The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1882-05-04
the evening prayer meetings: his old sorrel

mare was very rarely seen fastened to the
hitohing post before Miss Cordelia's door of
a Sunday night; and only once or twice had
he been seen shyly to offer her nosegay
Of southernwood and cinnamon pinks,
which grew to great perfection in his gar
den, and Of which, in her girlhood, Miss
Cordelia had been very fond.
Many other admirers had Miss Cordella,
but size had turned a cold shoulder upon
AZ. and seemed perfectly contented to live
on in her comfortable old house, with trim
box bordered flower beds in the front yard
i,ac bushes providing in at the windows,
with her handmaiden Tryphosa, who was
not, US her name suggested, q romantic
young maiden. but an ancient and angular
spinster, who believed in signs and Omens
and always "fet" coming events lin her
bones. Tryphosa was now gazing at the
green silk with melancholy expression of
countenance.
Green means forsaken; there amt no
denyin' it. And Seliny Wilson, that was
nerried in green, was laid out a corpse in it
before the end Of the year; and Mertlldy
Lyman, that was merried in white muslin
Sprayed with green, and green bunnet
Strings, she had drunken husband that
fell off the haymow, and dislocated his spi
nal column and everybody knew her twins
want bright; and"
But am not going to be married in it,
you know, TRY phosa," said Miss Cordelia,
turning merry face up to Miss Tryphosa's
doleful one. "Perhaps it is only unlucky
az wedding dress. As for being forsaken,
there doesn't seem to be anybody left to
forsake me but you, and I am not afraid
that all the green dresses in the world can
make you do that"
"There ain't no luck about green nohow:
said Tryphosa. If, twas laylock, now, or
handsome brown"
Il suppose really had ought to have
had black, said Miss Cordelia, meditative-
ly; but some way the spring coming on,
with everything so fresh and bright, made
IL Q feel as used TO long ago, and I've
made believe to myself, 1wouldn't own it to
anybody but you, T1yphosa-but made
believe Was girl again. And that's why
I had this green silk"
And that's why you've been putting po-
sizes in your hair. Well, it beats all what a
Inference there is in folks. Now spring
pu 8 me in mind of house, cleanln' and soap
oiliu' and bltters-L Land sakes! If there
amt Parson Greedy comm up the walk,
and nothln' but the old coppercrown for
nner, and all skin and bones at that, he
a comm in the yard this blessed minute!"
MISS Cordelia whiskea the green silk out
of sight: and smoothed her crinps deuure-
v down, as she fastened to greet her
visitor.
It happened that Miss Polly Watkins,
who went about the village peddling con-
ooction known as Watkins Unapproachable
Liniment, was so fortunate as to be pass
n. just as the minister opened Miss Cor.
deli IS front yard gate.
There! l knew well enough that there
'an't never 50 much smoke without some
fire. Miss Badger needn't think she could
u Ike me believe that green silk gown with
train didn't moan something. So it's the
minister. Well, men. folks is terrible short
sighted creturs. There is them in West
field that would make him good, sensible
wife,"
Miss Polly was SO unhappy as to 60 on
for nearly q quarter of mile before she
met anybody to whom she could tell her
news and then it was only DR.. Ramsay, jog.
sing, along behind his old white horse, and
as she expressed it, "ne great hkin', no
more'n 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.
We'll, things do turn out queer!" said
he decor to himself, meditatlvely Ticking
fly off bis old white horse as he joggeu
llong again. II wouldn't have thought she
would have anybody, let alone the old par
son. II had thought-Why I'm ten years
vounger'n lie is, and a sight better calcula-
ed to please the fair sex. And that's Ii
mug bit of property of Miss Cordilly's and
SHE'S wholesome looking, good tempered
woman, to say nothing of being handsome.
.hich don't signify. I believe can cut
~, the parson if l try. I always said I
would die a bachelor, but it's wise MAJ,
bat cha. ges his mind"
And toe doctor actually whipped hi,
morse out Of his accustomed jog into a live
' trot, and everybody ran to the window,
or the doctor in a hurry was q sight that
he o|des, inhab tant had never seen.
In the mean time Miss Polly had met
Abner Phillips, one Of the black folks,
mo lived three miles from the village
But Abner could not have been more inter.
-sted in Miss Polly's news if he had live d
ext door to the possessor of the green
Xix. His homeward way led him past
John Parmenter's house, and John was
hoeing in his garden.
"W al, now, Parson Greedy is goin' to
10 pretty good thing for himself, amt
.e?" draw!ed Abner, after the usual COM
'De1.ts and inquiries after the crops had
been exchanged. He knows which side
AIS bread il buttered on. Parsons gineral-
does " What is he going to dor" in
lnred John Parmenter,
You don't mean to say you haln't heard?
Vaal, I declare, YOU don't know what's 60
n on so we'll as buck folks does! He's a.
zoin to marry Miss Cordilly Brewster.
He's turrible tejus, the old parson is, and
she'll have to step around lively to f4tch
ny them boys. But wemen-folks always
oes set by minister"
After Abnor had gone, John Parmenter
d opped his hoe, and stood wiping his fore.
lad with his handkerchief with Devil
dtred look.
Il don't know why shouldn't have ex-
pected she'd marry, but SOMEHOW didn't.
never thought Of such a thing. dom,
know why should feel SO about it. If
admit the courage to ask her when I was
Dung aud prosperous, surely I couldn't,
now. Ialways began to be a coward th-
minute came in sight of her, I never fel
y before any other woman; but then new
cared anything about any other. Any
way, can't rest unit find out whether it,
true or not Cordella can't object TO telling
"a old friend. NJ adam R1mor rnlss this
ilage; aud she's very apt to be mistak en-.
So John set out to call on Miss Cordelia.
As he passed the bed of cinnamon pinks,
10 found that, although it was early in the
season, three had blossomed that very
morning, and he made them into little
uose1ay with some sprays of fragrant south
-rnwood. And he was in such haste chat
70 forgot to conceal them from the pubic
:aZe by a bit of paper, as-feoling that it
Vas somewhat ridiculous for stout old
bachel of forty. five to be carrying abou
title touquets he had on other occa
~ions.
The doctor was driving away from Miss
Cordelia's door as John approached it, the
morse going at his old. fashioned jog, as If
there were nothing in the world that wa
worth hurrying for.
Il hope she isn't ill" thought John, and
then sudden suspicion SO z ID him. Here
might be another rival, and more formida.
10 one than Pars,n Greelv. Were rivals
ringing up around him like mushrooms,
when he had never thought Of the pos ei-
bility Of the existence of one?
MISS Cordelia's cheeks were very much
FIJI he'd, and they grew redder still at sight
Of Johns nosegay.
John, strange to say, did not blush
or stammer as he presented it. Rivals