The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-04-02

evening came we stopped at a farm
house, where the sad story of the little
girl awoke such sympathy that the kind.
hearted house wife begged me to allow
the child to remain with her
l." 1t is question that she must decide, "
| rejoined. "What do you say Mu.
nette ?"
am surprised that you should ask
me such question: she replied, approach
ing the chair where sat and taking nv
hand. Would it not be ungratefu in
rne to desert you so soon, or to ever de-
sert you?"
"She's got more sense than an old wo-
man right now," said the host, addressing
his wife. "Our twenty-eight year old
daughter that married last month amt a
patchin' to this girl
"W'y, Jefferson" said his wife, in
mild censure, Margaret amt twenty
eight years old.'
"She's mighty nigh it."
" An besides that" continued the wo-
man, she never had chance"
Didn't go to school three months out
en- nearly every year, eh? What show
does gal want I'd like to know? This
little creetur, | warrant you never has
been to school,"
"Oh, yes sir. My whole life has been
a school. The old house where l used to
live contains many books. If you want
them you can go there and get them
read them again"
We'll, blast my buttons if | don't
mosy up that way. | amt much Of a
scholar, but reckon can worry through
with a lot Of them"
CHAPTER IL.
My mother welcomed Munette, and
when | related the sad story of how
found her, the sympathetic woman took
the child in her arms and kissed her. A
few days afterwards, when | returned
home after short absence, she flashed
upon me in gay red dress She was
more of a child than l had ever seen
more so than | had thought it possible
for her to become. My mother was de-
lighted to see her innocent pranks, and |,
for the first time, kissed the child.
You have kissed me at last" she
said. Is it because look better in this
dress ?"
1t is because you look more like
child. Before, you reminded me SO much
of woman"
DO not women like to be kissed 2"
| laughed and my mother, shaking her
bead can see her gray hairs now
said: " All, Ambrose, our young girl has
very old head"
We sent Munette to school. The teach
er, man who had the reputation of be-
ing profound, met me one day and said.
"Look here, Munette is the most re-
markable child l ever saw. She has read
so many books and makes me such wise
observations that l am constantly sur
prised. To tell you the truth, cannot
advance her. Not that I an rot intel
lectually hem-but-because | do
not think that at her age it would be safe
Therefore would advise you to take her
from school. | know the effect that too
much learning has on youth. l know
how narrowly escaped"
When | spoke to Munette, she said
"That school is very dull place. 1t is
constant hum of arithmetic. | don't
like to cipher, as the children call it.
Fractions make my head ache and mis-
cellaneous examples make me sick. Let
me study at home"
took her from school. She was a de-
voted student, but was never so absorbed
that she was oblivious to the little atten-
tions which a woman of my mothers age
prizes SO highly. Munette grew rapidly
and | was pleased to see that she was
daily becoming more graceful.
CHAPTER III.
The war came on. How natural it is,
in writing story, to say The war clme
on )" but this not story, and nothing
can be more natural than truth-although
it is said to be stranger than fiction.
Therefore, when say that the war came
on, intend that the declaration should
pride. I was a captain. Ny mother
prayed; but Munette did not seem to be
affected. Good-by,' she said War is
one of the incidents of civilization, as
we'll as a feature of barbarity l know
that you will do your duty, and that you
will not forget the little girl whom you
once saw sobbing under the hand of a
dying man. When you return, l shall be
old enough to kiss YOU
looked at her in astonishment. Mer-
riment sparkled in her eyes. "You don't
like to kiss children, it seems"
Munette, you are strange. | once said
that did not kiss you because you looked
like woman"
ooh, yes, that is true thought that
you did not want to kiss me because /
was 80 small. There now, captain, don't
swell up like toad"
turned away. She called me, when
was about hundred yards away and
said When you pass the big gate,
look on the right hand post"
l did 40 and found the words, "I love
you" Under this wrote, md | love
you"
did not receive but one letter from
Munette, and that might just as we'll have
been written by professor of geology,
for its four pages were devoted to a de-
scription of lot of pebbles she had found
in a cave.
l returned home ragged and ill. Mu-
nette was delighted to see me- She was
80 peculiar, though, that could not tell
whether or not she still loved me. 1t
seemed that she did not, for whenever
attempted to remind her of it, she changed
the subject. Like all true lovers, l felt
that without her my life would be blank.
l spoke to my mother concerning my
trouble.
"She is a very strange girl, but al
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