The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-02-26

Dld you raise cotton
"Only few bales. We raised great
crops Of grain-oats and wheat. That
is the prettiest, richest land you ever
saw, up in Carroll County. Our house
stood on a hill, all surrounded with
walnut and hickory trees, and you
know they are sign of rich soil. The
nuts could be gathered from those
trees by bushels, whenever we wanted
them. There was gold around there,
too. Gold in the streams it could be
washed out at any time. Mr.. Mac
Allister believed that there was gold
mine Oh our land, too, and he talked
of having it worked, but he died be-
fore he had made any plans, and |
never cared for any more money than
| needed to spend. He was the one to
make the money fly! But he was so
good natured with it.
Il remember one night [ thought
he did me right mean. We hadn't t
been married great while, and we
went out to party at a neighbor's
about three miles off. We danced and
played games and had a regular frolic
until time to set out for home. He
put me ON my horse, and he and | and
a cousin Of his. who was one of my
old beaux, set off toward home togeth-
er. We hadn't gone more than a
quarter Of a mile when he said, as
natural as life, There, I VOW I've for
got it, after all! Ride on, Barbe, you
and Robert, and I'll overtake you!
And he whipped about and was off
again toward the house we had just
left, all in a fab. I stopped my
horse to wait for him. What can he
have forgotten, | wonder?' [ said to
Robert. Let's ride on till he over
takes u.s. Robert said. I'd rather
wait for him. said [; and wait would
until Robert persuaded me that Mr..
MacAllister would be better pleased if
[ obeyed him and went on slowly: so
[ did, every now and then looking
back, till | was almost home. Then |
stopped. Something has happened to
Mr.. MacAllister, Robert | said. 4
am going back No, no, cousin he
said, laying his hand ON my bride
It's only trick; the men have agreed
to get their wives off, and they are 60
ing to stay and play cards all night.
It was all agreed before we left the
house Il don't believe it, I said, al
most ready to cry. He wouldn't
serve me So He meant no harm;
they persuaded him. Robert said.
And you?' said l. Robert, after fool
ing me away like this are you going
back to finish the night that way?'
Cousin, I can't tell you lie; | am 60
ing back after | see you home, he
said. | rode on, thinking.
Robert was Just married, and his
poor little wife couldn't go out with
him because she was expecting a baby
soon. He did not love his wife as
much as he ought; people said he mar
red her out of spite, but don't know
what person he spited, unless it was
himself; it couldn't have done any
hing but please my husband and me,
md it pleased poor Agatha, who was
L pretty, tender little thing, and loved
MIN dearly. | felt sorry for Agatha.
| said, If you can see how
badly I feel to have my husband do
his way-and I suppose you can
Cousin, I'm right down sorry | helped
1im fool you so, Robert said. I'll
forgive you, Robert, if you'll go home
% Agatha and not touch card your
;elf,' I said. He made pause; but |
and | conquered. He rode
straight on home to Agatha, and |
vent to bed and cried myself to sleep.
Along about three in the morning my
came home and came up to
ny bed. 'Barbe,' he said. Is that
you?' said |, as hard as possible; I'm
to see you. | think you had
better have staid all night. 1 declare
[ wish | had known you thought so,
he said, as good-humoredly as posi-
Die. The party hadn't nearly broken
up, and they all protested at my leav-
ng, but | imagined you would expect
me- Here, Jerry, Wesley, Tom, you
boy there, bring my horse back to the
loorr he called out from the window.
Good night, Barbe: | made mistake,
but I'm off again. Then | had to
give up and forgive him and beg him
to stay"
And he Stald ?
Eyes, he staid. He was the man to
me, my dear; he'd give me the
heartache bad enough, but he kept me
happy and laughing while he was
with me, and | never drew sigh, ex-
cept when he was gone. | knew he
loved me even when he was hard. He
had never been a woman, and he didn
know how hard it was for me. He
never forgot me. | remember that
very month he went down to Augusta
and brought me two OF the finest bon
net; one was a calash-a hood made
like the top of a buggy, you know,
with hoops run through the lining;
there was a ribbon sewed to the top,
in front, to draw it forward over your
face when you liked, and when you
chose it would fold together and lie
back on the back of your head and
neck. This was a beautiful one he
brought me, made all Of plain silk; the
inside Of it was pink silk, and | re-
member | thought | looked mighty
pretty in it. J."
O, roll back, weary tens Of years,
and give me one glimpse of our great
aunt MacAllister, now feeble and sill
ver-haired, as a fair young wife in the
hey-day Of bloom and beauty, her
round face glowing and her brown
eyes dancing under the rose-colored
circle Of her silken calash!