Democratic messenger., 1882-04-08

! NOW and dislocated his spinal column,
and everybody knew her twins want
bright: and"
But I am not going to be married
in it, you know, Tryphosa," said Miss
Cordelia, turning merry face up to
Miss Tryphosa's doleful one. per
haps it is only unlucky as wedding
dress. AS for being forsaken, there
doesn't seem to be anybody left to for
sake me but you, and l am not afraid
that all the green dresses in the world
could make you do that"
"There amt no luck about green no.
how" said Tryphosa. "If twas lay
lock, now, or handsome brown"
Il suppose / really ought to have
had black" said Miss Cordelia, medi-
tatively; ''but some way the spring
coming on, with everything so fresh
and bright, made me feel as / used to
long ago, and I've made believe to my
self wouldn't own it to anybody but
you, Tryphosa-but I've made believe
L was girl again. And that's why 1
had this green silk"
"And that's why you've been putting
posies in your hair. Well, it beats all
what difference there is in folks. Now
spring puts me in mind of house-clean-
in and soap-biiin' and bitters-Land
sakes ! if there amt Parson Greeley
a-comin' up the walk, and nothin' but
the old cropple-crown for dinner, and
all skin and bones at that, and he
comm in the yard this blessed min
ute =
Miss Cordelia whisked the green silk
ont of sight, and smoothed her crimps
| demurely down, as she fastened to
greet her visitor.
1t happened that Miss Polly Watkins,
who went about the village peddliDg q
concoction known as Watkius's Unap-
proachable Liniment, was so fortunate
as to be passing just as the minister
opened Miss Cordelia's front-yard gate.
"There l knew well enough that
there want never SO much smoke with
out some fire. Miss Badger needn't
| think she could make me believe that
green silk gown with a train didn't M can
something. So it's the minister. Well,
men-folks is terrible short sighted ere
turs. There Is them in Westfield that
would make him a good sensible wife.
Miss Polly was SO unhappy as 10 go
on for nearly quarter of mile before
she met any body to whom she could tell
her news, and then it was only DR..
Ramsey, jogging along behind his old
white horse, and between him and Miss
Polly "there want" as she expressed
it, mo great likin', no morn there was
apt to be between two Of trade" But
still news was news, and Miss Polly
could not resist the temptation of an
opportunity to share it.
"Nell. things do turn out queer y
said the doctor 10 himself, meditatively
ficking fly off his old white horse ms
he logged along again. - wouldn't
have thought she would have had
had thought Why, I'm ten years
younger'n he is, and a sight better cal
culated to please the fair sex. And
that's a snug bit of property OF Miss
Cordillys, and she's wholesome-l look
ing, good tempered woman, to say
nothing of being handsome, which don't
signify. l believe l can cut out the
parson if I try. / always said l would
die bachelor, but it's wise man that
changes his mind,
And the doctor actually whipped his
horse out of his accustomed Jog into n
lively trot, and everybody ran to the
window, for the doctor in hurry was a
sight that the Oldest inhabitant had
never seen.
In the mean time Miss Polly had met
Abnef Phillips, one of the "back folks"
who lived three miles from the village.
But Abner could not have been more
interested in Miss Polly's news if he had
lived next door to the possessor of the
green silk.
His homeward way led him past John
Parmenter's house, and John was hoeing
in his garden.
Wa'al, now, Parson Greeley is goin'
to do a pretty good thing for himself,
amt he? drawled Abner, after the
usual comments and inquiries concern
ing crops had been exchanged. "He
knows which side his bread is buttered
on. Parsons ginerally docs. 3"
"What is he going to do?" inquired
John Parmenter.
"You don't mean to say you hain't
heard Wa'al, I declare, you don't
know what's goin' on so well as back
folks docs He's a goin' to marry Miss
Cordilly Brewster. He's turrible teius,
the old parson is, and she'll have to
step around lively to fetch up them
boys. But women-folks always docs set
by minister"
After Abner had gone, John Parmen-
ter dropped his hoe, and stood wiping
his forehead with his handkerchief with
| a bewiidered look.
81 don't know why shouldn't have
expected she'd marry, but somehow
didn't 1 never thought of such thing.
I don't know why l should feel so about
it. If hadn't the courage to ask her
when ] was young and prosperous,
surely couldn't now. 1 always began
to be coward the minute I came in
sight of her. l never felt so before
any other woman but then never
cared anything about any other. Any
way, can't rest until find out whether
it's true or not. Cordelia can't object
to telling an old friend. Madam Rumor
rules this village, and she's very apt to
be mistaken"
! So John set out to call on Miss Cor
della. As he passed the bed of CHINA
mon pinks, he found that, although it
was early in the season, three had
blossomed that very morning, and he
made them into a little nosegay with
some sprays of fragrant southernwood
And he was in such haste that he for