Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-10-14
After Twenty Years.

She was a pretty girl, was Jemima-
petite-that's what like-bright eyes,
luxuriant locks, n white and pink and
white complexion, plump and compact.
She was always in good humor, and we
soon became the very best of friends
nav, more-for who could help being
affectionate toward her? Everybody
loved her. When the boatman called
her "a sweet little craft" they ex-
pressed, though vulgarly, the sentiment
of my own heart.
was in love with 'Jemima, and
Jemima-well, Jemima was not indif-
ferent to me. had not nerve to ask
her. in so many words, would she ac-
cept nv hand and name? I spoilt
auire of paper in an effort to utter my
thoughts in letter; so at last, on her
birthday, the fifteenth of May, ven
tured to present her with an elegant
bound book, and on little.slip OF paper
inside l wrote:
DEAR JEMIMA-By the acceptance OF
this trifing gift let me know you accept
the giver.
ALFRED BARNsTABLE DAUGHTY.
flattered myself it was rather
plucky thing to do,!and it answered ad-
mirably.
Next time I saw her she was all of
glow, and when we were alone together,
and l was standing rather near her, and
said:
"You received my humble offering"
she burst into flood OF tears, put her
arms round my neck and spoilt my shirt
front.
Then, when she recovered little (do
you believe in NiobeP don't) she said:
Have you asked PAP"
Of course responded I had not.
"Then do at once" she said; "for
goodness gracious me, if he was to find
us out in anything sly, and trying to
keep 1t from him, it would be awful"
It is good deal worse asking the gov
ernor than asking the girl, especially
such a peppery old party as Captain
Marlborough: however, screwed
myself up, anG when Jemima was down
about the Jlace playing on our organ,
and knew he would be making his
evening toilet by putting on q pilot coat.
ventured to look in upon him. After
few words on ordinary topics such as
how were we both, how was the
weather. hemmedl and began: cap
tain am ambitious"
Right, boy-climb as high as you
ean."
Cant encourage me too much, cap
tain; I'm ambitious in your direction"
"Boy, you are not going to scar"
"No, captain-I-I-I--Ias aspire to the
honor of being your son-in-law"
The captain looked me full in the face,
then said:
Have you money!"
OF course hadn't, and he told me TO
10 and get it before venturing to aspire
10 the hand of Jemima.
"But, my dear captain"-I ventured
70 expostulate.
"Get off my door-stepr'
"Let me speak for moment to Je-
NINA"
"Get off my door-step!"
He accompanied this last instruction
by thrust which sent me staggering
into the street.
My affair with Jemima was at an end.
The captain would not listen to reason
that Is, he would not listen to me.
al the letters wrote to Jemima were
sent back to me. grew weary, packed
up and packed of, with a letter of in
troduction 10 firm IN China. Well
the fortune was not so easy to make.
but at the expiration of twenty years
began TO think 1t sufficiently large to
warrant my return to ''the girl left
behind me-" ! heard very little from
home. Father and mother were still
alive. but the captain was dead. They
bad carried him through the cornfields
one summers day to the little church.
yard and buried him there.
5emima. understood, lived in the
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