Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-03-25


and that IN the afternoon, and the 9th
er in the evening, and at last / fled
from the old familiar throng precipi-
lately one rainy day, leaving my maid
to pack my wardrobe and follow. And
determined that this summer l would
try pastures entirely new. Auntie had
often told me of the pleasant, old-fash-
Toned farmhouse which she discovered
years ago, and / coaxed mamma
promising to take Charley, our young
est, who is the 'worrit' of her life, along
with me-to let me spend three of my
four out-Of-the-city months here. And,
Lottie, have never been so happy be-
fore, and / am firmly convinced that
here have found the kind of life that
would suit me best. | was born to love
COWS and chickens, to make butter, to
build pyramids of cabbages."
"You - laughed her friend II think
! see you in the dairy, in neat cambria
dress, with sleeves rolled to the elbow
stamping the pats of butter with your
monogram-for that's rs near as you'd
ever come to churning; and in the
hennery, scattering corn to the chick
ems from a dainty white apron, a GU
riously shaped rustic hat meanwhile
shading your rose and-cream complex
ion from the sun. You born to love
COWS and chickens you who have
reigned city belle for four long years +
"And for three been most ready to
abdicate. By-the-bye''-with assumed
careiessness-''h have you seen the young
farmer. the only child of our host and
hostess? 2"
Certainly not;' and Miss Mayell
glanced at her watch. II only arrived
two hours ago, and have seen no one
but you and your aunt. But l can see
him in my minds eye'-tall, ungainly,
and speaks through his nose; eats with
his knife; says How and stares at
you rs though you were being from
another sphere"
tYour minds eye needs an eyeglass
Miss Mayell Its vision is weak. Tall,
broad-shouldered, and calmly, if may
use the word as / mean it. | saw him
tossing hay today, and he looked like
an Apollo who had exchanged his Tyre
for pitchfork, and profited by the
change And his table manners are as
exquisite as your own, Miss Mayell;
and he has Il deep, full voice, and does
not say How and has scarcely look
ed, let alone stared at me. | have an
idea that he regards girls of our ilk
with quiet scorn, and thinks of us, if
he thinks of us ut all, as dollhouse
flowers not to be compared with the
daisies growing wild in the meadows y
GLOW long have you been here, Isa-
bel?"
"Six weeks.
quite long enough, think. You'd
better so away You are regarding
this young farmer, who never looks at
you-I don't believe that, however
too sentimentally. You might come
TO believe you had fallen in love with
him."
"And if | did, what harm could re-
suit from that? He'll never come to
believe he has fallen in love with me.
He is so different from the soft-voiced,
perfumed darlings by whom | have
been surrounded all my life, that, to
use your own words, WITH Il different
application, | stare ut him as though
he were i being from another sphere.
The young farmer reads, Lottie. and
reads books which, though printed in
our native language, would be Greek
to you and me; and he numbers the
poets among his friends. | peeped
into his room one day and saw them
AL in blue and gold, on his book shelf
He is an honest, manly fellow, with no
false pride about him. | was idiot
enough to fancy that he might I've the
least bit confused when | first saw him
very broad brimmed straw hat, but he
saluted me rs calmly rs though he
had been arrayed iii the finest gar
ments. And his name is Nathaniel
not us pretty as Claude, but it means
the gift Of Cod The gift of God, in
deed, his old mother says he has been
to her, and SO will he be to the woman
he mar1ies. And that woman must be
bee, not Il butterfly. Lottie"-with
sudden lierceness-''if ever you tell
I'll kill YOU"
my dear, when | do, you may
Isabel, begin to suspect that you are
really in love with Nathaniel-anothel
Of your old passions-and that beneath
your butterfly wings turks the spirit OF
the bee. And / may live to see you
helping the pitchfork Apollo toss the
hay, build oblisks and pyramids OF
cabbages, copy celebrated sculptures
in beets, and heap turnips in imitation
of classic old ruins"
II fear me not, Miss Maynell. For
though would be proud to share in
each and every one of these occupa-
tons as soon would / expect that com
pact mass of green's to suddenly trem-
BILE to its base and then topple over,
separating one huge body into Il hun
dred or more heads, as dream that
Nathaniel Leigh would ever care for
me-"
The pyramid trembled to its base,
and Its apex tumbled to the ground.
The girls rose quickly from their throne
of sods, and with little shrieks fled to a
safe distance, then turned to look again.
1t toppled over its many heads rolling
in every direction, and III the place it
had occupied stood the young farmer.
II bless your brother for building Il
pyramid to-day, Miss Eastman" he
said, Though he did unload one of the
wagons all ready for market for the
purpose. And | bless the happy
chance that kept me from the orchard.
and sent me here to fall asleep behind
it, to waken at the sound of your voice.
Spellbound, | remained concealed, half
believing that was still dreaming, to
prove the falsity of the old proverb,
Listeners never hear any good of
themselves But can dare | hope
that grains Of earnest mingled with
your jest, and that the pats of butter in
our dairy may some day be stamped
with orr monogram Stand my friend,
Miss Mayell, and you shall not be for
gotten when we make the beet statues
and the turnip ruins.
"Well, pom my word = exclaimed
Miss Mayell. with 4 frank glance Of
admiration at the handsome young fell
lew. and smile that threatened to be-
come a laugh in another moment.
And ''0f all things - said Miss East
man, lovely blush mantling her face;
and then youth and fun conquered al
three, and they laughed until the farm
yard resounded, and Lion. the watch
dog, came bounding toward them, ask
I l Il