Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-04-08
A Controversy With Cupid.

Little wretchi I hate him. We
have never had moments peace since
he took possession of the house." de-
clared Polly Patten, with n stamp of
her foot.
The "he" referred to was not, as
might be supposed, tramp or a sheriff7s
officer, not even a poor relation, or an
Irish butler, or a heather Chinee. Not
at all. The object of Polly's wrath was
a parsonage lifted up, as it would seem,
by virtue of his position, above human
criticism as above human rules, a myth,
an unknown entity-no other, in fact,
ethan the little god cupid himself. He
and his Vaccinations had of late
wrought changss-woful ones, Polly
thought-in the constitution OF the Pat
ten family; and TO her imagination
represented all manner of discomfort
and discontinue, the alteration of plans,
the blight of hopes-innovations and
cross-purposes without end. She felt
toward him good, honest, hearty hos
tility, as one may toward an opponent
of flesh and blood, as she sat in her bed
room, inveighing upon the subject to
her special friend Susan Gilmore. who
was perched beside her on the broad
window-sill.
"Oh, it's all very we'll 10 laugh" she
went on; "but Just wait till you try it
yourself. All last year was given up,
YOU know, to marrying Helen. Her
trousseau, and her presents, and her fur
nishing-nothing else was thought of or
spoken of for twelve long months. The
house was choked withher things. We
all worked our fingers to the bone.
Nobody could turn round without find
ing a woman and q sewing machine at
bis back. We never even pretended TO
hear ourselves speak. Well. Just as it
was all over. and Helen comfortably off
our minds, Lizzie must needs set up a
lover and long engagement John
Shaw, too, of AL persons! Now I may
be dull, but in the name of common
sense why John Shaw. of all men in the
worldeD
Lizzie knows, presume"
well, perhaps she does; still, IL is
provoking. Every morning of his life
John Shaw looks in for half an hour on
hissway down town. He and Lizzie
absorb the parlor, of course. That Is
all right, no doubt; but. as 1t happens,
that particular half hour Is precisely the
one which used always to take 10 tidy
up the flowers, water and trim, fill the
vases, and make the room nice for the
3
dreadfully. sit and twirl my thumbs,
and scold 10 mother, and she never will
agree with me. Lovers are privileged
she says"
"Of course they are. Don't be n
spoil-sport. Polly. It's their turn now.
Yours will come"
"Neveri But there's more behind.
What do you say TO Eunice's indulging
IN an engagement tooP"
Not reaily~
every really indeed. John Norman
IL the happy man this time. Two
Johns, you observe, by WY of making
the confusion greater. So they sit in
the dining-room every evening, while
Lizzie and her John occupy the parlor."
"And where do the rest of you sitP"
ECHO answers. We sit wherever
we may. Mother takes her mending-
basket upstairs, and has student
lamp on the round table in the upper
entry. Pspa shuts himself up in that
dreadful little close den of his. or
goes to the Office. / observe that he
has business there OF evenings much
oftener than formerly-because there Is
no comfortable place for him at
home. no doubt. Jim makes n point
Of being out. As for Amy and me, we
ler's pantry, or any other odd corner
which nobody else wants." Polly
laughed, but there were tears in her
brown eyes, and very mntinous look
about the pretty mouth, which John
Norman, willie in process Of sampling
the family 20 borrow PoIIy's own
phrase, had once likened TO beautiful
Evelyn Hopes, of the true "geranium
red
''As If all this wasn't enough, sho
went on presently with . half giggle.