The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-07-31
THE TIPTON CELEBRATION
by EMMA A. oPPER.

There was good deal of head shaking
INDUCED in when Philip Bruce and
Mehitabel Hale were married.
Old Mrs. Pierce, who lived next to the
Bruce homestead Gt was Philips now
he was the last surviving Bruce). stated
the cause for disapproval with much i'm
pressiveness to little Miss Gardner, the
dressmaker.
"Theyre middling young, for one
thing-Hitty, she amt above nineteen.
and Phil amt more'n twenty-three or
four-but that amt the most ont. They
won't git along peaceable, nor nothing
like it-mark my words. When you see
red hair like his'n, and black eyes like
her'n, you can be pretty certain there's a
temper behind EN-"
"Sho!" said Miss Gardner, pacifcallv.
"Phils as good-natured a feller as ever
breathed, and never seed a pleasanter-
spoken gal than Hitty."
"Well," Mrs. Pierce admitted, 81
don't know as l ever heerd ANYTHING
against 'em, either of EN-, but them
signs amt apt to fail. They'll be falling
out before their honeymoon's over with,
I'll warrant!n
If Phil Bruce and his pretty Young
wife could have heard the prophecy, no
doubt there would have been some ex-
hibition of the ''temper" whose existence
she argued. Certainly there would have
been a great deal of righteous indigna-
ton; for if ever there was a couple who
had married purely from love, and be-
tween whom nothing could possibly
come, and the harmony of whose devoted
affection nothing could in the remotest
degree disturb, Phil and Hitty Bruce
were convinced that they were that
couple.
And certainly there was everything in
favor of the theory. They were very
much in love; each considered the other
the most perfect being, on the whole,
that the world contained. Quarrel2 They
would have smiled at the mere idea OF
anything so obviously impossible.
And If the next town had not conceived
the idea, some three weeks after Their
marriage, of celebrating Independence
Day, Mrs, Pierce's prediction would never
have been fulfilled.
"Well go, of course9" said Hitty.
She had run out to the barn where Phil
was husking corn, in her blue ginghan
dish-apron and barehead, with a copy OF
the country paper in her hand.
"Where2' said Phil, smiling up at her.
''To Upton, Of course" said Hitty.
eagerly-"to the celebration tomorrow
1t tells all about it here. There's going
TO be speeches, and the militias going ia
march, and dinner at the the town hall.
OF course Wen go2n
She dropped her dark eyes persuasively
upon him as he sat husking industriously,
with his hat pushed back on his head,
disclosing hair that was rather warm in
hue.
"Well, said Phil, slowly-he did not
like to disappoint his pretty Wife
don't see how 1 can, Hitty. There's q
good deal that's waiting to be done, and
nobody but me to do it. l can't put of
gathering the apples in the east orchard
they'll rot ON the trees; and the pota
toes hadn't ought 20 be left in the ground
any longer l guess I'll have to stay tC
home, Hitty."
"stay to homen screeched Hitty
"Why, Phil Bruce, you don't know what
you're saying! There won't be another
chance like this nobody knows when.
The idea of your wanting to miss it
Why, Phil Brucew
~ don't want TO miss it !" said Phil
rather impatiently. "Td be glad enough
to take you, Hitty. But whatl becom,
of the apples and potatoes if l do?"
They can watt" said Hetty witt
some defiance.
"They can't waltz Phil responded
"You've got to use little reason
Hitty."
He had always credited Hitty with
good amount of common sense, and thii
seeming lack of it annoyed him.
Hitty's bright eyes widened indig
nantly.
Reason, indeed, it was he who was un
, reasonablslb