The Irish standard., 1890-09-13
IN = I-II - .
A FARMERS WIFE.

.
A FARMERS WIFE. =
Why Kate Blesses a Hardened
/ Old Uncle.
II never saw such lovely woods in all
my life!" said Kate Blessington. swim
! tergreen and slender-stemmed wild
flowers, and gray, old, fallen logs hid
| den in ferns, and merry little tinkling
! brooks! And Charley has showed me
where there is an ice-cold spring under
! the rocks, and cave where the Indians
used to hide in Revolutionary times!
| 'sHumph!" said Mrs. Daggett, knit
ting away as if each separate needle
were freighted with electricity.
''And we're going to have picnic to-
| morrow, all by ourselves went on
Kate, carelessly swinging her broad
brimmed hat Ivy one ribbon, Charley
and I. I'm to pick basket of wild
strawberries, and he's to bring rolls and
| lettuce and hardboiled eggs, and shall
| show him Madranello's recipe for salad
dressing out there, under the trees.
| And we'll cool bottle of your currant-
wine in the spring and read Shake
speare, under the green vines, with the
blue-birds whistling in our ears: and,
altogether, it will be just like dream
| OF Arcadiar'
''Hurnph!' said Mrs. Daggett.
'sThats twice you've uttered that stiff
cid monosyllable,' said Kate, little
! piqued. IL wonder what it means!''
Mrs. Daggett looked up at the lovely
! young thing, in her cool, rustling mus
| Inns, and the slender gold chain around
] her white throat She ''took stock, : so
! to speak, of the dazzling blue eyes and
! the hair that was like cloud Of crinkly
| gold, and the pure red-and-white COM
! plexion. And she thought Of honest,
sun burned Charley at work in thegup-
| land grass lots, and the conviction
pressed more deeply than ever upon her
mind that it was not fairly matched
| contest between her grandson and her
city boarder.
'sDid you ever read the fable Of the
| boy and the Frogs Miss Blessing ten?'
said she.
"Hayent I?'' retorted Kate, with a
laugh ''Half dozen times at least.
But why do you ask?'
Because" said Mrs. Daggett what
! was fun to the boys was death to the
| frogs"
sYou mean"
II mean" said old Mrs. Daggett,
shrewdly eying Miss Blessington over
| the rims of her silver spectacles,
shat what yo4 are enjoying so much
may be sorry business for my grand
son Charley!''
'What nonsense" 'cried Kate, ''as il !
| meant any thingp'
That's just it," said Mrs. Daggett.
''You don't mean any thing, but Charley
does! Charley is in earnest about every
J thing"
Docs he really dars to imagine tina
I would
'sStop a minute, my dear, stop min
| ute,'' interposed the old lady, whose
| knitting needles had never for a single
moment abated their clicking. ''What
is he to imagine, when. you seek his
| society, take pleasure in his companions
ship, and put forth all your attractions
| to charm him?"
because do like him." said Kate.
''And he loves you"
Kate's lip quivered; the deep carnine
rushed into her cheek.
ssI'u1 sorry said she. II am, indeed.
! never thought that-Oh, If I could
only put off this picnic busin ess!'
! The old lady eyed her still more
sharply.
$50 he's nothing more than an ordi-
nary acuuain lance, to you?'' said she.
Il like him, said Kate. ssOh, ever so
| much! Butt never can be farmers
| wifeP,.
ssThere are people in the world worse
| of than farmers wiz es, said Mrs. Dag
gett.
ssPerhaps So" said Miss Blessing ton,
| little haughtily. ''But Uncle Or
lando has brought me upwith far differ
emit views. am to go with him to
Europe, and be presented at court by
| the American Minister'S wife. am to
be his heiress, and"
Mrs. Daggett rose quietly up and laid
aside her knitting:
II must go and see after my roast
ducklings and green peas" said she.
.sAnd your beautiful bunch Of ferns,
| Miss Blessington, is all willing, for q
| lack of q little cold water to put them
i'm
Kate Blessington went slowly across
| the wide hall, where the tWo-hundred-
i So1er M