The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-07-25
ought to stay year, then a year you

stay"
"But where?" said Meta
"With us !' said John Perkins. tI've
took notion to you, Meta. The first
time | ever set eyes on you, I said to
myself, Here's the gal for mel And
| if you will marry me, Meta, I'll do my
best to take care of you and be good
husband to you."
"Ma'7y y0u :" repeated Meta, and
she looked timidly into John Perkins
honest gray eyes, and then she added:
eyes, Mr.. Perkins, will -
"Shall we 60 right to the parson's?"
said John.
"I-I suppose so," said Meta.
"It's the best way" said John. "If
l begin job, generally like to go on
with it."
So they were married. Meta went
back to Mr.. Briggs house, until her
young husband could break the news
to his uncle. Mrs. Briggs received the
| 1rride with some faint semblance of well
come.
s'John Perkins is lively fellow"
said she, "and the deacon is the richest
man in Yellow Plains. I will allow,
Meta, you haven't done badly for your
SELF If you'd told me what you was
calculatin' for"
"But l was not calculating" said
Meta, Indignantly. ri never thought
of such thing until John asked me to
be his wife,"
"That'll do to tell" said Mrs.
Briggs, with dry chuckle.
Meanwhile, John went bravely to
his uncle.
"Uncle,' said he, 81 guess you'll
have to spare me bigger room arter
this" i"
Deacon Perkins, dried-up withered
old man, with strong likeness to the
chimpanzee tribe, looked up from his
account-book with snarl, which re-
vealed set of ragged yellow teeth.
GA bigger room?" said he. "What
for ?"
= "There's at least dozen rooms in
the house that you don't use,' said
John, "and they'd be all the better for
being occupied and besides" s"-as if
this were a mere incidental fact-"I've
been getting married !"
The deacon dropped his spectacle
case, and as John picked it up and
handed it back to him, he added:
"To Meta Milton"
The deacon's little eyes glittered like
very small gas. lamps, seen through
November fog.
"You've married her, have you1"
said he.
eyes, SIR" said John.
"Well, then," said the deacon, "you
can take her somewhere else and sup
port her, for I'll never see nor speak to
either of you again as long as l live I"
'Do you really mean it, uncle ?"
said John.
cam in the habit of joking?" said
Mr.. Perkins, with an ugly grin that
made him more chimpanzee like than
ever eff you're so very independent,
you go and hang out your flag of free
dom at your leisure !"
This was rather hard on John, who
had always been taught to regard him
self as his uncle's adopted child.
But he was too proud to sue for
rich mans favor.
"Just as you please, sir" said he.-
"But won't you let me bring Meta to
see you ?"
"No, I won't !" said the deacon.
"Oh, John, I have ruined you !"
said Meta, when he came back to tell
the tale.
"Ruined me, puss?" he said cheer
fully-"not bit of it ! You've been
the making of me. 1t amt good for
nobody to hang on the coat-skirts of a
rich man. I'm more independent now
than I have been for ten years. If
Mrs. Briggs will let us stay here for
few days
"I could not possibly /" said Mrs.
Briggs, freezing visibly. eff your
good, pious uncle discountenances you,
it amt for me to set myself up ag'in
every well," said John; "Farmer
Drake wants hand to help clear up
the maple hills this winter-I'll engage
with him. My Meta shall have a good
home somewhere ~
When Mrs. Briggs heard that John
Perkins had rented the little one-storied
cabin by the railroad, and furnished it
for his bride, she shook her head fore
bodingly.
eff Meta puts up with a hole like
that she hain't no proper PRIDE" said
she.
But Meta was as happy as lark.
1t was an humble home, but it was
her own. And John came home to it
every night, with face as cheerful as
the dawn.
81 wish it was a palace, puss, for
your sake" said he.
81 couldn't be happier, John, if it
was," Meta brightly answered.
"And you don't mind your Cousin
Briggs passing you in the street without
speaking to you?"
"Not in the least, if you don't mind
Deacon Perkins returning your letter
unopened"
"He is an lll-tempered old crab,
said John, with hearty laugh.
"And she," merrily retorted Meta,
''is venomous old gossip"
While the public opinion of Yellow
Plains unanimously condemned Mr..
and Mrs. Perkins to the poor house in
the course of brief time.
"He hasn't cent of capital" said
one neighbor.
"And she amt no management and
never had," said another.
"Buys bakers bread, and makes her
pie-cruSt with butter instead O. drip
pins" said Mrs. Briggs. "Did any
one ever hear of such shiftlessness? /,
for one, wash my hands clear of them"
Until one day, Deacon Perkins died
while sitting in his chair, with his spec
tacles on his nose.
"We'll go to the funeral, Meta"
said John to his wife. Of course he
bac left oil hic roonev RI tha Catta