The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-02-17

Mrs. Smith looked sharply at me n,
the tears gathered IN my eyes, and, evi
IDENTIFY ON my account, said quickly
Don't be so hard on Harry, father. ,
=" Hard who's hard on him % he
cried angrily "isn't he always eettino
hold OF some excuse or another to sbirk
what he ought to do. He might have
stopped III the night he brought his
sweetheart"
You're too hard on him. father, -
said Mrs. Smith again. kft
Yes-yesAyes- s-indeed, you are" I
cried, Indignantly, in a passion of weep
ing, for 1 could not bear to hear him
speak of Harry like that, and not say a
word on his behalf. d" You don't know
him, Mr. Smith, as l do, for he's one of
the best and truest of men, and. if YOU
would only be a little kind to him, am
sure he would try so hard.
saw the old man flush with anger,
and shrank back in alright at.what 1
had said, and read, as l thought, that
Harry's mother also looked very much
put out.
II don't behave half hard enough to
him, said Harry's father and as to
not knowing him, seeing that i nursed
him when he was a BARN, and his
mother sits there, l think, young
woman, that we ought to know some
thing about him. "
felt so hurt that got up and wanted
to put on my things and go, but the old
people wouldn't hear of it and. as
Harry's father cooled down, he lit his
pipe again, and begged me to come and
SIT by him at the window, and wouldn't
let me work any more, while Harry
mother came and sat on the other side,
and held my hand till it was time to get
out supper, but still Harry did not come
back.
dumped 1 up and helped Mrs. Smith
lay the supper-table, and Harry's father
would not wait, so we had supper,
though was so miserable Icould hardly
eat a bit, and kept glancing at the old
man as If to ask his pardon for speaking
as l had.
had to be back at 10, and there were
two miles to walk, so Mrs, Smith begged
me stay all night.
"Oh, no., l said, g must be back
''Well, ,mydear, perhaps you are right,
she said. Father, as Harry hasn't
come, viii you walk home with her ?"
-" l was just going to offer to, mother,
he said, gruffly.
"Oh, no" cried. q can find my
way back quite right, and there's moth
ing to mind - though all the time I was
trembling with dread at having to go
alone.
If the young Fellows don't know how
to behave themselves, the old fellows
do, don't they, mother p he said, in
quite a CHEEKY tone No, my dear.
I'm not going TO let you cross them
fields alone, nor to leave you till you are
safe indoors.
1 resisted feebly but Harry's mother
took her tITsalsa>4-sl's die, s~Id ny great
delight she kissed me warmly and af-
fectionately when 1 left, while the old
man took his stick, drew my arm
through his, and trudged along by my
side, chatting away pleasantly about the
changes that had taken place since he
was boy. He kept this on until we
were nearly at my mistress house, when
he stopped speaking for a moment, and
then began again, talking in very firm
and serious tone.
eve didn't think much of your
coming, my dear-the wife and for
Harry such flighty fellow that we ex-
pected the girl he chose would be about
the same. But am glad you did come,
my dear, and L am sorry L spoke so hot
about Harry"
"And so am l, sir, faltered.
.Then you needn't be-" he said,
quickly. % like you for it, and it was
very nice, and you are a good, brave,
little woman. But, look here, my dear,
don't be in hurry. I am sorry to say
it, but my Harry is not the man to make
girl like You happy. Now take my adj
vice-don't be In a hurry"
"Oh, Mr.. smith, l sobbed, for his
words cut me to the heart. s8ESa
''I can't help saying it. my dear, and
now good night and God bless you.
You're very nice and good little girl. p"
He drew me toward him and Kissed
my cheek'very affectIonatefy, just as if
/ had been his own child Then he
swaited till he, heard. the side door opened
and closed, and as soonas could went
to my room and cried till my heart was
ready to break.
The months went by. and Harry
seemed no happier at home, while when
took the'old peoples part he grew an
CRY and reproaehed me for not caring
for him and leaning to the other side.
Old Mr.. Smith came to fetch me home
once, and Harry fetched me two or three
times, and i used to wonder how Icould
have been so mistaken an people who
seemed 10 llhC uos DStSSi SNSl AhhS L
went. ssN
know one day sthatth there had been a
terrible upset at home, for, as Mrs.
Smith had told me, Harry had been
negIecting his work terribly, and taken
to going to the public house.
Then couple of days passed, and /
heard nothing, while the next there was
letter for me which seemed at the time
as if it would nearly drive. me mad, for
it was from Harry, telling me that he
could not put up with their ways any
longer, and that he had enlisted in the
-th regiment of 70 oot. = -
i asked leave togo out, and went over
to the town to find out that neither Mr..
Smith nor Harry's mother had heard of
the step he had taken, while, when / put
the letter Sin their hands and watched
their faces, / threw my arms around
Mrs. Smiths neck and we mingled sour
tears.
"Its very hard, very hard, +" we heard
the old marsay. II beganeas a labor
er, and I've worked upa nice business
of which I'm master, and there it is for
my son when Idle, but he prefers to be
scamp" -
1t was miserable night that, and the
old man walked home with me almost
IN silence. u 49, So
'pon't fret about 1T, my lass" he
said perhaps it's all for the bestp
Not fret? How could help fretting.
Harry had his faults, / knew, but he
was my sweetheart, and who, asked
myself, wasperfect? Are you surprised,
then, when 1 tell you that, after six
months service with his regiment, when
he kept on sending me letter after letter,
telling me how bitterly he repented the
step he had taken and how miserable a
life he led, that L should listen to his
prayers to find the money to buy him
off?
He knew / had few savings, and ]
told myself that they were his, and paid
the money willingly, for he told me that
he could not exist away from me any
longer, and that if / did not buy him of
he should desert. s- >. v-e. .
Yes I paid the money, and he came
4