Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-02-08

you l-plain white null was consid.
cred dressy enough, with flowers,
which, to my taste, are prettier than
jewels any day. And now am COM
ing to how / ran the toll. Ned Ham
ilton was considered one of the best
young men in town. He would a.
been handsome. but his nose was too
thin and his eyes were too close to-
gether, though they were fine eyes.
At all events, he was great favorIte,
and the girl who secured him for a
partner considered herself fortunate.
Nobody treated him just exactly as l
did, for would tell him to his face
that he was conceited,' though Sc
cretly I did feel fiattered by his at
tention. / suppose the great Rose
dale farm had something to do with
it. and the two grays and the hand
some carryail. Perhaps 1 was ambi-
tious and didn't exactly know it; for,
to tell the truth, when / did think Of
him at all seriously, it was the big
farm that loomed up, not my liking
for him. To be Mrs. Hamilton-thc
name was a good one-to step from our
homely one-story house into grand
old mansion, where the furniture had
stood for a hundred years-that was
something for poor mans child to
achieve. I was very proud and happy
when he showed me any unusual at
tention. 1t did stir what vanity 1 had
to see his team at our cottage door, to
pass our acquaintance seated beside
him, to be singled out at parties me,
in my plain dress, with perhaps only a
rose at my throat and another in my
hair"
"Now confess that you were hand
some, grandma said Lily
That's not for me to say, my dear,
though L believe they did call me
rather pretty. One day Ned Hamil-
ton invited me to go with him to Sill
yer Spray, a beautiful waterfall. six
miles away. was particularly pleased
with the invitation just at that time,
for matters at home were complicated,
and the atmosphere was not agreeable.
Father had been paying money on a
mortgage, and that always made him
cross-not cross exactly, but very, very
miserable. The sight of his sorrowful
face and the sound Of his depressed
voice caused us all to feel more or less
w-etched.
THAT night there was to be party
at the house of Judge Mills. They
only gave one a year, on the occasion
of Meeny Mills birthday. Poor
Meenyi A homelier girl never lived,
but the judge was rich, and she
wore all the latest fashions, so perhaps
she never realized how very plain she
was. ] had been busy over my only
white dress, taking tuck out here
and adding bit of lace there, and
wishing, for wonder, that l could
have something new to wear. At
sight of Ned and the team, however,
all my troubles vanished into air, and
I ran downstairs laughing.
az do wish t you'd be a little sober
minded said my father in his fretful
way. 1t seems kinder heartIess to be
laughing when there amt cent in
the house, and nobody knows when
there will be-
"'Why, father, there's always po-
tatoes and meal was my merry re-
joinder.
"'Yes, and there's always cares and
troubles. he answered, lugubriously.
4 don't seem to get ahead like other
folks, and I've pretty much about
given up trying. If you girls were
only boys nowp
Think what you'd have to lay out
in boots alone l said, still laughing,
at which he frowned and turned i'm
patiently away, while l ran out to be
helped into the handsome carriage.
"What glorious day it wasl The
vines lining each side of the road all
seemed dripping with sunshine. The
shaded valley, the dancing brooks, and
the highways bordered with naples
and elms-and then my escort be-
guiled the hour with odd and merry
fancies, talked about his farm, his
hopes, his aspirations, and if had not
willfully turned the subject once or
twice." said the pretty old lady, with
prim little gesture, 81 think he
might have proposed. But 1 wasn't
ready for that yet. In the quiet of
the home-going, | said to myself, Il
win listen to him perhaps
"At last we reached the waterfall,
which, with its accompanying heights
and charming scenery, repaid us for
the long ride. It was hard to tear
ourselves away, and when we did turn
the heads of the spirited horses in the
direction of home it was very late.
1--WE shall never be in time for the
party / said, as the twilight deepened
into dusk. Must you pay at the toll
gate? The old man is half blind, and
it will take him an hour to hunt up
change. Run the toll. just for the fun
Of it-you can nav him afterward.