The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1881-03-11
Select Story.
THE FYRAMYDOF CABBAGES.


"Why, where are you going, Isabel
Eastman? Not in the farm yard, sure
ly :"
Yes, Miss Lottie Mayell, Tam going
into the farm-yard, surely" replied Isa-
bel, with mischievous light in her
big gray eyes, and charming smile on
her pretty curved lips, as she opened the
gate leading to that place. "Nowhere
else can we be confidential without run
ming the risk of being overheard. The
farmers family are in the orchard; Char
ley and a half-dozen of his playmates are
playing IN the flower garden; there's a
young couple in the parlor at the piano,
he making love, land she not making mu-
sc,and still younger couple whispering
and giggling in the bay window; auntie
is in my room enjoying splendid misery;
and grandma is in auntie's room darning
stockings. And so, if you really want to
hear right away why | am here instead
of at one of my usual summer haunts, you
cen follow me to the farm-yard. Besides
which-speaking with increased anima-
tion-'I have lately. strange as it may
seem to you, developed quite passion
for farm yards.
at doesn't seem at all strange to me-,
my dear, for during our tenycars friend
ship you've always been developing some
odd passion or other. But I've never
lost faith in you. Lead on; I'll fol-
| low"
And stepping daintily and gracefully
unimpeded by trains or demi trains, the
young girls threaded their way through
| the crowd Of hens and chickens holding
| a loud and lively conversation prepara-
tory to going to roost; past the COWS
waiting to be mil;ed, and turning their
l heads to look after the intrudcrs with
great solemn brown eyes, and old Low
head, the white horse, shaking his thirst
at the water trough-to the extreme end
of the yard, where pile of cabbages
\ neatly arranged in the form of pyramid
confronted them.
| 'Behold," said Isabel, stopping before it.
! chow Nature lends herself to Art (That
sounds WELL though l don't know rs il
means anything) This mighty structure
| formed of the green and succulent cab
bage, is no doubt the work of some hum
BILE field laborer, who, having read OF
the pyramids of Egypt, has sought
to bury the monotony of cabbage by
building as close an imitation as his ma
terlal would allow. Let us hope that this
flight of inauguration may be lead to q
higher one, and that the cabbage man.
like the butter woman, may meet will
public recognition, and at last be crowned
with wreath of laurel. Often from
the humblest sources spring the Creates
works of genius Burns-Lottie"- =
breaking off suddenly, and assuming ;
reproachful tone-'why do you break il
upon my eloquence with rude and un
seemingly laughter? was about to re
peat to you Longfellows last poem; now
| won't, See what your frivolity ha
lost you and take seat on the extreme
base of the pyramid q prefer the mound
of sods in this secluded corner, sacred to
somebody's hoe and rake,) while / &C
back to the commonplace"
"Thank you, Bell dear, I'll share the
sods with you, if you please. | have al
idea that cabbage would prove n very
uncomfortable seat under any circum
stances. And do 60 back to the com
monplace, that's darling, for I'm dying
to know what has happened since par
ted an age ago
san age ago One year and hall
exactly, | was then engaged to Claud
Venner Pretty name, isn't it? And he
was pretty little fellow, with nice curly
hair, and lovely blue eyes, with lashes
long enough for bang. small dimpleC
hands, and not an idea in his little rounC
head. My mother-with all due defer
ence | say it-and his mother to whom
| accord much less deference-made tn,
match when | was eighteen, and un
made it at twenty. | never loved Claud
How could ]? Aud he never loved me
How could he? We were the victims o
circumstances and matchmaking nam
as,and two mortals more unlike it woul,
be hard to find, He was the most con
ventional of men and would have nearl,
died if at one of those dreary dinner par
ties in which his soul delighted somebod,
had whispered to him that his back hal
wasn't parted straight, while / have OF
ten been strongly tempted to shock tn
: full dressed guests, at the very start, b.
, asking for more soup"
"Well, last June, at Newport, my d
minutive friend Eda Smythe,with hca
the exact counterpart of Clauds appeare
upon the scene, and she and my betrotl
ed fell in love with each other mt frs
sight, Mamma fretted and fumed an
, scolded, and asked me, with tragic en-
: phasis, how ! could look on and see $
many thousands of dollars lost to tn
, family, for she was sure that artful min
would pursuade poor dear Claud to elop
I or something; but / continued to loo
5 calmly on, until one evening Claud, wit
a deep sigh, kissed Eda's hand and.bi
,, Eda Good night, when | turned suddel
ly upon them, and bid them follow me t
my room. There | forgave-quite i
the manner of stage parent-the ii
fatuated midgets their base duplicity
gave them my blessing, kissed ther
both; and as soon as they, beaming wit
joy, had departed, |, also beaming wit
joy, and not quite in the manner of
stage parent, except perhaps Pinafor
one, executed pirouette-a mad, revoly
( ing pirouette- in honor of my newly aC
I quired freedom, Mamma was awful
? angry, but there awfully happy, an
theve named the baby after me, NJ