Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1885-05-28
The Old Bachelor.

My dear friend, that is about one o
the silliest questions ever heard Il
come from man of your wisdom and
common sense | It was Fate, that
what it was Personally, l had nc
mole to do with it than you have thi'
moment. These things are all ordain.
ed and marked out for us, and We can
neither avoid por alter them. Fatality,
dc you call the doctrine ? Well, cal
it what you will-there it is, and you
can't make anything else out of it
But about little Magdalen. / wa
coming down Broadway in great hur'
ry to catch an uptown stage before al
those ferry people blocked into it. wher
there she sat on curb stone, the wind
blowing her yellow hair about and he
poor little bands blue with cold, crying
as if her heart would break. didn't
think the veliest savage could hay,
helped stopping TO ask her what thu
matter was, and l don't call myself I
savage, il I do happen to have my lit
tie crusty fits now and then. So says
L:
"Child, what's tho matter ?"
"I'm lost !" said she.
And come to inquire, why the poor
little elf was fatherless, motherless.
friendless, in all the wide world ! OF
course, took her home, and you ough
to have seen old Hannah, my house
keeper, stare when walked in with the
yellow haired baby clinging to the lit
tie finger of my left hand. For sh.
wasn't more than eight years old, and
small at that
~ give you m onth's warning, sir =
says Hannah. But, bless your soul
she didn't 60. Maggie took her hear {
by storm, as she always has done that
to the rest of the world, and at the
months end you couldn't have hired
old Hannah to leave the child.
Well, sir, she grew up as tall as a
reed, and as pretty as posy. sent
her to Madam Aimard's fashionable
French boarding. school, for I was not
going to have my Maggie whit behind
any ones else girl, I can tell you. My
sister Simpkins objected. You see,
with those nine daughters of hers, she
grudged every penny of my money that
was spent on any one else.
"You're putting silly notions in the
child's head" said she. ga girl that
will have her own Lying to earn, ought
not to mingle with Madam Aimard's
young ladies.'
II should like to know why p''
says I.
because she is in no way their E.
quail ~ said Sister Simpkins.
"Fiddlesticks I" says I. "My Mag
gle is good and pretty, and il that DONE
equality with any girl alive,
I'll own up that we don't live In re-
publican country As for earning her
own living, why it's my business to
look after that, and no one else need
trouble their head about it -
Mrs Simpkins pursed up her lips and
looked unutterable things, but she did
not dare to say anything more. She
knew Of old that wasn't to be disput.
ed when my will was up. But 1 sent
the nine Miss Simpkinses nine coral
necklaces the next Christmas, and that
kept the peace for awhile.
When she came home from the
boarding school, she was rrettier than
ever-tall, as said before, with vel
low, silky hair, great shady-lookina
blue eyes. with lashes that curled up at
the ends, and cheeks as fresh and pink
as remember the inside of two big
shells that used to stand on my grand
fathers best room mantel fifty good
years ago.
So I cast about in my mind to finG
some new plan for making the ole
house lively for my little girl. I knew
she couldn't thrive without her inn0'
cent gayeties, any more than bird
could without free air and sunshine !;
SO invited company, and made mp lit
tie impromptu parties and frolics, and
beat my brains for something to keeI
her amused. And I believe succeed
ed too. for her step was as light as 6
feather, and you could hear her sing all
over the house, when she thought she
was alone.
And one day old Hannah came 10,
busting chairs, and prying about fol
finger marks on the paint In her odd
near-sighted way.
ssMr. Pelham, |" says she. ru bbing a
way at a door.knob that was as bright
before as hands could mako it, "wha
would you say il we were to have ,
wedding in the old house ?''
"a wedding ~ dropped my pei
SO that it made big round blot on tn
paper, and stared. "Why, you're no
going to be married, Hannah, after al
these y ears p''
"Do look like it ?n shifted Hanu al