The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1889-12-05
Sophv's Transgression.
ny MARY T. FARNswoRTu.

NH"i' "'th Iltdblup tNcS, anu ndnuS u0-
consciously claspcd over the carved knob
upon its top.
She was II small rosy damsel Of eighteen.
with luXuriant brown hair, eyes of the
velvety brown that you ses in Il ripe
chestnut that has just burst its burr, and
bright complexion, none the worse for
a few touches of healthy sunourn. And
her dress, though only of shilling calico,
was tastefully made, and she wore a
"butterily bow" of rosc-colored ribbon
AZ her collar, and carminc-b -blossomed
Glove pink in her hair.
Uncle Joshua shook his head gravely.
"Child,' said he, "you know, before
hand, what my answer will be.n
But, uncle, all the Bates girls are
going!"
"Well, let them go I'm not response
bic for Siah Bates's girls. But | am for
YOU, and don't approve of these balls.
Now don't tease me any more. When
I've said no, no il shall be.
And Sophy Allcrton went back to strain
the nights milking into the row of glitter
ing milk pans that stood on the snowy
buttcry shelves, with eyes too full OF re-
bellious tears to see what she was about.
Uncle Joshua Hale and his niece lived
all alone in the old yellow farm house
under the buttcrnut trees. Uncle Joshua
was n siXty.year old bachelor, vino passed
his time alternately between bed and
chair, helpless paralytic, so far as his
lower limbs were concerned. But, as he
was wont hopefully to observe, he wasn't
paralyzed Mt the top, and by the aid of
sturdy man of-all-work, who came before
daylight, and went home at night, when
the chickens climbed their roosts, the
farm progressed bravey.
81 aint miscr, said Uncle Joshua.
''but | kind o want to leave little suth-
in to my sisters orphan child. Sophy
aint one to rough it much, and mean
she shall be provided for when I'm
gone
Uncle Joshua took up mis- paper and
began 20 unfold its columns as Sophy
crept spiritlessly away.
at goes to my heart to thwart her."
said he, "but faint right to let her get
into the way of running to such places.
A girl as Is all alone in the world, like
my Sophy, poor lamb, can't be too care
iul. She'll pout little at fiIst--it's only
natural she should--and then she'll see
that her old uncle was in the right of it,
after all! !"
In the meanwhile, Sophy was sitting
on the back kitchen doOr-sill, listening
to whip-poor-will repeating its plain
tive refrain on the edge OF the maple
swamp below, and watching, as well as
she could through her tears, great
golden star lift its shicld through the
purple of the midsummer horizon
When, all of "A sudden, Obadiah Car
stairs, the hired man, came upon her
like shirt sleeve vsion-for no mortal
ever saw Obadiah with n coat on between
the months of April and November.
'Ive fetched ham up from the
smoke-house, said he; land Squire
Martin is goin' to lemmc hev fore-quar-
ter OF lamb for Wednesday,"
"Ycs, said sophy, listIessly, sits all
right, dare say"
But instead of going into the house to
help Uncle Joshua to bed. as Sophy ex-
pected he would, Obadiah shifted him
self from one leg to the other, like Il
meditative fowl.
"Goin' to be great doin's down to
Swamp Basin, hear" said he. "To-
morrer night, aint it!'
81 believe So, Sophy answered.
"You're goin', supposel"
81 don't know why you should sup
pose So" retorted Sophy, somewhat
tartly.
"Well, YUM" said Obadiah. "You
amt a-goin', then! There's to be tcw
, fddles and n cornet; and Squire Dicker.
mans old barn is filed up with flags and
eyergreens and pink cambric festoons so
as ye wouldn't know it; and n hundred
candles, all IA burniu at once"
"Uncle Joshua don't approve of such
things" sighed Sophy.
"All the young folks is goin'," per-
sisted her Jobs comforter. "Old man
thinks dreadful sight of you, Ishould
s'pose he'd let you go!"
"Well, he won't, then, and there's no
use talking any more about it," said
Sophy, rising and going back into the
house, with some manifestation of temper.
"Well, vum!" again repeated Obadiah
Carstairs, looking hard at the big golden
star.
Not more consolatory was Lizzie Lark
spur, the pretty daughter OF the nearest
neighbor, two good miles away, when
she came the next day to borrow Sophy's
pattern for a lace fichu.
"Not going" said Lizzie. 'Why,
everybody will be there Albert Bates
and Mark Lennard, and-dear me, ,Sophy,
what does make your uncle so crankyl"
81 don't know, I'm sure!" said Sophy,
despondently.
"Look here!" cried Lizzie, lowering,
her voice TO mysterious whisper,
there's no earthly reason you should stay,
at home, unless you please, Sophy Aller.
toLm
"I don't understand what you mean,
Lizzie"