The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1884-09-11
CYNTH[A'S MISTAKE.

It's such lonesome place here"
said Cynthia Copley, dolefully.
"Good creationr' retorted Uncle
Phineas (for shortness known as
"Fin"), "what did you expect? Itold
you, didn't l, that it was out on the
shores of Lake Umbagog, without a
house for two miles around?"
"Oh, yes, 1 know" said Cynthia.
with little shudder, "but / didn't
know about the bald eagles screaming,
and the horrid mooses with their big
horns, and the lap-lap Of the water on
the shore! l declare, sometimes it
seems as if 1 should 60 mad in this
horrible solitudev'
you'll get used to it arter awhile"
said Uncle Fin, who was cleaning his
gun-barrel with piece of one of his
old shirts. 81 did,"
"But you aren't woman, Uncle
Fin"
81 declare. to goodness, 1 never
thought of that" said the old man,
with chuckle. at is pretty rough
on woman to have nobody to talk to
now, isn't it? Wal, if you'll get into
the boat arter supper, I'll take you over
to see Indian Oscelita. It's only three
miles round the point, and she'll show
you how to stuff birds, and do fancy
work with their quills, and play on the
mandolin, and all that sort of thing.
She's right smart gal, Oscelita is, and
pretty in the bargain. She's Pilot
Johns darter, and her mother was the
handsomest Indian woman hereabout." !"
"ThanK your said MISS Cynthia.
drawing herself up, "but / am not yet
reduced so low as to seek the association
of an Indian squaw.'
"Oh, go along" said good-natured
Uncle Fin. "Ossy amt that. Her
mother was as white as most white
women, and her father is fine -loolin'
old chap yet. He was Maine lumber
man, till he took to runnin' the little
steamer through the lakes. lust wish
you could see the pretty little cabin
they live in, all covered with morning
glories.'
81 have no desire to see it," said
Cynthia, pursuing up her thin lips.
"Ossy is comm round here some day
to visit you, she says" hazarded Uncle
Fin.
"She may as we'll save herself the
trouble" observed Miss Copley.
"Oh-h-h!" said Uncle Fin, with {
prolonged whistle. "You're too gentee
to scrape spoons with Indian Oscelita
eh? Well, do declare there amt NJ
fndin' out the ways of womenr'
And he laughed at intervals all tn,
evening, and chuckled between whiles
to the intense discontinue of his niece
Miss Cynthia Copley had been th'
village dressmaker at Weldon Falls, il
the state of Rhode Island, until newe
and more genteel interpreter of tn
fashions crowded her out.
There were eleven of them in tn
household nest, and when Cynthi
came home, with racking cough an,
nothing to do, it made little awk
wardness.
But just then arrived Uncle Fin
brown, beaming and uproariousl
good-natured.
eleven, eh ?" he said to his care
worn brother. "Just the right mum
ber; not one too many. And i
Cynthias delicate, just send her out t.
spend summer with me on the shore
of Lake Umbagog. That'll set he
right, if anything will. Why, bles
your heart, man, there's health in ever
whiff of the pine-woods, and red cheek
in every gale that comes across tn
waterl / live there alone, like Robr
son Crusoe; but it amt bad place
and Cynthy'll be as welcome as flower
n May"
So Cynthia Copley packed her ward
robe of frills, flounces, jerseys an
other feminine appurtenances, with
set of croquet and an outfit of lawr
tennis, some shelving boards an
botanical cases, and the last new novels
and came to Lake Umbagog.
"Of course there are plenty of toul
, lists there, she thought, exultantly,
! herself, dreaming vague visions of re
turning home with hat trimmed wit
orange-blossoms, and an Apollo-visage
young man in her train.
But, alas, she had been month &
Pine Point, and not a soul had com
. near the place, except two or thre
leather-faced old hunters, a crooke
beldam, gathering herbs and simple
and two showmen, in search of fir
specimen moose for their collect ..
Was it any wonder that the demo
homesickness took possession of h,
- heart?