Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-12-31
"MEADOW-SWEET."


child I saw, / wonder p said younl
Ben Price to his mother, one day
when home from college for vacation
"She was coming across the field
as if from the river, her arms lader
with meadow-sweet. Her eyes wer.
as brown as those of thrush, and
her smile was heaven itself, when she
returned my salutation. If ever
marry, / should like to marry her
when she has grown up"
"Oh," said his mother, laughing
"there'll be no difficulty about that
There's houseful of children of them
and all with such queer names. Mrs
Waldron will be only too glad to land
such fish as you"
81 hardly understand" replied Ben
modestly. II know we are better of
than most of the people here but
we're not such big fish, after all at
least, I'm not"
"But," retorted his mother, "Mrs.
Waldron has eight blooming daugh.
tiers, and that makes all the difference
Everything is relative, you know.
For her, you'll be a very big fish, in
deed. She has been," with another
slight laugh, "a perennial bloomer in
her day. She has decorated her home
so to speak, with eight charming
specimens of the historical olive-plan,
all SO queerly named for, having be.
gun life with somewhat romantic ideas
and having christened her two eldest
daughters Rose and Violet she was
determined afterward not to subside
into prose and has finished by nam.
ing the two youngest 'Polyanthus' and
'Marigold.' The one you saw mus,
have been Polyanthus-as you say
she had brown eyes,"
Years passed, and the time had
come when most, if not all. of the
Waldron daughters were of an age tc
bear transplanting; and Mrs. Valid
ron was not the only mother who be.
lieved that Providence, in leaving
about this PERIOD. Ben Prince sole
heir to his:deceased father and mother
had the most benevolent design upon
future welfare of her family.
"They say he is most unexception'
able young man," said Mrs. Waldron
dropping in to see Mrs. Martha Bean
who lived just across the street, and
who, having no daughters of her own
might be supposed to be disinterest.
ed observer.
"His prospect is unexceptionable,
at all events" responded Mrs. Bean.
EYES," said Mrs. Waldron, with
enthusiasm. "Old Mr.. Price left sew
eral farms; and his mother had
money of her own. He's a lawyer,
besides, and quite rising one they
do say, he'll be going to Congress by
and-bye. Some people seem born to
good-luck, and / guess Ben Price is
one of them"
But he's all alone in the world"
responded Mrs. Bean, little sadly.
Lost his father and mother both in
one year; and he's going to live in
the cottage, instead of up at the big
house."
Eyes. l s'pose he thinks he won't
be so lonesome at the COTTAGE" replied
Mrs. Waldron. But lone man is
lonesome anywhere. l meyer saw one
yet that was fit TO take care of him
self. Just think of the state of his
buttons and collars, let alone his
stockings"
"Poor fellow p said Mrs. Bean, full
of sympathy. 81 think I'll invite him
in to tea, some night, and have cream
cakes"
"Well, l would" responded Mrs.
Waldron, fervently; "and I'll send
Rose or Violet or Daisy over to help
you. You know, can't invite him
to my house-at least, not so SOON
with all my daughters people will
talk so. Now, they say that Mrs.
Deacon Wilder has had him there to
tea, every Saturday night since he
came to town, and that she sets him
and Amelia to playing checkers, or
popping corn in the kitchen, right
after supper"
"Well, Amelia is a good girl" re-
piled Mrs. Bean, charitably.
"Oh, yes-good enough" said Mrs.
Waldron, getting ready to leave.
"But as I often say to Crissy-you
know, her name is Chrysanthemum,
but, with SO many, one can't help CIV
ing nick-names, although ! never in
tended it-as l tell Crissy, Amelia
Wilder was just cut out for an old
maid and it's sin and a shame, be-
sides being of no use, for her moth
er to try and make her anything
else."