Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-09-19

X X X
"llell be a mighty good ketch fu
you an no mistake, Marthy Jane,
commented Mrs. Perky, when Aun
Peggy's letter had been duly receive
and read. "a mighty good ketch, ar
you must do your best to ketch him
'Tain't often gal has sech a chanc
throwed at her head, an if you've 60
a mite o pluck about you, you won
let them stuck-up Briggses git ahea,
OF you. Delilah Briggs would Civ
her ears to git ahead of you, I'll bet
buttOnw
10 which bit of logic Martha Jam
assented, with toss of her head, ant
the assurance that Delilah Briggs, no
no one else, wasn't a-goin' to git aheat
Of her.
Consequently, when farmer Perky
drove his gray team to the gate, with
Hiram Honeydew on the seat beside
him, the necessary preparations had al
ready been made-hoors secured
baking done, and a substantial country
dinner, with dessert of apple-dump.
lings and sweet-cream sauce, ready tc
be served.
While Martha Jane, in a pink plaid
frock, with huted ruhles, stood waiting
to welcome the expected guest.
"She's mortal humly," thought
Hiram, as he sat smoking, after din
ner, on the porch, and mentally review.
ing Martha James narrow forehead
hard black eyes and high-colored
cheeks "But, then, l amt a-lookin'
out fur beauty, an if she suits me
other ways, | reckln faint no great
matter how she looks. A girl with
them kind of eyes an mahogany
colored skin kin do the chores an
make butter, an sech, as good as if she
had blue eyes an goldy-lookin' hair
like that girl they call IIitty, that
brought in the dumplin's an passed
round the dip fur 'em at dinner to-day.
She's the hired girl, / reckin. " any
rate amt got time to hunt round
much, an l reckin Marthy Jane won
mind changin' her name to Honeydew
afore long, an I've got to hurry up
l amt got no time to waste a-courtin'.
| reckin if nothin' happens we kin be
married in a week, an git back home.
| don't like to stay here a-settin' round
doin' nothin, with all the fall work
sittin' behind at the farm"
"uh, DEAR
Down through the long grass and
crimson clover-bobs, under scrubby
haws and tall persimmon trees, went
IIitty Mavis, deep-caped sunbonnet
shading her violet eyes and tangled
yellow curls,
She was after the cows, standing
knee-deep in the tall aftermath, where
they had been turned for pasturage
after the meadow hay was cut.
"Oh, dear!" sighed Hitty again, "lm
so tired, and here's the cows to drive
home, milking to do, sponge to set for
the baking tomorrow, and goodness
knows what else, and oh"
She started back, with little scream,
for seated on the fence, under the
shadow of crimson-leafed sassafras-
tree, sat Hiram IIoneydew, coolly
watching her.
Hitty's cheeks turned from pink to
scarlet as she met the admiring glances
of his frank, brown eyes, and her
heart beat fas er than common.
But Hitty was a sensible girl, SC
she said, "Good evening, Mr.. Honey
dew!' quite coolly, and began driving
home the cows
But Hiram sprang down from his
perch on the rail fence and followed
her.
"Let me help you, Miss Hitty" he
begged. 81 amt used to loalin
around, doin' nothin', like I've beer
fur some days now; and it'll be treat
to drive home the COWS, even."
So they walked together through the
velvety aftermath, dotted with scarlet
butterhy-weed, and crimson-petalet
"nigger-heads," the lowing cows filing
slowly home, lazily chewing their cuds
and switching their tails at the flies.
Hiram let down the bars, and turn
ed the cows into the yard, while Hit.
brought out the nilk-pails from unde
bunch of burdock-leaves, where sh
had left them.
And somehow, in spite of the milk
ing and setting the sponge, and doin!
up the chores, EIitty's heart beat NOR
lightly than it had for many a day.
And instead of one week Hiram
Honeydew stayed two, but still Marth
Jane had not been invited to chang
her name.
"She's mighty good housekeepor,
thought Hiram, meditatively 81
little Hitty could only cook an house
keep as good as her. don't
know"
He ended by building castle in tn
air, wherein Hitty Mavis, with her vic
let eyes, ,and"goldy"c "colored hair,wa tn
chief figure.
X X Il
"EIitty Mavis"
Martha James hard, black eyes lool
ed harder than ever, and her shar