Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-03-26
DOUCE.

"douce" r(sweet, and DOuce was her
name to all the neighbors.
She had been christened Helen, but
to all intents and purposes the nick
sname was the only one by which she was
known. She was not a pretty girl SO far
as features and complexion went, but |
with nothing mawkish, or insipid about
her, as might be inferred from her
o name. lo6 ~ .br
1.-The tones of her voice were so even,
her movements so quiet and deliberate,
that you could not understand how
Douce was the ruling mind in family
of six children, FIVE of them boys, and
unruly ones at that. But the truth was,
she was the most daring of all of them,
though she would climb the vtallest tree
and ride the most dangerous horse with
Nthe same calm composure of manner q
Her mother had been an invalid for
many years, and her father, a prosper
ousmerchant at the little town of Oak
port, about two miles from his resi-
& denee, was too busy man to- do more
I. than pass his nights at home, generally,
4 too tired when he reached there to spend
J much time in social intercourse with his
family.
Mr.. Tureau's residence, as have said,
was about two miles from town, but one
mile was through thick, swampy for
est, very bad walking in rainy weather,
and dark and dismal enough even on a
summers morning.
1t bore, too, an evil reputation among
the country people in the neighborhood,
for, fifteen years before, peddler had
been robbed and killed there, and his
body had been found near an old rotten
log. by the roadside. On a large beech
tree which overhung the spot had been
, icarved by someboy, "Here Amos Grove
was murdered.'' rs g
Of course, the ghost of the peddler
was presumed to haunt the spot, and as
the murderer had not been discovered,
the Ignorant, superstitious people of the
tneighborhood all believed the spirit
would never rest in its grave until the
Acriminal who did the deed was brought
( to justice.
To the little Tureaus these woods
were perpetual delight Such nutting,
such berries, such persimmons were
found there, that in spite of thrill of
terror when theypassed the spot of the
sad tragedy, nothing short of a visible
apparition would have kept them from
the woods /. tl ELIl5 &
Douce, who feared neither man nor
lghost, was always their leader in these
Expeditions. At sixteen she was as fond
of swinging on grape-vines and mount.
ing to the top of tall trees as when she
was ten. This sounds as if Miss Douce
sTureau was rather tomboyish; but she
did these things so gravely and quietly
that somehow no one ever thought. of
reproving her for her gymnastic feats.
"Let Douce alone, " said her father.
'eShe has a wary eye, and firm, strong
grasp, and she'll never come to harm.
1t is notla -ladylike amusement for a
young girl to climb trees, but she is not
tomboy, and does not climb them be.
cause she is of a rough, masculine ma
wture....It-is, perhaps, an eccentricity,
and in her case l accept it when should
not in some other children. Besides, it
strengthens her muscles and makes her
hafdy.nrr rrp
uE0ne1 fine September morning Mrs.
Tureau astonished them all by insisting
upon walking to town with her husband.
"The walk is too long for you, Mary
he demonstrated.
"No, indeed" she answered, 81 feel
equal to it,. and / prefer the walk to
riding l will spend the day with
Cousin Jane, and be quite rested when
you return in the evening. The cook
Oora), too, wants to 60 to town to
spend the day and night with her sis
ter" sB-a AZ H- -
GAS you please; but if Dora is going,
who will stay at home with the children
We shall not get back until after dusk,
you know"
.H"You're not afraid to stay here with
the children, Douce, are youP" asked
her mother. Er-
.y, "AfraidP Why, mamma, 1 did moi
suppose you thought me such foolish
coward! What can harm usP"
OF course it did not seem as if there
could be- anything to harm them in tina
quiet place; so, after an early break
fast, the children walked part of the way
to town with their parents. Douc,
stood and looked after them as they left
with strange heart-sinking, she after
ward said.
81 thought it was because MANN;
was always at home," she said. eth
house would seem so lonely without her
But then was so glad to see her able t,
walk again, that l could not understand
my depressed feeling"
There was deal of work to be don
that day. The house was to be cleaned
churning done, and Douce thought sh
would surprise her father and mother b
mice tea when they returned. Assiste,
by her sister Alice, girl of twelve, sh
was still hard at work when the cloc
struck twelve.
'Is it Fossiblep" she cried, ''noo
already, and not thing cooked fo
dinneri Well, children, there's brea
and cold meat and some jam in tn
safe, and well make cup OF tea an
have picked-up dinner"
Picked-up dinners, with tea and jan
are things eDt to be despised by chi
dren. They sat down, a merryS nois
party, to the table.
4Hush, children!" cried Alice, "don
you hear somebody knocking at the ha
door?n @iA''''.'
"One of the neighbors, l suppose,
said DouceSs .'Go, Arthur, and see VII
itis.it 3rrlh 3la -NA t'
In few minutes the boy returned
breathless. q
. laIt,s a horrid old man." he crie'
with a gray beard, and such red fac
and such dirty hands! and he asked t'