The Press., 1894-02-15

| duu SClll uO HeWS. lHe NllldSorb Wui5- pered among themselves:
 "Van Twesen will never come back there is no use for her to look and hope for him; he ain't worthy of woman like her, such pretty little woman, she could easily marry some one that would treat her decent and there's one thing, she's got money enough of her own" l Mrs. Van Twesen bore her trial brave- ly, patiently and silently, saying words of comfort and cheer and doing deeds of kindness to those around her who were afflicted. ..... ....... | AS she now seemed so much like herself some one ventured to say:
 "Mis Twesen, If were you, I'd git devorce from that ar man of your'n; your sech good leetle lady and he is sech 0 mean scamp, you deserve some one bet tern him, and it's my opinion 'twouldn't be long fore sum un would be pickin' ye up."
 "Why, Mrs. Salamander, how can you be so very, very cruel? Neoer, so long as I amin my right mind. He is my hus- I part. No, if it is forty years, my heart shall be as true to him as the day be- came his bride"
 "Wal, Mis- Twesen, reckined you he'd more sense than that. Perhaps he is married again, or, if he ain't, perhaps hell git one from you then what will ye dew?" "Mrs. Salamander, please understand me, mans laws are strange, but Gods laws never change, and please never bring this unpleasant subject up to me again, for God knows it's hard enough to bear without interferences or unpleasant reminders. God has given me grand and noble work to do in the bringing up of my beautiful boy for Him."
 "Wal, good day, Mis- Twesen; hope yeul hev leetle more common sense and leetle less of that ar religiun the next time I see you. You see it's not much use in every day life. Natur is the same, religun or no religun. Its good enuf fur sich folks as ye to talk it who kent do us wrong no way"
 "Say, Mis- Jenkins," said Mrs. Sala- mander, one day, as she just stepped in to hear the news, "hev ye heerd about Nils Twesen losin' her boy?"
 "No; has that poor creetur got more trouble? Poor soul!"
 "Yes; yer know he vowed he'd git the boy, and now I reckin he has. and Mis- Twesen is most distracted. Wal, reck- in I'd distract him. I'd run him down and put 8 bullet through him, so he'd never bother me no more. He'd orter be strung up, and wish I was the one tew dew it."
 "Does she say anything agin him?
 ''Not word; only that he mus be crazy, and, if not, she hopes God will for give him. I kent see how that woman lives no how, but I heerd she was going to travel"
 Four years have passed away, and now we will pass to a well-to-do farmhouse in a distant part of our land. The occu- pants, man (whom we will call Arm- strong), wife, and boy of perhaps eleven years.
 MT. Armstrong is very peculiar man and 8 very original character. His pa-
 
 left him to shift for himself in one of our eastern cities but, being of bright and active mind, he was determined to learn to read, which he did by patience and perseverance, but he often pronounces words queerly and gets them slightly mixed, and while we can not but be amused at his mistakes, would we have done better under the same hard fortune
 Mrs, Armstrong is a most lovable wo- man, though she has been for years an invalid. Charlie, the boy, is a very bright, intelligent child, and very devoted to his mother.
 Clark what is that, Abraham Is 1t a knock ?" said Mrs. Armstrong. Arise quickly, for surely Mrs. Peterkins must be dying"
 'Is it you, Peterkins?"
 "No," said voice, faintly.
 "Wel, who are your" growled Arm strong, "prowling around when all de- cent folks is sleepin."
 "Please let me in; I am Christopher Van"
 "That'll do; not another word! What do you want? Sit down and I'll build a fire so can git warm. Where'd yer come from ?"
 From Iowa." replied Van Twesen.
 Wal, Iowa is quite state, and raises more creoles than any other spot of it's size in the world"
 "More what ?" said Van Twesen.
 "More creoles; surely you ought to know if you live there now"
 "I have never seen any, Armstrong;"
 "Wal, haint yer never eaten any!"
 'No; we are not cannibals.
 ''I don't know what yer mean by that ar word, but don't yer ever eat any bread, or what do you live on in Iowa?"
 70, it is cereals you mean"
 "Why, yes, man; hain't you any larn- in'?"
 "Well, Armstrong, did not come to discuss the good qualities of Iowa. I came after my Cicero?"
 "Your what If it's the boy you mean, why don't yer call him Charlie? It's more decent than Kickaboo."
 "Yes, I shall take him tomorrow. I expect now to have home to take him to, and am prepared to pay you bounti- fully for your trouble"
 Well, the boy is yours, and of course yeu have right to take him, but 1 reckin it will bout finish my wife, for she thinks the world moves around by him."
 
 Before coming for Cicero Demosthenes MT. Van Twesen had received letter Efrom an old acquaintance, which read as' follows:
 I DKAR CHRIsToPHER:-You will proba- Ibly have forgotten me, but I once loved you, and when heard of your marriage to Catherine, and saw how happy ycu