Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-04-07
Gales ano Sketfbes.
THANKSGIVING BEGGARs.

Iudty Tie SOOu tduSu we We utu WHcu
some OF the neighbors was took in by US,
and filed our baskets with Thanksgiving
fare. Your spelling matches amt nothing
new neither. We used for to have 'em
out to Pixies Clearing, jest for recrea-
ton like; cold winter evenings, they
warmed you up bit, and begot many a
heart-burning. I'll warrant In the sum-
mer time, you see, we could hev fgger
in the barn, if Ben he'd his violin mended ;
hut winters there wa mt nothing we could
do but jest get together and cultivate our
minds with the spelling book. for we
couldn't dance in the school-house on ac-
count Of the seats. Seems to me / can
see Sibyl Jones now waiting on the sittee
for to be chose on one side or t'other !;
for. you see. Jack Rhett, Square Rhett's
son, used to come and join US while he
was studying with Parson Paul 10 keep
with his class at Yale the year he was rus
ticated; and the way Of it was he always
led one side of the spelling match and
Matthew Morris, Farmer Morris Mat
led the other; and there sat Sibyl rs still
as a mouse, only her hands working to-
gether under her shawl-for the school
house want always as warm as love
and her two soft eyes a-glitterng. glitter
ing: and p'r'aps it wouldn't be till there
wasn't nobody else left to choose that
young Rhett would say, saucy enough
"Well, now, I'll take Miss Sibyl
Jones'"
Last, but not least" Mat Morris
would call out. Fof the truth was. Matt
would hev choose her furst himself, but
he knew that she wouldn't do ANYTHING
a-spelling against Jack Rhctt and that
she'd sooner be last with Jack than first
with anybody else. That's what | call
self-denial. or else never come across the
thing. But. you see, Jack was a PLAYING
sort Of fast and loose with Sibyl; he han
kered after her pretty face and pretty
manners, but he couldn't quite bring him
self to overlook the distance between
Squire Rhctt's son and Farmer Jones'
daughter, specially as Farmer Jones was
ne'er-do-well. and loved his cider bar
rel better'n all the rest of mankind. Now
with Matthew Morris il was different a.
everybody knows. He loved Sibyl Jest
for herself, and it didn't make no odds 10
him who or what her father was. long
rs she was nobody but herself. But then
he was only n farmers son himself. and
p'r'aps he didn't know no better. Well,
we keep up the spelling matches pretty
much all winter, and sometimes Rhctt
would choose Sibyi the very furst.
and then again he'd contrive not to
choose her at all. and she'd be that cut
up by it-for Sibyl never he'd much
proper spirit-that she'd be the furst to
miss on words that baby could spell, and
Rhett would he sure to laugh and chaff
her till the tears was just ready to gush
out of her two dove eyes. for the rogue
knew it was all his work. Heaven only
knows why she cared Il soumarkce for the
young sauce-box. lie wasn't so handsome
rs Matt Morris, but he had the Hall and
the Square behind him, to be sure. and he
wore store clothes. and such airs rs women
folks take to. You see, he'd carry your
shawl and hold your umbrella and quote
pretty verses TO you if you was young and
pretty Yourself; and he had mustachc
that sort of dropped at the ends and gave
him sad look, which was quite contrary
To his feelings. I've always noticed that
gurls took TO a mustache rs a duck takes
to the water. He was full OF mischief,
too. and that's what gurls don't object to
in the leastcst the kind that gets rusticated
and expelled, and that proper sort Of
mothers don't countenance, is Jest the kind
the daughters loses their hearts to. Not
that Sibyl was one Ia like fast Young men
she was so innocent that she didn't as much
rs suspect anything about the wickedness
of this wicked world. and she thought
Rhctt was all that fancy painted him. and
maybe II good deal more His fine airs
were so many virtues, and she believed
him if he said black was white. Shyl was
good and pretty enough for II dukes son.
and she he'd bin sent {, school by her
great-aunt Cover to the seminary Mt Great
IL = L
learning; she could pass any word in the
language, and she didn't murder the
Kings English rs I've hccrd-some do
that's he'd more chances and she was II
monster hand at reading. and could tell
you all about furrin parts. and do the
biggest sums in the arithmetic Nobody
needn't bin ashamed of Sibyl she was
that ladyike and fit for the Kingdom of
heaven. But the trouble was, she he'd set
her poor heart on Jack Rhett. When he
neglected her. all the light in her world
became darkness. when he was kind. the
darkness divided. and it was dav Manvs
the time I've seen Rhe,t lettering in the
bit of wood near the schoolhouse waiting
Tor Sibyl. who taught the district school
that summer; and then. when the
scholars'd come trudgin@ out. he'd seem
to happen near all by accident, and raise
his la, and kiss his hand and walk along
with her. and il didn't need spectacles to
see that the longest way round was the
shortest way home ut such times Well.
when he went back To college. he used tn
correspond with Sibvl. aud when he
come home on vacations, he'd contrive
to meet her hy the trout brook or the
Witches Pool-a pretty puddle enough.
that didn't seem to lead nowhere. nor to
come from anywhere. all ovcrhung with
trees that reached across and knit together
and darkened the place with shaddcrs 1t
was such lonesome place that YOU
couldn't hire CURL nall Pixies Clearing
TO go there alone. yet it was tavorite
spot for young folks a-kceping company !;
such as amt ateared of ghost>-it amt
anything but rivals rs will make their hair
stand on end Que time Jack come home
and didn't go a-nigh Sihvl for several days
and she sat in the porch in her best pink
gown, with sweet-pea>e in her hair. and
watched the road stretching out To Squire
Rhett's, and grew rosy and trembled when
team or a man hove in sight. and iidget-
cd in school hours. and didn't sleep o
nights. and got blue rs u bank of clouds
On Sabbath day there he was in the fam
ily pew Us fine rs silk, I'm kid gloves and