Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-04-08
MAGGIE'S WEDDING GIFT.
BY AMELIA K. BARR.


him any harm, Stephen, and l wish,
dear, you had been a little more civil to
Uncle Joseph"
"Nonsense, Maggie, darling. don't
like Joseph Hawick and his ways, and J
am not going to pretend | do"
ellis ways are very good ways, Nc
one can say wrong of Uncle Joseph, Ste
phen."
That is justit; they are too good. I
rather think | am old enough to know
what am doing, and what | want. |
have a good farm, | don't owe penny,
and | never mean to ask favor except
of you, or of my own hands. If palav-
cred over Joseph Hawick, he would be
the very first to say | wanted the trihe of
money he may have saved"
Maggie sighed, and then looked up
into stephens handsome face and smiled.
Stephen, of course, was right; man
with such eyes and such figure could
not, in loves sight, be wrong. He was
brave and confident, too, and had that
way of assertion which only very cool
and sensible people can resist.
Uncle Joseph sighed, too, but it was a
different sigh from Maggie's. He loved
his niece with a wise and tender affec-
ton, and she had not chosen the husband
that he would have chosen for her.
Stephen Gray was indeed swell Ito do, .
and had a fair character, but the keen old
man saw radical defects in it.
He listens to no one but himself, and
so he hears no advice but a fatterer's :"
said Joseph, "besides, Maggie, he is so
proud, that ! am feared he's bound to
have a tumble"
= But urc!t, he has a big heart, ind
he's good farmer, and even you can see
that he Is the handsomest man in the
Dales."
"That is all true, girl, but God docs
not measure men by inches"
However, in spite of all disaffcction,
Maggie Hawick's wedding with Stephen
Gray came off with great and widespread
hospitality. Joseph Haywick had been
for forty years the physician and friend
of all the Dale families, rich and poor,
and not one of them missed an invitation.
The gentry feasted in the oak raftered
parlor, ,,and the shepherds and cotters
in the big barn. But all were merry and
full of good wishes for the pretty bride
and her handsome husband.
The number of the bridal presents
Maggie received testified to it. Ste
phen's sideboard ond buffet would be
bright with silver tokens, and his presse
full of snowy damask and fne-spun liner
and blankets. But, upon the whole, il
rather mortified him. He could not fee
the loving kindness that sanctifed tao
gifts, and the obligation was not pleasant
to the self-sufficient young man. Hi
had assured Uncle Joseph voluntarily
and with rather unnecessary pride, thai
he wanted nothing with Maggie, neither
gold nor gear nor land; and yet f-r al
that, he looked rather anxiously for the
old mans offering.
Joseph Hawick was believed, in spite
of his eccentric attentions to poor pa
tents, to "have money" and Stephen
felt that handsome check on Kendall
Bank or few government bonds would
not be out of place; for he had been a
some expense in reiutnishing the ole
farm house, and he was very anxious tC
try some new scientific experiments with
his worn-out land.
But Maggie said nothing about he
uucle's present, and Stephen was far too
proud to ask her, until nearly yea
after their marriage. But one day ht
had long talk with old Squire Twaite
about high farming and then the tw,
men driited into the discussion of SONS
scheme for the draining Of Druids Moss
Then stephen, thinking II all over as h,
smoked his pipe by the blazing ingle
saw untold wealth Of harvest from thl
rich alluyial soil and fabulous wheat
fields growing where men now cauqh
leeehes 90 shot Wild fowl
II he only had money II ne only hai
Que thousand pounds ia cash Tnwalte
snd he would bus and drain The Mos.
IL sat dreaming ogef iho PROJECT aal
counted ihp aofts aud bushels over am
evf, uutl be began o. look upa
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