Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-09-10

would use up furniture. Sucn coliectlol
of mirrors with shattered glasses, bottom
les chairs, dismantled bureaus and tables
standing upon three legs is seldom met.
"What did you want to playa asked
Hannah.
pirate"
"What's pirate?'
l explained, and Hannah forthwith be-
came the most bloodthirsty of pirates. Il
was in my heart to spare the women and
children but she refused to listen to such
a proposition, and felled her victims left
and right, without regard to age or sex.
Once she pierced me through the heart, and
1 fell bleeding, dying, hitting my head
against the chimney and yelling out in IN
feigued sgonY.
Afterwards we were riding peacefully
along over the green fields and beneath the
calm blue sky, on two-legged and very
dusty sofa. when aparty of brigandsswooped
down upon us and bore us off to loath-
| some dungeon behind dismantled bureau.
| We fattened ourselves and crawled out,
beheaded the brigands, appropriated their
spoils, and returned triumphant to our
own homes. We were very dusty and
covered with cobwebs when [ remembered
my Scent piece and said l must go.
Give me half of what you're going to
buy, and I'll go with you, i" said Hannah.
L couldn't very well refuse this generous
offer; 50 she put on her hood and shawl,
at my suggestion tied up her shoe-strings,
and we started. She expressed prefer
ence for black licorice, aud l expended my
money upon that luxury, and shared it
very literally. We came home hand in
hand, and though Hannah went over-shoe
in mud and water three times, she bore
it with inimitable good nature.
From that morning my friendship ma
tured rapidly. Sometimes Hannah was at
our house; sometimes l played in the
| Farley garnet and sometimes when she
had a sore throat, and wore a preparation
OF lard and camphor gum around it, we
had permission to play in Mrs. Farley's
parlor. Whenever Hannah stole cook
les and ginger snaps for herself,
she always laid in for me; when
Mary Sullivan made tea-saucer pies for
me, carried them red-hot from the oven
to neighbor Farley's, and Hannah and
watched them cool with hearts that beat
as one. Then while onehalf the juice
drizzled over my jacket, the corresponding
half dripped on Hannah's apron. Hannah
was passionately fond of 'jooce.
When school opened Hannah and Invent
hand in hand, and stood by one another in
days of adversely as well as in days of
prosperity, Hannah being a miserable
scholar, her days were mostly of adver
sity.
The months slipped away, and the years
grew apace. My father petitioned the
town authorities to fill up that mud puddle
in front of our house. The town author
tiles gave every encouragement that the
whole Board" would be on the spot at
an early day, but we looked for them in
vain. My father made second and third
importantly with like results. Then he
! pressed his grievance upon their attention
as gentlemen and men of honor. As gen.
tlemen and men of honor they gave their
word that the matter should be neg
lected no longer. We lived upon
that promise for six months. Then
my father, grown irate, threat
ened to sue. The Board, becoming defiant,
just wished he would sue they should
like to see him sue. At this retort my
fathers feelings rose to the summit of
moral indignation he wouldn't sue he
scoIned to lower himself to a quarrel with
such men but he would pay no more taxes
in that town and an energetic preparation
for our removal began.
Hannah and l were sitting upon the
edge of Mr.. Farley's coal bin when COM
municated to her my fathers decision. As
soon as she saw | was in earnest she
dropped over upon the anthracite and gave
vent to flood of tears. She declared that
she couldn't and wouldn't have me go.
| She should die with lonesomeness, and she
wished she was dead. a few tears of mine
drizzled over into the bin and mingled
with Hannah's. Afterward she appeared
reconciled, and manifested intense in
terest in our preparations, obtruding
her services at our house until my mother
declared that she would never be ready to
90 if that Farley girl couldn't be kept at
home.
The morning OF our departure dawned
at last. My father and mother went to the
depot, leaving me to follow, as had come
on the last load of goods.
1t was an April morning succeeding a
heavy rain-storm, and the waves of my
fathers mud-puddle ran high. Hannah
sat upon the old petunia mound by the
gate, sobbing. l raised her dropping form
to bid her farewell, pushed the hair from
her face, and gave her my last kiss. She
clutched frantically at my jacket, but,
recognizing that delays are dangerous,
sprang upon dry goods box in the wagon.
The horse, most severely afflicted with
springhalt, set off at fearful gallop, and
we disappeared around the corner forever.
AS soon as circumstances would permit,
l addressed letter to Hannah, and soon
received a reply, OF which the following is
a verbatim copy
Nv Dear George | now set down to let you
know how am. have had a sore throat merely
/ all the time sence YOU Left. Somebody has shot
/ our Cat. School commences next week. | dred it.
A new family has moved into your House, there il
too boys Eddy and willy. II we never see each
other again on urth hope we may meat in heaven.
Yours Truly, HANNAH A. FARLEY.
The letter also contained two blots and
grease spot, and was directed by Han
nah's mother, wrong side up with care. |
wrote her once more, but received no an
swer failure which | attributed to her
aversion to all literary labor rather to any
diminution in the ardor of her affections.
| attended school for the next three or
four years, and then entered the wholesale
mercantile business in the service of an
uncle. l became rising young man.
Some of the time l rose rapidly. as gaseous
matter and young men between the ages Of
IS and % are in the habit of doing Our
family also prospered. From three-ply in
our parlor we passed by easy stages through
body Brussels to English Wilton, and we
numbered the successors of Mary Sullivan
by twos and by -threes.
Presently l arrived at that age whereat
extremely witty people begin pointing at a
young man peculiarly sharp and original
tests concerning the subject of matrimony.
At first the implication therein conveyed
that had only to choose was gratifying tc
my vanity but by the time | had began
to direct any serious thoughts that way
myself. so much solid wit had become an
insufferable bore. There were girls in large
quantities and excellent qualities all around
me, but the thought of advancing to any.
thing serious with any one Of them always
suggested Hannah.
My "reminiscences of Hannah were moi
such that could create an ideal feminine
character of her but when fellow hal
sat in coal bin with girl and taker
alternate sucks on as many Jackson-balli
as | had with Hannah, no subsequent ex
perience can. ever entirely efface the i'm
preston. had a curiosity to know wha
Hannah had become. The surest way t.
satisfy this curiosity seemed to be to go an(
see her / accordingly went.
The girl was pretty. She had color anC
frankness; she had grace and repose o
} manner. Her finger nails were scrupulous
i,y tav+ root apJ crou-n aYd her hair wa