The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1886-04-03
A MORTGAGE" CANCELLED
The Bells Of Hull Celebrated the
Joyous Event.

Joyous Event.
~ 4
Old Peter Harvey was strange man.
After living fifty years bachelor he
astonished the little world in which he
lived by marrying little old maid as
strange as himself, and all the little
world laughed. sai
But he was good husband and kind
father to his only child Annie. After
twelve. years Of married life he and his
wife Elizabeth were called away almost
in an hour. leaving little Annie to sob
I out the first great grief of her life.
After the funeral. when Peter Har-
vey and his wife had been laid side by
side in the old graveyard. and the stern
+ Covenanter minister had said his few
solemn words Of regret for the dead
and comfort for the living, little Annie
Harvey went to live with her uncle,
Andrew Mallory, till she should be-
come Of age. IS.
At twelve years old Annie Harvey
y was like rosebud. One fears to see
the bud expand into the magnificent
flower, lest the delicate tints or the ex-
quisite proportions may be lost.
Such were the feelings of good Mrs.
Mallory when she said to her husband:
II wish the lassie would just stay the
pretty BARN she is now"
80 Tut, tut, mither; mind when We
were a wee BARN yoursel'; and who
says ye're not comedy body noop''
said the sturdy old Scotchman.
Mrs. Mallory, delighted with COM
pliment from her husband. went about
her work, remembering the days of her
girlhood in far-away Scotland, when
handsome Andy Mallory, in his Sunday
best, came to court herself, Marian
Harvey. r,ss,.i st,s[
That Annie Harvey should have other
views than her aunt concerning her
self Ia not strange. She was impatient
for. the time. to come when she could
assume the long dresses and the accom-
panying airs Of ripper years, and already
she had faint dreams of the delights of
beaux, parties, dancing and that crown
ing delight, fiirting.l- q
From twelve to seventeeni How
! slowly the years move! It seems an age
in youth, and but moment in age.
Little Annie Harvey had become Miss
Harvey. She was exceedingly pretty
and she knew it. She also knew that
she was heiress to the lands and money
of her prudent, though odd father. and
she had been told that the money had
been doubled and quadrupled in the
careful hands of Uncle Mallory. II,
But another thing she had not been
told, that would have been pleasanter
in her ears than all this. She certainly
had lovers; but they were such milk
and water fellows that she could not.
for the life of her, help thinking Of
them as she did Of her uncle's oxen
great, harmless, good-nat,ired animals
! good enough, but 50 dull.
Among the friends Of Peter Harvey
was Robert Wallace, an honest, hard
working man, but singularly unfortu-
{ nate. II cow became choked eating
turnips, It was his cow; II . boy went
10 sleep in meeting, and was marched
ont in disgrace, or warned from the
pulpit, it was sure to be his boy. When
the ministers bees swarmed on SUM-
day, and refused to 20 into the nice
{ new hive. out Of q hundred heads
present they selected his head, and
fought sharply for resting-place theje.
His wife nailed horseshoe over the
door, and he drove his oxen and horses
with . witOh-hazel rod, but still the
troubles came. Finally old Kezzie
Brock threw salt in his well, and from
that day forward his troubles ceased.
"a Within on hour after old Kezxie had
settled the witches in the well, Peter
Harvey came riding down the lane,
singing his favorite song Comm
through the Rye" sign ne was in an
excellent good humor. After stopping
to have chat and taking drink Of
'sGlenlivet" with drop Of water from
the we'll, he proposed to Robert WAL
lace'to sell the few animals and other
things he could not take with him, and
amigrate to Illinois; and drawing out
his well6lled pocketbook, he counted
him four hundred dollars for the Jour-
ney. s ~ Id ..s a 81
Great was the Joy of the Wallsces At
this unexpected act OF friendship.
But said Peter Harvey. when he
bad written out note for the money,
made payable when convenient, ..you
must give me security and I'll just take
a mortgage on this colt" And he
clapped his hand on the head OF one of
the half dozen lads who called Robert
Wallace father: -,
= With true Scotch humor the mort
gage was executed and recorded, and
Robert Wallace. with his hcusehoId