The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-11-26

family was ready to settle down to a
season of rest and quiet after the labor
of harvesting.
The farm lay on the outskirts of a
pretty New England village, and the
minister worked its acres six days in the
week and preached the seventh. His
salary was 5000 year and two donation
parties. but Mr.. Preston said that per-
haps his preaching was about on a par
with his pay, so he did not complain
even when he thought of his seven
daughters. They were all nearly grown
into womanhood now, and three were
somewhat advanced toward old maid
hood. Their mother had been a Miss
Apple, and she had died when the young
est daughter was little more than a baby.
The pastor, who was man as full of
quaint humor as he was of goodness,
called his girls his apples. the baby and
the next to her were called blossoms"
and the two eldest went by the names of
Nubbins and Twist, while the three in
termediate ones were called Russet,
Plppln Tor Pips more often) and Ciderkin.
No one ever thought it odd or out of
the way that the minister should call his
daughters by these fanciful names, for it
was quite in keeping with his quaint
character. and the seven daughters had
almost forgotten they had any other
titles.
Pretty these girls had always been,
good they were known to be, notable
hOucakaaparc rho 6va oldasf ,,aro oo,,ooJ
ed to be, and yet none of them had mar
ried, and only one had even had beau.
Some fourteen years previous there
had lived in this little place handsome
young man who worked out his appren-
ticeship at the glowing forge of the viii
lage blacksmith, and he had often been
seen to offer those little attentions which
spoke Of his preference for Miss Preston,
otherwise known as Gubbins, and she
received them with sweet gravity, in no.
wise discouraging him, nor on the other
hand encouraging him. But Walter De
Witt was poor. and worse. for his ia
Their had disd a drUnkard, after having
broken his gentle wifes heart, and so
the son not only had his own way to
make in the world. but also to rise with
the weight of his fathers misdeeds on
his shoulders, He did bravely. and the
people around spoke Of nim as a likely
young man.
As soon, or even sooner than the Young
couple became aware of their growing
affection for each other, everybody IN
the village began TO discuss the advisa-
bility of such marriage, and had set
tied every point to his or her own salts
faction. and the decision was that NUo-
bins hsd better be cautious.
One lovely summer morning Nubbirs
was walking slowly along the meadow.
keeping her watcEfui eyes upon the two
blossoms, who were respectively two
and four years old. She had brough. |
them out here TO play in the daisy span
gled grass to give her sick mother a
respite from their childish noise and /
here she was when Walter came up TO |
her, walking and looking as man does |
when determined 10 do or die. be took |
her hand shyly. yet firmly, and said
but 1t doesn't matter as 10 rs words |
He asked her 10 marry Tin IL his OWE /
fasnIoc. Ac3 She answered Yes" frankly /
sincerely and without eOquetry, with
world Of tender JOY IN her tremulous
voice and s. great glory in her humid eyes. |
Holding her hand in his tightly ne /
said Solemnly: I
May God make me worthy OF 80 I
precious a gift. But. Nubbins, have 4
also come 10 say goodby. l am going 70 /
the new gold mines.
where / snail work at nv trade. because
workers are scare there ana wages
high. and think | shall do better AZ
that than hunting for gold. As soon as
have made money enough / shall re-
turn for YOU If Won are still willing and ]