Smyrna times., 1890-08-27
Only a Farmers Wife.
BY JANE A. LEWIS.

II never saw such lovely woods in
all my life !" said Kate Blessington
"Wintergreen and slender-stemmed
wild-fOwers, gray, old, fallen logs hid
den in terms, and merry little tink-
linking brooks And Charley has
showed. me where there is an ice
cold spring under the rocks, and a
cave where the Indians used to hide
during the Revolutionary timesw
"Humph '' said Mrs. Daggett, knit
ting away as if each separate needle
were freighted with electricity.
"And were going to have a picnic
tomorrow, all by ourselves" went on
Kate, carelessly swinging her broad
brimmed hat by one ribbon, Charley
and l. I'm to pick basket of wild
Strawberries, and he's to bring rolls
and lettuce and hard boiled eggs, and
shall show him Madranello's recipe for
salad-dressing out there, under the
trees. And we'll cool bottle of your
current wine in the spring and read
Shakespeare, under the green vines,
with the blue-brds whistling in our
ears; and altogether, it will be just
like dream of Arcadia !"
"Humph ~ said Mr.. Daggett.
That's twice you've uttered that
stiff old monosyllable," said Kate,
little piqued. Il wonder what it
means r
Mrs. Daggett looked up at the lovely
young thing, in her cool rustling mus
Inns, and the slender gold chain around
her neck; she took stock" so to
speak, Of the dazzling blue eyes and
the hair that was like cloud Of crinkv
gold, and the pure red-and-white com
plexiOn. And she thought of honest
sun-burned Charley at work in the
upland grass-lOts and the conviction
pressed more deeply than ever upon
her mind that it was not a fairly
matched contest between her son and
her city bOarder.
did you ever read the fable of the
Boy and the frogs, Miss Blessington ?"
said she.
"Havn't ?" retorted Kate, with
laugh. Half a dozen times, at least.
But why do you ask"
Because" said Mrs. Daggett, what
was fun to the boys was death to the
frogs"
"You mean"
II mean," said old Mrs. Daggett.
shrewdly eyeing Miss Blessington over
the rims of her silver spectacles, "that
what you are enjoying so much, may
be sorry business for my grandson
Charley"
"What nonsense" cried Kate. "As
if | meant anything"
That's just it, said Mrs. Daggett.
You don't mean anything, but Char
ley does, Charley is in earnest about
everythingw
"Does he really dare to imagine that
l would"
stop minute, my dear, stop min
ute" interposed the old lady, whose
knitting needles had never for a sim
gle moment abated their chickling.
what is ne to imagine, when you seek
his society, take pleasure in his COM
panionship, and put forth all your at
fractions to charm him."
Because l do like him." said Kate.
"And he loves you !"
'Kate's lips quivered; the deep car
mine rushed into her cheek.
Pm sorry" said she, Il am indeed.
l never thought that-oh, if 1 could
only put off this picnic business I"
The old lady eyed her still more
sharply.
so he's nothing more than an Or
binary acquaintance to you" said
she.
Il like him" said Kate. "Oh. ever
so much! But I never can be a farmers
wife"
There are people in the world
worse off than farmers wives" said
Mrs. Daggett.
Perhaps so" said Miss Blessington.
a little haughtily. "But Uncle Orlan-
do has brought me up with far differ
ent views. I am to go with him to
Europe, and be presented at the court
by the American Minister'S wife. 1
am to be his heiress, and"
Mrs. Daggett rose quietly up and
laid aside her knitting.
II must 60 and see after nv roast
ducklings and green peas" said she.
And your beautiful bunch of ferns.
Miss BlessingtOn, is all willing, for
lack ola little cold water to put
them in"
Kate Blessington went slowly across
the wide hall, where the two-hundred-
year old Antwerp clock ticked like the
fall of ghostly footsteps. At the same
moment, Charley Daggett came in; a
tall, sunburned Apollo, with dark.
sparkling eyes and rich, brown com
plexion.
"See what have found up in the
fields" said he. "Just in time to es.
cape the scythe. A nest of young rob-
ins, which somehow had fallen from
the trees"
"oh, dear, dear little things" cried