Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-09-21
WHY. I AM a. B III Flor.


a whole long summer evening. fS=
The suggestion was by no means a
new one, for I was ye-and-thirty, and
it had been iterated and reiterated by
all my family ever since was twenty
five. I therefore regarded my mothers
remark as the beginning of kind OF
family ritual, and responded as usual.
"Why so, ma am2" E~s-..
| 'tgecause," she answered, deviating
somewhat from the beaten track, ''it's
/ high time" a..
Granted" said I.
EYES," pursued my mother, ''you're
old enough and you're rich enough, and
you're clever enough; and why you
don't get married I can't see. You
! would then be much happier than you
! are now, idling about here with nothing
better to do than to follow an old wo-
man about from cellar to pantry, putting
your hands to every bit of mischief
which "Satan finds for idle hands to do"
and all for want Of some sensible en-
pigment"
| sible employment" I asked, laughing.
! oue ueeu HOt W IOCllSl, Salu ny
| mother.
'But the wise virgin will not have me-"
| I re plied, land [ will not have foolish
one; and there is just nay trouble.
"You are too modest by half" re-
| turned my mother, as she was leaving
| the room.
l ponderea that last remark of my
mothers. thought it showed discern
ment and judgment, and wondered
| more people were not of her way OF
thinking. The acknowledgements efec-
ton that modest worth is almost sure to
| be moderated threw me into pensive
and sentimental mood, and snatching
up my hat and fishing tackle, I saun-
tered out for a reverie under
cover of my favorite sport.
! The subject Of my late conversation
| continued to occupy my thoughts. The
| truth is; my mother was not more anx-
| ious to see ME 1naIrled than ] was to be
so. had always regarded the married
state as the happiest; my heart glowed
as much as any mans ever did, at the
picture my fancy drew Of loving fami-
| ly and happy home. But the mischief
| of it was could not find any one to
| please me. did not consider myself,
| nor mean to be, over-fastidious; Dut
| tdllOIl OIL t1iC Law 1utIEi1ISsS AO1 bCAOWOu
| fine ladies met in society, found so
! little nature, SO little goodness, SO little
! heart, that | could not fall in love with
them, let me try as | would.
| It was truly la,nentable case. Here
was [, really clever enough fellow
! well-to-do in the rld-considered as I
knew we'll enough, something of Il catch
| willing and anxious to be caught, and
| nobody skillful enough to do it.
| Pondering this gloomy thought, I
! wandered on quite beyond my usual
bounds, and at last, rather tired, clam
| bered up steep rock which overhung
the brook I had been following and sat
down to rest.
Il was a true summer scene-quiet
and warm and bright-nicely shaded
however, where [ lay, and the cool
sound of the ripping water added the
only charm possible, where all was so
charming.
I listened with delight, but in doing
SO became sensible that, besides the reg
let. there mingled other sounds Of
splashing water, at irregular intervals,
and which seemed to proceed from be-
low the rock on which I rec]ined. My
curiosity led me to explore the mystery.
I c]ambered to the top of the rock, and
! looked down over its furthest edge.
Cupid! god of love! how was re-
warded! The rock on the side over
which l looked descended sheer some
fifteen or twenty feet, when a projecting
| ledge formed kind of natural seat, be-
low which the water rippled. The spot
| was quite hung over and shaded by
trees and thick shrubs. 1t was COM
plete sylvan grotto, and within it, as
seemed most meet and fitting, Was its
| nympth.
A young girl, apparently about nine.
| teen, sat on rocky ledge, sbathing her
feet. Her attitude and occupation re-
minded me strongly of the pretty pic
ture we have all seen in old fashioned an
| nuls of Dorothea-except that my little
beauty was evidently CAV and fresh and
! lively, while Dorothea in the picture is
weary and sad.
could not make up my mind for
| time to disturb so charming scene, and
| therefore continued to gaze in silence
from my lurking place.
All! those dainty little white feet with
| their pink tipped toes, which cleaned
| SO fair through the clear water, or
| flashed for moment above its surface.
linging about the bright, glittering
drops, and then plunging again beneath
| the cool plne,-never shall forget them.
The gracefully bent head, with its bright
| golden curls and braids, against which
now and then the sun spark]ed from q
chink in the leafy screen-the lovely
neck and ar1ns-the cheek delicately
tinted with pink, Of which I now and
then got glimpse, form Il picture more
enchanting than anythin, ! had ever
imagined. More than all, the perfect
innocence and modesty which accom-
panied all the movements Of nv sweet
| Diana charmed me even more than her
| beauty.
| My heart OF ice suddenly burst into a
fame. "Heayens!' cried | to myself,
as felt it humping against my side;
what is this new sensation? Rob Brown
! your hour is come. Pour in love"
| At the moment I came to this conclu-
| sion the float on my fishing line dropped
at the feet of my charmer, and immedi-
ately--well, I'm not going to lay before
my confidential public an account of my
delicate and ski}ltu} mannuvering;
| enough that within half an hour I was
seated socially by the water fairy's side,
| trying to look as much like Neptune CT
| Massaniello, or any other water hero, /
! did not care much which, as could.
! gave sly tweak or two at my shirt
| collar to make it lie down sailor fashion,
turned back my wristbands, and kept
! my hat carefully, so that one spot on
| my crown, which was growing thin,
| might not be observed, and flAttered
myself that should do wellin my new
role.
Moral soon discovered her sweet
| name-was most charmingly gay and
| chatty No prudery or thoughts Of evil
ruffied the current of her cmldlike, in
| nocent thoughts. She was careless
| child at play, CLAN of a playfe]Iow.
would gladly have fingered for hours
in fthe enchanted grotto, but ere long