The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-01-07

might give you some idea OF her
beauty. but | won't attempt it; you
can Just imagine the most beautiful
creature you have ever seen, multi
ply her charms a hundred fold, and
you Will nave a shadow OF ali idea
how she looked.
10 hurry with my story, fell deep
ly IN love with this divine creature,
and | could see that she was not
wholly indifferent to me. Yet, what
right had |, a simple clerk, to aspire
to the hand OF the daug liter OF a
millionaire in the city? Certainly her
father gave me every encouragement to
speak: He said he had been a clerk
himself and would not mind marrying
his daughter off to an honest fellow,
whether he had money or not, so long
as he was a hard worker and steady.
That ought TO have been enough to
give me courage, but / was timid
young man, and for the time | held
my peace. ....
1t was on Christmas Eve, just five
years ago, that 1 attended midnight
mass with the family, and on the way
back lgave my arm to Lucille.
The sky was clear Of clouds, and
through the light veil OF falling snow
sparl1led few brilliant stars. The
waits in the streets seemed to be
singing OF love and the bells in the
steeples chimed the joyous pean of a
marriage.
What passed at the banquet that
awaited us at the house I have no
clear idea. I do not remember what
1 ate or drank or said. It only seem
ed to me that her eyes were full OF
promise for my hopes as they turned
upon me, and her lips were smiling as
II to say-courage!
After dinner the ladies babe us good
night and retired, leaving me alone
with Mr.. Goldfnch. After finishing
our cigars | rose to leave. I had to
pass through a second parlor to reach
the hall, where my eyes were attracted
to marble chimney-place. There l
saw two silk stockings hanging, violet
and backbone that might have been
worn by fairy feet, the other large and
rOOmy.
"Ah" said Mr.. Goldfnch with a
sigh, "that's my wife idea. She still
clings to the custom of her childhood
and so does Lucille. I am the good
Santa Claus, as they know very we'll
when they embrace me on the NOR
row. just wait and see."
The good man went off to get his
presents so that I might see them.
And it was at this moment that an
unfortunate idea possessed me, which,
If [ had resisted, would have spared
me lifelong misery.
The occasion was good, 1 thought,
to declare my love for Lucille, so,
feverlshly, I tore q page out Of my
notebook and dashed off these lines:
IL can no longer be silent. I love
you and l ask you for a. word Of
hope. JAMES,"
Then I dropped the note into the
smallest stocking just as Mr.. Gold
finch entered, his arms laden with
elegant trifes. helped him to fill
the stockings with a beating heart,
fearing the note might fall out as we
stood there. even took the precau-
ton to give the toe containing the
paper a squeeze to see If it was still
there when we had completed our
task, and it seemed to me that it re-
sponded with a reassuring pressure.
AS [ was leaving, Mr.. Goldfnch said
as he took my hand: ~
"Well, my boy, we shall count on
you for dinner to-day. Don't keep
us waiting We dine at one
Invent on walking on air.
The night passed without sleep.
sat down to wait. Eleven! twelve!
Then there was a knock at my door.
I felt as if [ had received an electric
shock. I had hardly the breath to call
out, "Come in
1t was the slavy, who handed me a
letter from Mr.. Goldfnch. l turned
pale, opened it and read:
Sir: You have abused my friendship and
hospitality. Your conduct is that of an
imbecile and loafer. I believe you are
more the first than the second, considering
your attempt to make love to the mother
OF family. In any case, never attemp t to
show yourself again in my house.
SEPTIMUs GoLDF1NcH.
fell in an inert mass on the sofa.
make love to the mother of family
4?
What did it all mean? -..-
Then the truth flashed over me.
rushed out of the house without hat
or coat in the direction of Goldfnch's
He would not receive me! I wrote! My
letters were returned unopened. All
was finished, Lucille was lost to me
forever. WAS the victim OF a. terrible
fatality. How was I to know that the
daughter had feet bigger than her
mothers? .....-..
Tennessee ''Cracker" Marriages.
Mr.. Marsh says he often finds fam
lily of six or eight Tennessee "crackers''
living in one or two rooms. He says,
as a rule, they are shiftless and lazy,
and that "to be content is their nat
ural desire. They ask no angels
wings or no seEaph's fire" He is
amazed at the number Of mere child
rem who marry there-boys ef seven
teen marrying girls OF fourteen! The
neighbors fix them up house OF on
room and give them an acre OF corn.
Possibly the father OF one can give
them a pig to be fattened for the
next years meat, and perhaps tile
father OF the other can spare a heifer
calf to share the scraps" and swill
with the grunting pig. Somehow we
ho h,.iI - +l,,, 49,,