The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-12-24

HtI DOOk WITH some account OF my6el1,
so that through reading specimen or
two of me on the footboard she night
form an idea of my merits there. / was
aware that l couldn't do myself justice.
A man can't write his eye lat least I
don't know how toy, nor yet can man
write his voice, nor the rate. of his talk,
nor the quickness of his action, nor his
general spicy way. But he can write
his turns of speech when he is a public
speaker, and indeed | have heard that
he very often does before he speaks 'em.
Well. Having formed that resolution
then come the question of name.
How did | hammer that hot iron into
Shape: This way The most difficult
explanation l had ever had with her was
how came to be called doctor and yet
, was no doctor. After all | felt that 1
had failed Of getting it correctly into
her mind, with my utmost pans. But
trusting to her improvement in the two
years, / thought that | might trust to
her understanding it when she should
come to read it as put down by my own
hand. Then | thought l would try
joke with her and watch how it took, by
which of itself | might fully judge of her
understanding it. We had first discov-
cred the mistake we had dropped into
Z through her having asked me to pre-
scribe for her when she had supposed
me to be a doctor in a medical point of
view; so thinks I, "Now, If give this
| book the name of my prescriptions, and
if she catches the idea that my only pre-
, scriptions are for her amusement and
. interest-to make her laugh in pleasant
/ way, or to make her cry in pleasant
way--it will be delightful proof to both
of rs that we have got over our diff
Guilty. 1t fell out to absolute perfection.
For when she saw the book as I had it
got up-the printed and pressed book
lying on her desk in her cart and saw the
title, Doctor Marigold's Prescriptions"
she looked at me for a moment with as
constituent, then futtered the leaves,
then broke out a-laughing in the charm
INCEST way, then felt her pulse and shook
her head, then turned the pages pretend
ing to read them most attentive, then
kissed the book to me and put it to her
/ bosom with both her hands | never
was better pleased in all my life!
But let Inc not anticipate. q take
that expression out of lot of romances
bought for her. l never opened a
single one of 'em-and 1 have opened
many-but found the romancer saying
''let Inc not anticipate" Which being
SO, wonder why he did anticipate, or
who asked him to it,. Let me not, l say,
anticipate. This same book took up all
my spare time. 1t was no play to get
the other articles together in the general
miscellaneous lot, but when it come to
my own article. There! Icouldn't have
believed the blotting, nor yet the buck
ling to at it, nor the patience over it.
Which again is like the footboard. The
public have no idea.
At last it was done, and the two years
time was gone after all the other time
before it, and where it's all gone to, whe
knows? The new cart was finished
yellow outside, relieved with wermiion
and brass fittings-the old horse was put
in it, a new 'un and boy being laid on
for the Cheap Jack Garland cleaned
myself up to go and fetch her. Bright,
cold weather it was, cart chimneys
smoking, carts pitched private on a piece
;. of waste ground over at Wandsworth
where you may see 'em from the Sou
western railway when not upon the road.
uook out of the right hand window 60
ing DOWN.
"Marigold," says the gentleman, Civ.
ing his hand heartily, 81 am very glad
to see you"
"Yet have my doubts, sir" says I,
; elf you can be haK as glad to see me as !
am to see you"
1.-THE time has appeared 60 long-haa
, it, Marigold?'
Il won't say that, sir, considering its
real length, but
What IL start, my good fellow"
All! l should think it wasl Grown
such II woman, SO pretty, so intelligent,
so expressive! 1 knew then that she
must be really like my child, or could
never have known her, standing quiet
by the door.
You are affected" says the gentle
man, in kindly manner.
, Il feel SIR" says l, that am but q
, rough chap in a sleeved waistcoat.
Il feel says the gentleman, that it
was You who raised her from misery and
degradation, and brought her into COM
munica ton with her kind. But why do
WE converse alone together, when we can
. converse SO Well with her? Address he1
III your own way
Il am such Il rough chap in sleeved
. waistcoat, sir" says l, land she is such a
graceful woman, and she stands SO quiet
at the door,
TRY if she moves at the old sign,
says the gentleman.
They had got it up together O purpose
| l. L L.
old sign she rushed to my feet and
dropped upon her knees, holding up he1
hands to me with pouring tears Of low
; and joy; and when took her hands and
lifted her she clasped me round the necl
, and lay there, and I don't know what .
, fool didn't make Of myself until we al
{ three settled down into talking without
sound, as if there was a something sof,
, and pleasant spread over the whole world
for us.
So every item of my plan was crowned
T with success. Our reunited life wa.
. more than all that we had looked for.
ward to. Content and joy went with III
, as the wheels of the two carts went
around, and the same stopped with III
: , when the two carts stopped. was a!
: pleased ana as proud as pug uOg WIFE
his muzzle black loaded for an evening
party and his tsil extra curled by ma
chinery.
8 But had left something out of m,
I calculations. Now, what had l left out
D To help You to guess, I'll say figure
y Come. Make a guess, and guess right
I Naught? No. Nine: No. Eight? No
: Seven? No. Six: No. Fivef No
I Four? No Three? No. Two: No
t One: No. Now, I'll tell you what III d.
/. with you. I'll say it's another sort Of fig
r ure altogether. There. Why, then, say
p you, it's mortal figure. No, nor yet
: mortal figure. BY such means you &c
z yourself penned into y corner, and yo'
can't help guessing immortal figure
: That's about it. Why didn't you say S
l. sooner.