American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-08-21
"DID L FLIRT WITH HERl"

ssDID FLIRT WITH HERl"
Twas engaged to Margaret Sheppard,
and 1 thought myself the luckiest man
living. Margaret was so handsome that
no stranger ever saw her without ex-
pressing admiration; and one did not
weary of her face after years of famil-
iarity with it. She was well-bred, ac-
complished. and great heiress. had
reason to believe that she was very fond
of me. No man could be more entirely
content than was as leaned back in
the palace car that bore me over the
country TO New Valladolid. where was
to preach for few Sundays
The pulpit was vacant, and I was just
trying my wings. With my pecuniary
prospects scarcely thought l should
care to accept call to New Valladolid,
but had no objection to filing its pull
pit for a few weeks, especially as Mar
garet had gone to Saratoga, and New
York was warm and stuffy and stupid.
Casual remembrances of elegant par
sonages built in the Queen Ann style;
of study, where the footballs were
softened by Persian rugs, and the doors
draped with portieres of velvet; c.-..rs
and a desk carved richly as some old
confessional, fitted through my mind.
And / thought also of table spread
with silver and rare china, with a lady
at its head who resembled a queen.
And breathed luxurious sigh as
awakened from my day-dream to a
knowledge that the words Z" New Valla-
dolid' were being shouted through the
car, and that the train was coming to a
standstill before little pine station.
1 caught my travelling bag from the
catchall overhead, and hurried out of
the car. The porters had just dumped
four or five trunks on the platform.
Two old wagons stood in the road, one
driven by an old woman in a sun-bonnet,
the other by red-haired boy, with
bare feet; and queer, knock-kneed
horse, attached to a still queerer old
buggy, was tied to post at a little
distance. A young man, in very light
summer suit, and a city family bent on
rural happiness, were nv companions
on the platform. The former put his
trunk into the first wagon, kissed the
old woman in the sun-bonnet, took the
reins and drove away. He was evil
IDENTIFY the son of the family come home
to spend his vacation. The rest of the
trunks and the city family, mother,
father. little boy, nurse-maid and baby,
were put into the wagon driven by the
boy.
Some one cried. "AlI aboardr' Con-
ductors leaned out over the platforms
and made mysterious signals to each
other with hands held sideways The
cars ratified and clashed, the whistle
shrieked, and the train moved away.
was left alone on the platform
alone but for the baggage-maste who
sat upon a log chewing straw.
In a moment more this funetionary,
without looking at me, made a re-
mark:
Deacon Glover has come down for
the new dominic. He's over to the
store. Comm back in minute"
THANK you," said L.
The baggage-master took no notice
of me, but having climbed upon a stool
and made some changes in a time reg
lister on the wall of the station. locked
the door, put the key in his pocket,
and sauntered away down the sandy
road.
took his place upon the log and
waited. In a few moments prim lit
tie old gentleman in linen duster ap-
peared upon the top of the hill, carrying
in one hand a Tin can, in the other tin
pail, and under either arm brown pa
per parcel. 1 knew at glance that it
was Deacon Glover.
THAT Mr.. GannetP'' he inquired
mildly, as he approached. 81 want to
know! l hadn't any expectation of
being kept SO long, but, you see, it
saves the women folks trouble to fetch
things over when drive down. Step
in, won't you? I'll get in after. I'll
jest hang this can of Kerosene lie on be-
hind Some dislikes the smell-maybe
you do The molasses, and tea, and
coffee can go under the seat as well as
not. How's your health, sir, and how
do you like New Valladolidp"
answered that my health was good,
and that had not, as yet. seen much of
Falladolid the New.
mo more you haven'e' said the old
gentleman. "Well, you'll drive
through it now" And he shook the
reins and the old horse began to STUN
BILE along. And on we drove past GER
tain rows of frame houses very much
like each other and with the same flow
ers in their front gardens, until. having
passed the church, we came to one
happily set about by old oak trees, be-
fore the gate of which he drew up.
A girl stood at the gate--a fair girl
in blue muslin dress and a white
apron.
Take the molasses, lilly, before it
gets upset." said the deacon. This
is Mr.. Cannot that's to preach for us.
Mr.. Cannot, this is my daughter lilly"
We.bowed and she vanished with the
parcels.
What a lovely little creaturer' 1
said to myself. Nothing like Marga-
ret. but so prettyr' And l found my
self thinking of her as l washed my
hands and brushed my hair in the blue
walled bedroom on the second floor,
with white fringed counterpanes and
curtains and two black silhouettes over
the manteLpiece, on either side of the
china vases of roses.
There were only four of us at table
the deacon, his wife, a stout lady who
never said more than she could help,
and lilly. She had spent the last
winter in New York, and we talked
about all she had seen. She was self
possessed without being forward, and
oh, SO pretty so pretty! Now, Marga-
ret was splendid and queenly, SO this
was mild praise that she could not have
objected to, only said it very often.
preached in the church on the morrow;
preached on the next Sunday. twas
settled that should spend the summer
there. 1 wrote this to Margaret:
.ssince you caunct be with me it does not
matter where / am-this stupid place MS well as
any other. Address 10 the care of Deacon
HezekiaI Glover. / shall board with him while
] stay"
1t was pleasant summer, despite