The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-03-05

Brown pipe up "Hamlet" to "Pansies,
that's for thoughts" 1 was glad she got
the bunch to reward her courage.
Seneca Evarts guessed SO many, that it
was quite provoking, and he was invited
to join the umpire committee to save the
spoils.
Gussie Flint outdid herself in beaming
upon Charlie. The girls said she had been
several nosegays. How she simpered
when Charlie gave her the pinks for Burns
"And will pu' the pink, the emblem O. my
dear,
For she's the pink O. womankind, and
blooms without a peer"
She may have her peers-but her match l
hope there is not.
To make variety some of us girls had
cards or simple plaques, like "fower-de-
luce" that was Longfellow's, and Honey
suckle" out of the MAY Queen"
1t was very nice for poor lame Herbert
to get the branch of coral for his cabinet.
No one but he seemed to know Moore's
- "crimson blossom of the coral tree
In the warm isles of 1ndia's sunny sea-"
Three things were cut and dried before
hand, everyone being in the secret except
Aunt Nora.
Mr.. Howe read very quietly "Consider
the lilies" No one spoke, and at last Aunt
Nora said: ''There is no harm, children,
that l can see, in using the Makers COM
mendation of His work. Those are our
Lords words in Matthew q: %, l believe"
Thereupon a beautiful Wedgewood urn
was brought out in which grew an annun-
citation lily full of blossoms and buds. 1t
was a birthday gift, and how pleased and
touched Auntie was!
After awhile she was trapped by another
beloved Wordsworth, on the lines "My
heart with pleasure" etc. That time she
received a china plaque with exquisitely
painted daffodils.
She said, half laughing and half crying,
that b wouldn't open her mouth again
but she did.
Mr.. Howe read the whole of "Mistress
Mary" ending with ''pretty maids all in a
row."
"Shame on you ALL" exclaimed Aunt
Nora, at last-'have you forgotten your
old Mother Goose?"
How we shouted and clapped, as she was
presented with a framed photograph, a
group of the twenty poor little girls she has
come to her house Saturdays to learn
needle work, a branch of education so
neglected, she laments, in schools nova
days.
All the time, as far as the game went, 1
seemed tongue-tied, again and again COM
ing to the point just too late, when l l knew
the poem like a, be-. Ibid manage to speak
up when they rave
THAT which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet"
Several said shakespeare" but I said
"Juliette," n SO I won. AS Charlie
handed me a bunch of delicious blushing
roses, he said in an undertone-quite ig-
noring our passage at arms-'This is
hardly fair, HaZel-roses where there are
enough already" and he looked at me so
that l felt my cheeks turn from pink to
purple.
fully, and waved the flowers away. "That
deep pink quarrels with my red dress" l
said to my next neighbor by way of ex-
PLANTATION.
Charlie cooIly laid the roses aside, and
before l came up stairs, 1 wen into the
parlor and got them-andn now they fill the
room with the smell of summer
Charlie staid after the others went away,
and l left him talking with Aunt Nora in
usual latter the ball". gossip with her. 1
didn't even say goodnight to Charlie.
l ana vexed that I seemed so stupid in the
game. Papa thought I'd outshine them all.
1 did manage to get this bit of aspen that
hangs limp and forlorn from my button
hole. could not easily miss on Tenny-
sons "Farewell:"
And here thine aSpens SILVER.
And here by these shall hum the bee
Forever and forever.
All the time Charlie was handing the
sprig to me he was complimenting Gussie
Flint on her lap-full of trophies.
Son one said that poem was too sad to
choose from, but Miss Howe said a bit of
aspen was too rare to be neglected. Then
Charlie said they might hav taken the
aspen in
"Uncertain, coy, and hard to please"
1 knew he meant it for me. One didn't
need to be very hard to please to dislike
seeing him so lordly this evening.
George Howe said it was a pity there
wasn't something about witch-hazel; and
somebody said the .icitch was all out of
Hazel tonight, and that snip of a Frank
Simmons aid "But not the ~witchery.'
b did l care for their nonsense.
NO more by thee my steps shall be,
Forever and forever"
LATER.-Rather 1 may say earlier, for il
is almost morning; still l will write another
page-if I can.
Just as 1 stopped writing there came the
lightest tap at my door, and when | opened
it there stood Aunt Nora. She had on her
palm leaf dressing gown, and her nightcap
edged by a row of little curl-papers, but
she looked a beauty all the same.
"You naughty child" she said, "to be ur
you stirring"
81 am glad you are come" l said, "you
will cheer me up a Bit"
81 am sure of it," she said, brightly ,'but
first let us mend the fire."
When a fresh log was blazing, and | had
been wrapped in my fur cloak, she said:
Charlie staid behind the others because
he had a letter to give Inc from his father
l made him stop till read it, and then il
was so late and cold that l kept MIN for the
night. l put him in his uncle's ROOM
Charlie has always called them aunt aud
uncle, though they are really second cous.
ins), because that room was warm, as
was there to-day beginning the packing
Charlie is almost the only one | could will
ingly see occupying my brother's rooms.'
l thought she meant TO give me a lessor
in forgiveness, and remained mute.
81 wish yoE would read hat aloud" sht
said presently, handing me the letter sht
had held in her hand all the time. This il
what the letter said:
MRS. NORA FAIRFIELD ROSENCRANS:
DEAR COUsIN-The year allowed for tn,
settlement of your brothers estate has ex
pired, and as yet the will, of whose eXistenc,
] still do not despair, is not found. 1t hcrefor,
wish to inform you that ! have decided to yol
the homestead and all the property that
forty-two years ago your brother impulsivel!
willed to me ! have delayed action, hopin!
that the discovery of a later will would con
law and equity, and ] still hope by bequest
However that may be, my own course i:
clear and unalterabie.
Allow me here to thank you for your kind
ness to my boy. Since his mothers dealt
left me homeless, l have found distraction il
public life. But I have always objected t.
my sons entering it. and have at Il persona
sacrifice encouraged his sticking TO the oil,
town, the old friends. and adopting my oil
profession. Ihope yet to return to end III,
expect you to welcome Inc back as IA neigh
Dor. Believe me yours sincerely,
ALFRED FAIRFIELD.
As l finished as best | could. Aunt Nor,
unfolded a document that she said was tn
deed.
l just threw my arms about her necl
and cried like a baby, and she cried too.
think the first coherent thing l said was
Mountaineering will never forgiv,
mew
+ Eyes, he will" she said, decidedly.
) "How do you know:-did he say so?'
said as much-he said a "a sat dea