Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1882-10-26

| things to sick folks ever since she was
knee high to grasahopper-bless her
dear little soulw
Eyes" said Harry, slowly, "it is very
kind, indeed. couldn't have n little
of that fresh bread with my beef tea at
noon, Lois?"
"We'll see what the doctor says. Mr..
Harry, said the old woman, cheertulIy.
''And anyhow, if You can't have it to-
day, you shall have it tomorrow.
An hour afterwards Mr.. Merriman
himself came in-bald-headed, spect-
acled and kindly-eyed-to make a pas
toral call. And Harry Ayton broke alb
ruptly into the good mans rather prosy
platitudes to ask the question nearest
to his heart.
"Mr. Merriman, do you think it pos
sible that your daughter Minnie could
ever care for me?"
Mr.. Merriman pushed his spectacles
higher upon his forehead.
My daughter Miunie?" he repeated.
"Why, she's only baby! Seventeen
last fall. my dear Harry"
"My mother was married at seventeen
sir, F." said Ayton, smiling.
BLESS me-" said the COOL pastor.
"And now l come to think of it, my
wife was not eighteen whe she and de-
termined to try life together, on sal
ary OF $500 per annum. Dear! dear!
how time does slip along, to be sure!
My daughter Minnie, eh?"
Because" said Mr.. Ayton, bravely,
81 love her. And of all the women
that ever 1 saw, she is the only one
whom / would care to make my wife.
Mr.. Merriman rubbed his nose.
'My dear young friend" he said, eff
I was my daughter Minnie l should say
yes. But I'm not. And l don't pre-
tend to understand the ins and outs of a
woman's heart. So perhaps you'd bet
ter ask her about it.
81 WILL" said Mr. Ayton. "But L
may take it for granted that / have your
sanction?"
"By all means, said the old gentle
man, "by all means"
And you will prepare her mind for
visit from me when / am a little
stronger"
"Oh, certainly" said Mr., Merriman.
And absent minded as usual he went
home and forgot all about it.
At 3 n'olooA pretty Miss Minnie put
on her blue velvet capote and neat HUE
sack and went to No. IS SavIlle street to
help prepare the refreshments for the
hospital fair.
How do you like my bresd?" she
asked of the lady superintendent, who
stood at big table with dozen white
o. roned girls gliding around her in
various directions. 1.-The first l ever
made"
"What bread?" said Mrs. Raymond,
lifting her eyebrows, "We have receiv-
ed no bread from you, Minnie"
Goodness, gracious mel" cried tn
minister's daughter, clasplng her hands,
"what has become of 1t, then? For ]
sent Jerusha with it at 10 o'clock, and
she came back and declared that she
had delivered it all right"
"There has been some mistake, evid-
emily" said Mrs. Raymond. And / am
sorry, for we are in great need of real
nice homemade bread"
Minnie hurried back home and stern
ly confronted Jerusha, who was sur
reptitiously buying penny ballad OF a
boy at the rear door.
'Jerusha, said she, you told me that
you delivered my bread all right"
$50 1 did, Miss Mlnnie," whispered
Jerusha. cat No. 80 Saville street. And
as you told me, Miss Minnie"
Minnie's cheek grew scarlet and then
grew pale. She sat hopelessly down ON
the edge of the kitchen table.
"Jerusha," she cried, despairingly,
"you have been and carried my bread
and compliments to Mr.. Ayton. instead
of tc the hospital fair! Oh, Jerusha how
could you make such dreadful blund-
ero9"
And she ran up stairs to her father in
sort of desperation.
"Papa," she cried, ''such q dreadful
thing has happened! Oh, don't you
think you could help us out of it some
wayP"
And she related the complication with
tears In her eyes.
"Hum! hum! ha?" said Mr.. Merri-
man, apparently hoisting his memory
out of the time of Herodotus with some
unseen variety of mental apparatus.
"Yes, I see. But you don't gruage
poor Mr.. Ayton the bread, Minnie, my
dear, do you?"
ooh, no, no." cried Minnie.
s'You don't dislike him? p
"No, papa" said the innocent girl, 81
think he is ever so nice p
"Well, then," said this willy dlplo-
matist, Suppose we both go around
there together and it can all be explain
ed satisfactorily; and we know, my dear,
that in the Good Book we are COM