Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-11-09
A RING OF FATE,

There in stands Charleston an old,
rambling, stone mansion, quaint
and curious antique homestead,
whose jutting gables and peeping
oriels peer out from amid the lux
uriant crcepers, and where a certain
solemnity as to the old-fashioned
gardens with the octagon grass plots
and the messy dial; as to sleepy birds
that twittcr ana whisper about the
caves; as to the lichen-thatched steps,
alasl SO solemn trodden nowadays,
and as TO the old, big, brass knocker
with its inhuinan dolphin munching
his own tail; and as TO the great
shadows of the trees, that make of
the whole place a gloom with but
little chance forsunshinet to penetrate.
Such is the ancient Weymouth
mansion" forbidding, stern, with
curtained windows and smokeless
chimneys. But behind all this seri-
BUSINESS there is the smile of youth
and the cheeriness of life; in the
black kitchen, a low little building
connected with the main house by q
covered gallery,a Observation-Disclosures
brightly on the hearth, and the two
long deal tables are covered with
rows of small stone pots of an equal
size; huge porcelain-liued cauldron
steams upon the crane above the
blaze, and it is presided over by an
ebon goddess Of ample proportions
and jolly aspect, whilst a fairer Hebe,
with q long ladle in her small white
hand, dances attendance betwixt the
cauldron and the pots.
''Dere now, Miss P'leen," dem
shrimps is just on de bile. Now,
honey, chile! just you begin wiz yer
ladlel
Miss P'leen," thus adjured, does
begin and presently another great
cauldron on the other table is full of
pretty pink shrimp, an, ere they can
cool, Mss P'leen's pretty pink hand
fuls, draining them through her slen-
der fingers, and filing all the dozens
of small lined bags with them, giving
the corners a dexterous twist and
popping each tiny bag into its jar.
Miss Car'lina and Miss Virginia
ought to see 'em, they ought! Bless
my soul, honey ell was white as dey
are, and he'd all de blood OBJ de Wey-
mouths and de Myddleton's and de
Brantleighs, too, a-racin' thro' my
veins. Id like to take a look at dem
shrimps!"
"Ah. Aune Chloe" responded the
fair young girl, with a laugh" Aunt
Carolina and Aunt Virginia are very
good, am sure, to let me do up the
shrimps, and sell them to the grocers
up country. | never could expect
them to look at such plebian pro-
ceedingsl" Pauline Brantleirh
laughed merrily, as she drained off
handful after handful of the shrimps.
ITO be shoI" cried TIE old negress.
yet Miss P'leen, you knows that
Miss Car'lina and Miss Virginia
won't tink de money much "plebee"
perceedins which you get from dem
same shrimp
Perhaps not" assented the young
gayly filling her pots. "But
you must remember, Aunt Chloe,
that Aunt Carolina and Virginia can
live only in the past-before the war
the splendid old days when Weymouth
house was the most hospitabIe
roof in Charleston, and where only
grand ladies in satins and velyets,
and shining with jewels, sang and
danced and fiirted in the great beau
tiful rooms"
Oats so, Miss Pleen. Befo' de
war" calculate Aunt Chloe, musing-
". "Laws-a-mercy honey OATS fore
you was done hoTned-and to think
that Miss Florida's baby's a-pottin' |
shrimp for a Twin, in dis yere ole
smoky holeP'
"she's very happy at it, Aunty. !
Hark!"
''Laws-a-mercy" Chloe drops the !
which she had been WELD |
ng on the freshly-filled pots, and /
Miss Brantleigh let's fall, with a ire
nor, the handful of shrimp.
Its de knocker, sho' as yo' alive,
Miss P'leenl and it amt knocked in
bout two years-not sense Miss Vir-
yinia was brunged home~in dat bar
'ow by de man what foun' her on
sensible up de streetp
"Who can it be?" cries the girl ner-
yously.
ut may be q visitor" whispers
)hloe, in an awe-stricken tone. 'We
lin'C done had none in bout four
easons now De last was de old