The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-01-02
BLUEBERRIES.
How / Finally Got Debbie and
Blueberry Pie.

Debbie and were standing on Sun
set Rock watching forest fire on the
side OF old Shaunagunk. Debbie was
crying. A great tree she had been
very fond of had burst into a red
blaze, changed to pink ashes, and
dropped out of sight as we gazed.
Il can not bear to see it." she said,
hiding her face on my shoulder.
mo matter. Debbie." l said.
''There'll be plenty of blueberries next
summer. You know there always are
the year after these fires, and 1 am as
famous for eating blueberry pie as you
are for making it.
But Debbie would not laugh.
There are always blueberries
enough, she said. 'But l 5oced that
tree-the tree we sat under when"
when ] asked you to be my wife, !"
said And you said yes. otherwise
Ishould not have made that remark
about bIueberry pies.
But I liked the tree, too, for all that.
Debbie took things of that sort very
hard. She could not bear to see
the flowers fade in autumn, or the
grass grow brown. She often said
that she believed the green things
growing had souls.
She had been just like that ever since
she was baby, when she petted every
thing in the place. The calves, the
lambs. the little piglets, even the old
black hog in his sty came in for a
share Of her favor, though he was the
most unlovable creature alive. And |
remember that one Thanksgiving Day
the turkey that graced the feast had
been erspecial lfayorite-she absented
herself from table, and was found,
after long search and much alarm,
hiding in the garret. II can't touch
him, mother, she confessed. 81 can't
we have been too friendly"
An odd child" the farmers wives
declared, and thanked Heaven their
own had more plain common sense and
less imagination. But even then, to
my fancy, Debbie Doane was the
sweetest prettiest creature alive. A
slender blue-eyed, fair-haired wisp of
cnlld. as light on her feet as any
Olrd. She knew ali the birds in the
wood, It seemed to me, and where they
nested, and never dared touch one.
mad boys natural brutality, of
course, but for Debbie's sake kept
u under, until it died a natural death
Win manhood, for we lived in that
peasant place among the mountains
-peooie and Until she was eigh-
'eea. and | one-and-twenty.
our parents were friends, and was
q only child, while Debbie's little
ufotners-there were two or three of
saem believe-had passed away when
'ney were babies. Our liking for each
osner pleased our mothers, and when
Sae uay began to know that did not
1--WE Debbie as sister, was sure that
70 one would disapprove; and up there
uaaer tne tree we had just seen drop,
= Kissed each other for the first time
asl0Fers kiss, and said those things to
'aen other which only lovers say.
ana SO had come to thinking of her
ny future wife, and talking about
Asp making blueberry pie for me.
nae long before the blueberries
spfang up over the ashes OF the dead |
pl1es every thing had changed.
peoole's father was a hot-tempered
4ap' and mine an obstinate one. They |
ssOsa1ohg wonderfully with each other |
~ many years, and itseemed to be one |
=. nose especial bits of spite which |
!. ~ uoles out to lovers, that they
snVuid have their first serious falling
~ ~ uifectly Debbie and l were engaged. |
Nv "He' vas 1t about, you ask? OF all |
.l .aea on earth, farmers quarrel about |
49, smallest things. The ill-feelinq
wsss ssa about bit of meadow-land, |
sOs'n next to nothing, was continued
Il gus olo pear tree, which projected
sa,.aa ,ooss into Mr., Doane's cellar, and
tsos .s'so oy one of Doane's COWS, who
two.,sn lONn our corn; and one day the
49, 1eFly menfaced each other, their
sins s' -. crimson, their eyes blazing, blot
mT,,', s O1s sae friendship of years by their
It -. saunts and reproaches, until,
80 Uoane struck nv father. and
Via ,',ler a knocked him down. He fell
aaa - ais head against a bit of wood.
Ais 80 y and the blood flowed over
scrs.~ 0s and neck. The women
Ae la s Doane lay at length upon
s's' : CORY spectacle, Mrs.