The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-06-30
0NG YEARS AGO. while set
80 - = 81 - Ill

shaSe of the observation of
n ancient customs. the little
sylvan hamlet Of Plumtlee
FiIock. tn one of the Midland counties,
was aEog with pleasurable anticipation.
TO the men the coming event did not
seem worth such a mighty pother-
They. indeed were inclined 70 look
sheepish when it was spoken or by their
womenld1d, TO turn TO tail and run our
of the house &c the subject was pushed
toe far. tC remain from home oNeri0ls,
grumbHnE and discussing IL with their
fellows and trying hard to play the
Hcornfui on the firesidC settles at the
Plumtree ale house. Certainly a great
many extra measures Of amber ale
were Quahed at chat faVOrite resort.
while the yOkels gave their slow opin-
ions as to the forthcoming innovation
into their body social.
fDhe women and girls We're on the
contrary. in highest fee Cher. Even the
old grand dams. holding in their cor
ners, put on alacrity The matrons
Busting about household tasks ASKS
breWed, baked. scOlded and CURED their
offspring with a new sense of deligltful
revolution i'm longtime habit
AS to the lasses, one ana all-nO use
u try 20 put bit between their teeth.
just yet. This was decided over tank
ards end fin street dialogues between
Plumtree HillOck fathers The girls
would continue good for nothing until
the affair should De over. They stepped
nigh. answered their parents bdCk-es-
Decl9liy lheir sires-spent long working
hours in doing up their top knots FUR
bish'ng their hnery, steWing mesSes 70
take the honest Sdnburn OH their
hands. Worse than al $50 charged the
younger mem, these scatter-brained
Weaehes were become all caprice to-
ward their lovers. Everything was un-
certain. THE maiden g. fellow had been
keeping company with for twelvemOntA
fT- M
her mind for certain, would answer
him next week or next month, might
Doe walking with somebody else BY
Yuletide. and so on to the end of the
peTpleXiuE chapter
Now the cause of this novel state Of
things was simple According to i'm
memorial custom in. certain other parts
within travelling distance OF Plumtree
Hulock, st. Catherine, patron saint and
sbenefactress of all spinsters- lone Wo-
men and Ewes UnfOutuuates in general,
was i'm the periodical habit OF appear
ing i'm person. seated upon q wheeled
UlatfOrm-a spinning wheel, badge OF
her office, at her side-attended by a
retinue of mortal retainers, and going
fp0m door 60 door of the village visited
there collecting from her deYOtees a
dole in silver Cor the use % the parish
poor.
Ira return for these contributions it
was the saints habit to kindly vouch-
safe answers to "a large variety OF init
ers, cOn1ubial difficulties, prospects of
offers. on release from marriage ties, the
lettering Of husbands and the Bring
ing e. backward men to the point Of
proposal.
AS n custom of their forefath ers, tire
men OF Plumtrce HilloCk did not dare
deny It when some wind Of gossip,
blowing no one knew whence, had
brought 10 thn1T ken the fact thar this
year ST Catherine had decided TO in
acIude their hamlet in her rounds But
they Felt. as we have seen. uneasy till
the experiment upon their wives and
Daughters and sweethearts should Zoe
Fairly made and its WELDON proved.
Thas Sc came about that for a week
preceding the coming of her saintship
the score Of little houses half embedded
iu turf that rose Up to their latticed
windows. half lost+tO sight under eX
Fi1-uishers of gray thalch, sW@pt by
the noushs of mighty oaks. were lively
CROUCH Inside. In none of them. how
ever did a girls heart beat higher than
I'm the home Of Jock Ttbbs, the carrier
whose pretty Marian was DetrOtned te
Old Farmer COttleshin, her mother S
e1oice. n man twice married already
ana ON the q9i vive for third damse
10 look AFTER his pigs and dairy.
Mariau's eyes were so big and bright
her form. SO round and supple. her hair
i1 tint like a hazeiuut, so richly rip
pied. ire blood flowed into her cheeks
so abundantlv when she answered &
nans 0verboid speech, that old Cottle
shin chUcSled when he thought OF bis
kood luck, Ills last wife had been
fri Eht. The first vixen, and now, al
though web past SO, mis- long waiting
for the joys of love bid fair to pc re
werded.
What asa 10 matter 20 him that Ma
rian had cried bitterly when sayiui
"Tes rh8r she had been driven TO q,
$50 by her mother, the scold of Plum
tree2
TEDs wife, on her part, went abou
r,s -rsrs.s
was soon to own the best house an,
farm in the uelghborhood. In her eve
old COttleshin mad promptly assumei
the aureole golden sous-in-law arr
mas.
TO go back little into previous his
tory. All BUT three days of her eighteel
wears Marian had spent at Plumtre
FIrIock. but those three had worked ir
revoc2Dle mischief with her heart. Las
lTayday the carrier. ON unwOnted bus
f1ess sent, had driven his gray nlare =
FAR IS thornton, a neighboriug vilIa2
much given to the exercise OF athleu
sports His right arm being disable
by rheumatiFrc. he had taken Maria
IN the cart to do mis- work for him.
Something there was in the air @
Thornton that daY that -conspired t
the undoing 0f the Tibbs family. IN
carrier a fairly sober man by habit
found himself unaccOuntably anchore
within the tap room Of the chief iu
ing for him in the cart opposite tn
village green, became fasCinate
spectator Of the MaypOle dance, where
Pm one Win Scarlet. famous mUmme
and Morris dancer. capercd to sue
purpose that ne hna1iy pranced over Z
the cart and decoyed her out of &c &
join him ia turn under the garland
on the green
An. that daucei That bewilderini
enchanting whirl beneath falling Ma
petals her partner looking to her daz
zled eyes like Mercury new lighte
amid ClodhOppers. VIII handsOm
roguish, reckless, devil-may- vii
had meyer scored SUCH q hit as ne mad
then upon the virgin wax of her Is
Eear-old imagination
And Marian I'm turn, charmed WI
hy her delicate beauty, her innocence
She spotiess neatness Of her dres
saove all the frank alteration OF ne
Hmpid gaze.
When Carrier Tibbs came out of ia
tavern 70 was to swear q great rOuu
cath that 10y. cock and pye ne and I'll
uenCh should stop where they wel
tin the three days Of Ghorntons gay'
ties were at an end. Marian had nevt
seen her father in such an inderendeT
mood. he took lodgings for her at
cecelt house, told the woman Of &c
care for her and furthermore bestowe
ruon Marian q handf-1l of silver grOH