Middletown transcript., 1881-01-07

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/ Trials, we are told, have chasteninl
0 effect on the character. Was it he
4 trials which were thus blessed to Polly
I After that, all was bewilderment ant
: confusion dire till the two wedding
were over. Eunice and John departed
the day after theirs, and lull fell upOT
I the weary household. Mrs. Patten wen
upstairs to lie down. Polly, who sigh
, ed for fresh air, departed for wall
with John Gilmore, who missed his sis
ter so much, poor fellow and Amy
the cadette of the family, prepared tC
celebrate their newly recovered freedom
by adorning and making beautiful the
dining-room, now rescued from court
ing purposes, and restored again to the
common use of the household.
A busy afternoon, indeed, did little
Amy make for herself, but it was a
merry one, and she sang as she worked.
Every vase in the room she filled with
violets and wild flowers, OF apple blooms
from the just blossomed orchard. The
curtains were pulled to exactly the ideal
angle, the chairs regrouped, all the hOr-
rid look taken away, Amy thought, as
if the room were meant only for two,
and for no one else. 1t was dusk when
she finished, and curling up in the sofa
corner, she awaited with impatience
Polly's return-Polly, who had hated
the love-making as much as she had,
and would be SO pleased. Polly was
the one person in the house Of whose
sympathy Amy felt quite sure.
She was long in coming, but she
came at last. Amy heard her step on
the porch, and with it another step,
louder, firmer. Surely that tiresome
John Gilmore was not coming in to
spoil everything this first pleasant night.
No; he had come to see papa. Amy
heard him tap at the door Of the den,
while Polly ran upstairs. He emerged
as she came down; there was long
confabbing in the entry but at last
the front door shut with delightful
emphasis, and Amy jumped up from
the sofa to enjoy the effect of her sur
prise.
Come in-oh, do come in z she
cried.
4 want you to see if the dear old
room doesn't look lovely. I've been all
the afternoon doing it, so that it might
be nice for our first evening. Isn't it
pleasant to have a room to sit in again?
Aren't you glad that the wedding is
over, and all the tiresome love-making,
and we can have cozy little times at
home like other people? Why, Polly,
how queer you look Don't you like it?
What makes you do so ?'-for Polly,
half tearfully, was kissing and fondling
the child.
'Oh, do, Amy darling, 1 do like it
very much, pleaded poor Polly, but
only-my pet, I'm afraid you'll be very
much disappointed but John Gilmore
is coming here this evening to see me,
and I'm afraid 1 shall have to ask you
to let us have this ROOM"
'John Gilmore Good gracious
Polly Patten'-with almost a Shrek
YOU'RE not engaged to him ? You don't
mean that p
'Y-e-e-s, faltered Polly. 'Oh, Amy
dear, don't look 50 distressed 7
Il will look distressed have a right |
to, cried Amy, with burst of sobs.
after all you said A man named
John, too-three Johns in the family ! |
Oh Polly And you who declared you
hated men named John Well, after
this, never, never will believe in any
body again.
Amy, dear, talked a great deal Of
nonsense. You must forget it. didn't |
know But Polly urged in vain. Amy |
pushed her hand aside, and rushed |
away to console herself as best she |
might with a hard fit Of crying, and |
Polly, convicted, repentant, but by no
means unhappy, was left behind.
So ended Polly's controversy with |
cupid. She was vanquished, as Pollys |
are apt to be in such warfare but there
are defeats which count for more than
victories, as we all know, and this may /
have been one. regret to say that she
never formally apoligized for her incon-
sistency, and she took possession of the
dining-room every evening without the
least apparent perception of the selfish
ness of the proceeding. Amy was great
ly scandalized, but cui bono? To each
his turn. Little Amy's will come some
day, and then she too will forgive and
understand. Harper'S BGzar.
1 sometimes think if our rich men
would loose half Of their money, they
would enjoy the other half twice as
much. Riches are nothing unless they
bring contentment, and no man de-
serves any particular credit who has
worked because he had to, and has
been successful because he had no temp
tations to lead him astray. 1t is the
man who had the chance and the temp
tation to go to the devil and did not 60
who is to be praised. The Chinese have
a saying that it is not the number Of
times a man falls that counts in his