The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-12-13

upOh lht dlly NIdppcu IeT ecSUdUlC lal
more tigh ly about her paws and shu
| her blinking eyes against temptation
| But the most comfortable sight of al
was the face of my comely mother her.
self, as she finally raised her flushed
| cheeks from the fire and said, in voice
musical with motherly tenderness and
| household cheer:
Now, Ralph, run and call youl
teacher to her breakfast, ~
| Dear mother! she would ALWAYS for.
get my years and treat me like baby:
but | obeyed her command, blushing to
! the roots of my brown hair as | opened
the parlor door. But Miss Lincoln
turned her quiet eyes upon me and nod
ded without change of color, promptly
closing the door of one of the quaint
cabinets that lined the walls, where she
had been serenely lingering all manner
of time-worn curiosites. brought by
four generations of Rainfords from over
! the sea.
| There were corals, shells, arrows,
vases, ostrich eggs from South Africa
and shoes that had pinched the genteel
| feet of some by-gone Chinese belle,
books in outlandish tongues, devil fish
and flying fish, models of strange
canoes and low, ill-ventilated huts.
teeth of Arctic whales, birds of bright
plumage shot on South sea isles, grim
bowls claiming to have graced the
board at cannibal repasts, barbaric
stutfs and ornaments, savage spear
still stained with Rainford blood and a
bracelet of silver links, tabled to have
shone upon the wrist of dark-broWed
chieftain's daughter, who once loosed
| captive Rainford's bonds.
My mother greeted Miss Lincoln with
her usual simple cordiality, as graceful
as wayside fountain to thirsty lips,
and asked if she had passed restful
night
YES, THANK you, replied the school
teacher, with certain precision of ar
ticulation suggestive of the spelling
book, Il slept extremely we'll"
l blushed again for Indignation.
What right had she to these sound
slumbers at such crisis of my life, if
not of hers? | myself had presumed
that | should toss on a sleepless pillow
all night long and remembered a little
sheepishly that had kissed Mods scep-
ter before the village clock struck twelve.
But who ever heard of lady sleeping
extremely WELL after the reading of a
miSsive which had been warmed against
lovers heart? There was only one
explanation possible. She had not yet
caught sight of my note. | wished |
had had the courage to pin it upon the
top of the cushion instead of cOncealing
it beneath But as we stood behind our
chairs waiting, according to the family
custom, for the entrance OF my grand
father, Miss Lincoln turned to me with
her little, professional air of staid dig
nifty and said, as she drew out my iden-
teal poem from her pocket:
''You were early in passing in your
composition, Ralph. | said they need
not be ready before Friday afternoon.
[ have corrected this, however, although
as had not my blue pencil with me,
you must notice that l have drawn red
line under both the misspelled words
and the errors in grammatical construc
ton. | have made a cross against sew
eral false rhymes and the most seriously
defective rhythms. 1t is pretty effort,
think and you have improved greatly
in punctuation.
My disgust and chagrin admitted of
no words, The only love-letter I ever
wrote or ever shall, | crushed hurriedly
into my pocket and was grateful that
the arrival of my grandfather diverted
attention from my crimson cheeks.
He entered with his most stately air,
and | readily perceived that his delay
was due to extra attention bestowed
upon his toilet He had the natural
gallantry of seaman and astOnished
Miss Lincoln by kissing her pale brow
deliberately, with the words:
Dear madame, allow me to salute
you" He performed the same ceremony
in connection with my mother. who sub
mitted gracefully, as she had done for
nearly twenty years, never daring to
cross her husbands father, of whom she
stood in an awe even deeper than my
own. The quaint courtesy of his man
ner, too, recommended his greetings.
OF me he took, as usual, not the slightest
notice.
My grandfather having politely seated
his guest, proceeded to draw out his own
ponderous armchair a signal at which
my mother and ventured to take our
places, and while old Cap n Reuben was
addressing Miss Lincoln in his deep
tones, my mother poured the coffee and
served us all in turn, expressing her Sc
cret tenderness for me and her uneasy
consciousness of some trouble in my
face, by heaping very pyramid of the
brownest buckwheat cakes upon my
plate.
You are, my dear young madam"
my grandfather was saying, engaged,
l believe, in the occupation of teaching"
Having heard that old Cap'n Reuben
was exceedingly deaf. Miss Lincoln
bowed silently in answer.
IAN honorable occupation" con-
tinued my grandfather; pray tell me
how many pupils have the happiness of
being under your instruction at present"
about thirty" replied the teacher,
raising her silvery voice.
But the old man shook his head
mournfully.
81 do not hear you, madam. l have
listened too long to the roar of stormy
seas. The crash of winds and
waves fills my ears continually
and renders it hard for any
human voice to reach me. | have sailed
the seas, dear madam, for over half a
century, and | should have found a