The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-10-02

giblets of the rarely used fowls were
saved for him, his tastes gratified, and
his notions respected. One is some
times tempted to half accept the mascu-
line theory that women like tyrants,
when one sees how they manufacture
them for themselves.
Now Joseph Parker had Just come to
Meriden to live. A certain Mr.. Webb,
who had mandatory in Vermont,
had moved to Meriden to get more
water-power, and as Joe Parker was
his foreman in the paper-mill, he had
moved too, hired house a little way
out of the village, next to Mr.. Mays
homestead, and brought with him his
mother-and his mothers cat. Hence
this story, and whatever tears may be-
sprinkle it.
Mrs. Parker cat was not at all like
Peter May; he was black, all black, with
green-yellow eyes, and an aspect that
made stranger think of the regulation
cat that was the familiar of witches in
all history. He came from Hanover to
Meriden by rail, nailed up in a straw
berry crate, Kissing, splitting, yowling,
and sharpening his CLAWS on his frail
prison all the way, to the terror of every
passenger in the car. Indeed Joe was
forced to carry crate and all into a bag
gage-car at the third station, and ride
with it the rest of the way, for the brake
men refused to look after it, so daunted
were they by the wild animal within.
Tiger was sent into solitary confinement
in the cellar as soon as Mrs. Parker
reached her house, and was subducd by
hunger and darkness before they dared
to let him range abroad in the new
neighborhood
Now Joe Parker had not been in
Meriden long enough to make much
acquaintance there, and was very hard
at work the first few weeks of his stay,
so that he always went to sleep in
church on Sunday, and missed any
sight thereby of the blooming damsels
in the choir or in the pews; he was
ashamed of it, to be sure, but there was
the change of air from Vermont noun
tains to the fat meadow land and low
lying pastures about the river, and then
he was really overworked for a time in
helping to place the new machinery,
move the old, and settle his mother in
this strange place, where he knew nc
one to whom he could apply for help
or suggestion. 1t was not Sunday to-
day when he peeped through the fence
at Nanny, and suddenly, as if by a
stroke, lost his honest young heart
for, beloved reader, this is only love
story. only a love story; only a record
of the great world song, the event of sc
many lives, the finality of all.
'That passing bell
| That tolls one into heaven or hell"
as the old poet sings. When | heal
people say, "Only love story, - | think
of that couplet of Tennyson's:
zone drew sharp knife through my tende
| throat
Slowly, and nothing more"
Quite enough for once! muses. the av
erage reader; and so is this matter o
love, be it in the passion of Romeo anC
Juliet or the less wordy and more com
monplace emotion of a foreman in
factory and a farmers daughter; for
after all, do the best that We may,
It's love, love- love, that makes tn
world 90 round; yes, that makes on
sad old world merry-go round
Love VIII find out the way says al
ancient song, and Joe was no exception
TO the rule of the Pathfinder He per
suadcd his mother to send him over t
the neighbor' $, the very next night, TO
pitcher of milk, and also to negotiat
for their daily supply. This beng sue
cessfully effected, he went daily for tn
milk before mill hours, and his pail wa
filled by Mary Ann, blooming with tn
sweet morning air, neat, trim, an
lovely at O'Clock a. m. as q city girl g
her late dinner. Joe grew worse an
worse. He thought of Nanny in mi
and market; her face shone above tn
machinery, her laugh tinkled with tn
mill bell. He made friends with Pete
also; for cats know lovers-when the
are cat-lovers-just as well as chjldre
b. know their friends. Tiger was still kel
S in the high-fenced chicken-yard on tt
t Parker premiscs-now devoid of chic
| ens--as a measure of precaution again
I his straying; he was too dear to his mi
$ trcss to be ventured at large yet. 1t
e not to be denied that Nanny lookC
s with favorable eyes upon Jt
!, Parker; a reasonable young fello
1 with a good position does not fall at Il
t feet of every farmers daughter, even
s she is a beauty. The "anxious and all
less have in their ranks many a love
e face and capable character. Nanny b,
|; been no farth r than the district scho
It for her education, and her home trai
g ing was too hard, pract cal, thorous
It work. She read no novels or ''stor
It papers," the Weeb,y COUraRt and Il
: Puritan Recorder helped her throu!
l. Sundays, but on weekdays she h;
d work to do, and at night was tin,
a enough to 90 to bed early. So she W
simple as we'll as sensible, in the be
e sense of simplicity, and did not coqu
/. with Joe any more than was natural
d any girl. She d implied and BLUSH
o when he came in, pretended TO be vex
y when Peter preferred his knee to h
t, lap, called him an lawful thing if
d caught her hand in his with the mil
% pail handle, and was ALWAYS readvto