bought, the stores Of linen !
which she had spun and woven were ar |
ranged in her drawers, and thus quietly |
and soberly her welded life began.
One child, girl, fair and delicate, was |
born of this marriage, a sunbeam that lit |
the heart of the mother like 4 ray from
heaven. 1t seemed that in this Young
life might be realized what had been
wanting in her own that her childhood |
and youth might blossom again in that
Of her child, But when the sunbeam had |
Ludtt lllc bltt lltISC lttuldllt ltI years, |
the shadows Of death closed about it, and
hid it from sight forever Soon after her
father and mother were laid side by side
in the graveyard of Akers. Tier brothers
are prosperous farmers, most Of them
having settled in the neghborhood. Het-
ty, comely, gay, and fashionable, lives in
Chicago; her husband is an editor Of
some repute, and supplies Asenath with
books and magazines.
Ephraim Burns is still "a likely man, |
honest, industrious and good-tempered,"
but he has never become a master work |
man "behind the times" is the verdict
rendered by his townsmen. He has al
ways come home to clean swept hearth
and cheerful wife, and has taken life easily
and contentedly; but they still live in the
weather beaten house, Asenath's pocket
money is limited, and the dresses that
hang in her wardrobe few in number.
la .,.I ranorI pt