The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1886-11-17
SI1LECTilD.
THE ROMANCE OF AFR PILLOW

THE ROMANCE OF AFR PILLOW
lie was a hri4hi. hnd~enr yona2 IL
| low Of perhaps f1c-aud-twsn'g whjir l.
Z dcmure >pin~ter we'll into tie hffrs.
booked quite oil enough 10 b. hi~ mother
50 the gossips n the little sumner no
| lei where Ne were boarding cpuh really
! find nothing 20 say. though we often had
| long talks together. his young Jack
| Turner and myself. when we happened 10
meet in the parlor or ont on Tho pialZas.
The special craze among oar young
lady boarders just then was thu making
Of all sorts Of pretty pillows. which they
filed with pine-needles or buds Of the fra
grant halsam-Hr, and embroidered with
various appropriate notices. such ~.
dream Of the woods. The pines shall
whisper peace. Give me Of Your balm.
. Fir-trre, etc, etc And a. The picking
of THESE piuc.ncedle. and pitrly fir tip
was rather di>agreeable work for dainty
white fingers. ii was quite The fashion for
all the chivalric Young men in the house
10 volunteer their services in This initiato-
~ part Of the work. Moreover. there
was not little rivalry among them "a to
who could find the most fragrant trees. n
species of the balsam-dr denominated
strawberry" being the rareSt and most
/ in demand.
l4wa> therefore not at all surprised
when this new acquaintance Of mine. hay
| ing found out my botanic proclivities.
came to me one bright morning with an
immense tow bag slung across his sho1ld-
ers, and announced his intention Of pick
ing FIR in some remote woods on the eth
er side of the mountain Would 90
with him and show him the right kind Of
tree: He had brought back a whole bag
| full of worthless stuff the day before and
all because he couldn't tell a spruce-tfee
from fir.
How could | resist such a pathetic ap-
peal?-cspccially when he could show me
in this particular piece Of woods a rare
and beautiful species Of orchid that Ia !
long been trying to find.
No. coul mt refuse. So Jack with
his bag and with my basket started off
in high spirits that glorious sumner
morning. 1t was one Of those rare days
in early July when cool breath from he
mountains tempered the midsummer heat
and gave me an cXhilarating sense Of
what Longfcllow calls
''the electric thriil the touch
OF lite that seems almost too much "
tain seemed as nothing, and we SOON
reached our dcStination-the broad dark
belt of woodland that enclosed like vel
vet glrdle the picturesque little lake at
the foot of the highest peak. Jack had
proved himself Il most entertaining com
panion all the way. He reminded me Of
dear Young nephew | had lost. and al
though week before we had been total
strangers. was glad to notice that h.
seemed to regard me already as an old
and tried friend Upon one subject. how
ever, he was very rctccnt When had
found for him a clump of the genuine
"StraWherrv trees. and iokinrly asked
him for which of our pretty Young ladies
he vas going to pick the fir. he looked
up quickly. and then. with Il confused
look on his frank countenancc said
"Oh. it is for no one here: il for some
one mile, and miles away And do Won
think" he added. with an distracted air
quite foreign to his usual manner. "lbat
il is really il cure for consumption?"
Hardly cure" answered. although
I've known it to give relief in many cases
Of confirmed ung trouble
The Young man sighed heavily.
We'll, he replied. after long silence.
Il am determined to try everything for
her"
OF course nv sympatlies were mmcdi-
atclv aroused. | began at once to picture
To myself the pale Young 9ir in her far
oil home fading away day by day like
some frail flower
Has she been i'll a long time:" ven
tured at last TO inquire.
For more than n year. he answered
briefly and then nuirkIv Turned thr rnn-
ycrsation upon some other subject. Still.
| could not help noticing a heavy burden
evidently Law upon is mind. that. try aS
hard as he might, he could not entirely
shake of.
Now | do not think | am ovrr.Svmpa-
thrtie or have more than the ordinary
amount of curiosity USUALLY attributed 10
but ali the way home | kept
thinking Of Jacks little sweetheart, 50
MANY miles away" and wished he would
tell me something more about her.
1t was the evening of that same day, |
that he came Ia me in tie par
lor. and drawing me into quiet corner, !
said he wanted to ask my advice upon a
very important subject
Did | think il would be possible Tor
him To make up the fir pillow all himself:
He used to hem the sails of his toy hoat>
when little shaver. had served GOOD
apprenticeship in sewing an buttons when
a college hoy. and thought he could still
"A needle pretty well if | would
only have the patience to show him.
of course, with a womans incrnSe-
qucucc. | Immediately offered To do The
whole thing for him But no! h. thanked
me JUST me SAME nc saiu' pul "oui" rea'-
ly prefer to DO II hllnseIl i
Now III SPi,e OF my mature years !
sun nave stored away IN my nature a d'''
oil romance ana inns fancy OF the young
man touched sympathetic chord al
course IL would give an addeu value 10 the
pretty @lii II II was All me- own WORN an"
VINO c"nld ten what pSyeh"Iosl'ai power,
what WohHcfiul ',ln'ii1 cure ini2n' MOI
he th'cted wien inc ili'le liNai" pressed
10 ati l'iN 'iie "'aT'e fis'N '''' ''si
NAM ''''''
AS 10 inc lIa'er'al ana c'lor' rta1iH
wished lla' l khe" inc Young @itt PREF
erchc's' ana wien JACK suggested nItin
gray serge rs sure 70 wear wei,
wondered hot u'iie tlat N"nhS man
WIN :" h.ucu "c'eaeA 81 i'eiil9 should
III inc sum ti'i'e' ne :" H.tue'N PIact'-
cal l Ha'l ALREADY d'Ciocu III my own
in'na l''ai 'he PI!,o" sho'hu ne oi some
dcilea'e suite ol p'ue Pon"ee' deeoraird
III one corner WIN Ai>aeia'i poNS ol Va''
Piilh Sa'll' i''NrNe'' a,''''e.' 5ne POM