The daily gazette., 1881-04-08
in THE TEA-CUP.
BY. .. ]. 8.

tentively regard the grounds in it.
"What's that, my dear?" l said.
"Not telling your fortune in tea
cup Z"
Mrs. Jones looked confused for a
moment. But when l began to laugh
she bridled up.
"You men think yourselves very
wise," she said, "and laugh at
such thinRs. But, for all that, l have
known many fortune told in a tea.
cup. In fact" here she hesitated, aud
blusht again; but then went on
quickly, 'In fact, first knew that l
was to marry you by consulting tea
cup."
'Indeed r. cried my skepticism
quite staggered. "How was it, my
dear?"
"Just like you men," she answered,
triumphantly, ''full of curiosity,
though you say We women have it
ALL" And, with these words, she
composedly lifted the teapot, filed
her cup, and went ON tantalizing with
her meal in silence.
"Now. my dear" l began, coax
ingly. ~
NOW, Mr. CurlosiLy, sne ret0rted,
| archly.
As the children had been put to bed
at dusk, according to custom, and
there was no one else by, rose from
my seat, crossed over to Mrs. Jones,
put my arm around her neck, and
kissed her.
"Well, WE'LL" she said, erimsoning
like young girl, and evidently graft
fed, "you are tease, Smith l sup
pose must, SO sit down and behave
YOURSELF" And she rearranged her
collar with considerable display.
"You remember when l used to live
with Uncle Joshua and Aunt Sarah"
she began, at last after this was fin
ished.
"Of course. my love-" / replied,
"who could forget your uncle's ven,
cradle pigtail2 No sffense, / hope1
You must own that he was rather an
odd-looking fish,"
"He was good uncle to me-" said
my wife with touch of sadness In
her rebuking voice. ''He took me
when l was an Orphan and maintained
me till l married you."
made my peace again by kiss. l
am afraid my young lady readers will
thiuk me very rude for it but, never
tleless, truth must be told. And now
my wife proceeded
"Well, the very night after the great
sleighlng party, on which was intro
duced TO you, and when, if you remem-
ber, you would daEce with me 30 Of
ten, even to the neglect of Patty
Walker, your partner, Cousin Jane
was joking me about it, as We washed
up the tea things. Uncle was sitting
by the fire, and aunt beside him, so
that we thought no one heard us but
all at onoe, aunt, who had ears like
cat, rose and came toward us. WHATS
that hear 2 she said 'SaIy Ann got
a new beaup Well, | declare, there
never was such girl /; she h twep-
ty sweethearts where / had one.'
You know. Smith, how jealous you
used to be ~
"pshaw," said /, "how you women
imagine things r.
"Jane up and told her all about It."
continued my wife, little crest fallen;
''and, when she had concluded, Aunt
Sai all took one of the cups, and said
"I'll tell you your fortune, Sary Ann,
IN the good, old-fashiOned way; there's
nothing like tea-grouDds-they're
s,v'rin, my Child With that she
whlrled the cup around, and when she
had done, held it to the candle, all
three of us looking In. Sec them
leaves close together she said that
means that danger is near. It's the
81 Arsu
away by flirting, my dear, she con-
tinued. But here's a clear path,
winding through dark wood, with 40
stall ks to cross it that promises fair !
And ring, too, which means a mar
riage' And with these words she
pushed her spectacles up from hef
nose, and looking at me, said Its as |
clear as daylight, Sary Ann, you're to |
marry this new beau, and be both |
happy and rich, unless you prove your |
own enemy, by flirting with other
sweethearts. That flirting's the dan
ger that is threatened. 1t safely got
over, all the rests fortune She |
raised her voice at these words, which
woke up uncle, who had been taking a
nap. He growled out Nov, wife,
don't be making fool of yourself and
the girls by telling fortunes =; declare
you women are ounces anyhow, or you
wouldn't believe in such stuff So we
had no more that night. But you
know, Smith I did marry you and
you know that, once or twice, what
you called my flirting had nearly
broken everything between US and 80
/ have good reason to believe in telling
fortunes with tea-cups, haven't Ip"
What could / says Should l out
rage the affectionats creature, by
telling her that doubted her conclu.
sions, though fully admitted her
premisesf
"Aud BESIDES" she added, with look
that reminded me OF Our days of court
ship, al nave been both rich and happy
ever since. Richer than / ever expected
to be. In my most romantic moments,
tor uncle and aunt were poor as wsll as
oll-fashioned, and living away off in the
country rs they did, neither Jane nor l
had always what others considered
merely necessary comforts. However,
uncle and aunt did for us all they could"
she added, q tear coming into her eye.
"They were ex 36llent people," l said
drawing closer to my wife, and ashamed
of myself tor having ever laughed at the
cue OF the one of the cap of the other.
az leve them for your sake"
A grateful look was my reply, aud
hiding her head ON my breast, my wife
proceeded.
"And then, as aunt prophesied, L
H. hnA an nm hnn Ewt /