The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-01-28
We bowed, and she vanished with

| what lovely little creature I"
sam 1 to myself. "Nothing like An
gei'na, but so pretty" And l found
iHyself thinking of her as l washed
mE hands and brushed my hair in
ihe blue-walled bedroom ON the Sec
omfioor with white fringed counter.
'Hi'es ana curtains, and two black
siinouettes over the mantle. piece on
eitner side of the china vases of roses.
Hhere were only four of US at the
taple-the deacon, his wife, a stout
iaay, who never said more than she
cou'd help. and Mary. She had spent
nehst winter ut Glasgow, and we
tailed about all she had seen. She
wa,self.possessed without being for
Wa, and oh. so prettyl Now,
AnHiina was splendid and Queenly.
10 s,lis miifu PRAISE That she could not
have objected to, only l said it very
often. preached on the next Sun.
day. Ii Was settled that l should
4 spend the summer there. l wrote
this to Angelina:
"Since you cannot be with me it
does not matter where l am--this
stupid place as well as any other.
Address TO the care of Deacon Stev-
enson. / shall remain with him
while preach here.'
1t was pleasant summer, despite
the dulness of the place. How good
the quaint old deacon was when one
really knew him! How motherly
was Mrs. Stevenson AS for Mary,
she grew sweeter every day! often
wondered what Angelina would have
said could she have seen me helping
her to pick black berries, to find the
runaway COW, to carry home the
milk-pail, driving her over to the
country grocery, and returning with
a freight of gr0ceries-Angelina, who
; knew nothing of domestic details,
and whose m0nogramed and per-
fumed letters were often brought oyer
from the office in company with the
paraffine can. l wrote my sermons
al one end of the round table, while
Mary sat at The other sewing. Be-
tween us was lamp with a green
paper shade. Now and then big
bug would fly into the window and
20 humming about eur heads, or a
moth would try to SINCE its wings
over the chimney and l would drive
it ont. The old people would go to
bed after a while, AMI then Mary
and | would find ourselves hungry,
and she would go into the kitchen
and find something good" 1 al.
, ways held the light ion her. And
when something good was found we
. ate it on the back porch. sitting side
hy side on the step lik' two children.
She was So like child, that little
Mary, that it seemed no harm to ask
her to kiss me good night, or to hold
+ her hand in mine, as it rested on my
arm, in our long walks home from
, church on Sunday evening.
The summer passed, October came.
Angelina returned to the city and
wrote to me. 1t was while we were
3 eating peaches and cream on the back
4 porch that evening that 1 said to
, Mary: II will tell you a secret il
: you will keep it for Il while, Mary"
"Oh, of course 1 will, Mr.. Mactag.
CERT"
II am going to be married this au.
] tumn, Mary" said. "Those pretty
letters you always thought came from
my sister are from the lady who is to
marry me. She is very beautiful
. very rich, very stylish, but very
kind. You must come and see US
Mary, when we are married. shall
tell Angelina how good you have
been to me-what sweet little sister
] I found out here in the Vale o
3 Cruix. Why. Mary"
For, as spoke, I felt the little
! land l held grow cold and heavy in
/. mine. 1 saw her sink back ward
q The big china bowl of peaches ant
e cream slipped with crash to thu
!. ground and shattered to pieces.
o Icaught the poor child in my arms
In a moment she came to herself, anC
s said she had overtlred herself, sh'
q thought. They had been baking al
day, and il was warm. And nov
] she babe me coed night. But l die
e notsee her the next day. nor the next
e She kept her room, aud was not wei
o enough to bid me g0od-by.
Q Poor little Mary! I felt very mis-
s cradle. However, Angelina met m,
h at Glasgow. She was more beautiful
. than ever-more elegant in contras
+, to my simple country friend-ant
t very soon laughed at myself for TIL
# thought that had been in my heart
OF course | said it was the bakins