The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-12-30
A NEW YEARS CALL,

"Maxwelton's braes are bonnie
Where early fas the dew,
And twas there that Annie Laurie
Gave me her promise true,
Gave me her promise true,
Which ne'er forgot will be. .
And for bonnie Annie Laurie
I'd lay me down and dee"
It was nv favorite song. looked up
from the desk where was writing as
the fresh, young voice rang loud and
clear on the summer air, and drawing
the window curtains little aside peeped
out at young girl in my neighbours
garden. ....
Ayoung girl as pretty, IS blooming,
as pdre-looking as the delicate white
-blushing family in unconscious
ness of their beauty-that had stolen
from their own trellis to climb the grape
arbor, by the side Of which, to pluck the
farest and sweetest, for moment she
singing stood. -
Then for another moment or two she
fitted hither and thither among the 9th
er flowers, the sun making gold Of her
flowing hair, until some one called
"Milicent" from the house, and trilling
the last line again I'D lay me down and
dee" like o meadow lark, she vanished
from my sight. .-.....'...
NY neighbor didn't know I was his
neighbor, though was perfectly aware
he was my neighbor.
will explain. The cottage in Apple
land, of which I was OCCUPYING the second
floor, belonging to an old friend of mine
who had gone abroad. Knowing that I
was anxious to secure secluded country
~ In
80 that I might finish and revise-well
no matter what, but a WORK, fatter my
self, of some Importance, he had kindly
offered me the use Of the rooms as long
as chose to remain. .
Entire seclusion was my object in 60
ing to my friends cottage, and that was
thoroughly understood by the old house
Keeper, who never made her appearance
except at meal time, and who had men
toned my arrival to no oae in the neigh
borhood.
After dark I used to let myself out at
side gate effectually screened from view
by group of grand old apple trees and
stroll about for an hour or two, and then
let myself in again without any one be
ing the wiser. .-..-
Not very difficult proceeding, how
er, I must admit, as my neighbours house
and nv friends house were about half q
mile from the village on one side, with
about two miles of dense woodland on
the other.
They had originally been built fol
twin sisters who, marrying, refused to be
utterly separated from each other, SO only
a low fence divided the front lawns ano
back gardens. 80
NV neighbor, as 1 discovered by peep
ing at him on sundry occasions, was al
elderly, stout gentleman, with keen, dark
eyes, shaggy eyebrows, decidedly for1e
com lexion, stubby nose, stubby beard
stubby hands and projecting chin ane
upper lip His household consisted O.
his wife. a motherly looking old lady a
stout as himself, a cook as stout as he1
mistress, a coachman and gardener a
stout as the cook, a rough-coated, awk
ward dog, answering to the name o
Dub" and shaggy pony called isis
Well, here had been domiclled TO
two weeks, writing away as for dear If
as totally lost to the world as though
had never existed, until the mornin!
when heard the meadow lark singing
"Ann1e Laurie"
VINO COulS& SilS DC! OuC WILL 1C
semble my ne1ghbor or my neighbor'
wife in the least. ! resolved to find out
if possible, and so the next morning
said, carelessly, to the old housekeepel
when she brought up my toast and cot
fee, ''Have the elderly couple next doc
any chilarens'
mo, sir" was the reply, 'not q chic
or child, which I don't mean they haven
chickens, sir, for they have, only as th
saving is. Never have had, ana neve
will have, I suppose, at their time of lit
unless by miracle, though they're awt'
fond Of 'em. Seems to me as folks ths
are awful fond of young ones never hi
'em; p'r'aps that's the reason they're s
fond Of 'em' not knowing what a worI
and care they are falling into ponds, an
out Of trees, and down stairs, and Sc
ting the cholera morbus with eating u
ripe fruit
s'And the young lady," I internpte
dipping crust into my coffee and no
ding toward my neighbours garden, "who
heard singing yesterday was
ssTheir neice, sir, and is to have all Il
money when she comes Of age if 81
don't displease her uncle. You. see, s.
Miss Milicent's mother lived next doc
and her aunt, her mothers twin siste
lived here. They were the lovingest s!
tiers you ever knew, and died within
few DAYS of each other. one leaving
daughter, Miss Mile, and the other
son, Mr.. Chester, and Mr.. Gardner, nc
our neighbor, was their eldest BROTH
though he looked not more like the
than you 90, and he's the guardian, al