Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-04-07

IabOriously picked to pieces leaf bv
by leaf 10 see it lie did truly love
me, and, when the wOeful words
came to the final petal, che loves
me not" Tom would stamp his
foot and scold-"POh! Katie,
flowers don't know, love you
more'n a minutel Cos mans and
boys Just likes to be loved when
theA's all tired out working, like
am" Then that bouquet was
thrown away, but the clover or wild
flowers or even thistles ! Loyalty
wore the rest of day
How this long dried bouquet
has escaped tho ravages of Time
only Fate knows; but it occupies a
secret drawer III my desk and
sometimes | take 1t out aud live
over again those old, delightful,
thrilling DAYS so tuII of love and
happiness when Tom was grown
man at eight aud such a splendid
lover! My cheeks we're the reddesI,
my eyes the brightest and kisses
the sweetest of any girls IN town,
for Tom said so.
lie also said that / made the
best sand cakes and be ate them,
like a good husband ought, until
one day when he nearly cbOked TO
death on a pebbe and that
Fighter ed us so lie never again
could be per, uaded to touch any of
my baking; aud be made me- dress
in mourning piece OF black
calico he found in ire garret-j lSt
see how badly wOuId have felt if
he bad really dltd.
It was dreadful! l had to cry and
sob. Tom said widows always
did sob loud, dIeadfully loud
uutll almost made m, self sick
about if; for he made M keep tina
up for week AID cut off lew
lEches Of the black ca'icO every
day. Tom said i1st couidu'f get
out OF mourning too Quick AMI it
wasn't nice of NE 10 want TO Bot
after that | stole the nread and
Jam for our luncheOnS. TOm mad
me. He said cne funeral was a.
a woman ought to expect OF m7n
aud lie wouldn't choke blmsrlt t
death again for any woman.
| cried over that, TOO; because IL
man really ought to he willing Il"
sacrifice himself IN every way If be
could Ouly make his wife happi;
but Tom was obdurate and VT
couldn't starye. So stole the jam.
HIS mother was such suspicious
woman that she always kept heI
jam closet locked. And one dread
tnl day our hired girl caught me-
hired girls were dreadfully un-
sympathetic creatures when was
yOung-and took both of us up.
stairs to mother.
Oh, but Tom came splendidly
to my rescue. "DOut you dare lick
her. Mrs. Montgomery he said,
Just as big ana brave as if he was
truly grown up. "Shc's my wife,
and-and | made bcr horny your
jam just to keep our family from
starving. There's six dolls to he
fed and-and ] eat a lot and Katie
has TO have some"
Mother was busy, so she Just
laughed and told the girl to give
rs some every day and then We
wouldn't be tempted TO steal.
Tom said l had such a splendid
mother be believed he'd cone over
20 our bOnse 10 live but he never
did. His mother acted dTeadfullv
when she heard of It. He had his
things all packed up in a yahse
and a cigar box, ready to cone
and, when he went to say good hle
she cried and took on awful V.
Tom said 1t was perfectly splrr
she could cry better than G, uld
aud then we ha6 cur frsr qu IL
IL hfS vi dNlu', tnT 'u'hEN ut
SAID. just like grown up man for
all the world; and I began se~ ing
my black calico STRIPS together
again. for Tom vowed he was go.
ing fl 10 fight indians AMI | IN.
suncuveiy knew III soon be a
adow; for Tom never quit a,y.
thing until he had gotten himself
killed for me to crl over.
Tue very day lie brought ne this
bouquet he had died twicc-onct
from a terrible Indian battle aud
tEe next Time from sunstrOke-and
Suddenly discovering be hadn't
been at the Office at al thai da,,
he hurried down town and picked
these flowers for me on his way
home.
The next day cruel fate and our
stern parents separated us. We