The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-01-09
SADNESS OF SIMEON.

landscape and sighed. This cheerful
trait was inherited from his father,
who had sighed through life whose
molehills were all mountains, to be
laid away at last under weeping will
low. Thus little Simeon was left to
the care and jurisdiction Of his ma
ternal grandfather, Zachariah Gayley.
Simeon was young man now.
Grandfather Gayley, despite tn e
weight of years, bore their burden
with a cheerful spirit and still ought
to steer some rays of sunshine into
the somber soul of his depressed
grandson.
"Chirk up, Simmy," he would
-eael<les Git a gafar spark heFan'
go round smilin', same as I use ter
when I was a young feller.
One vital cause of the present gloom
was due to the fact that Simeon had
a girl, and she had lately shown an
alarming tendency toward more cheer
full society. So Simeon looked out
of the window and sighed.
"A : nice kind of Sunday this is
going to be-" he groaned. "Looks
like it will rain by church time.
That means we can't set in the grave
yard after service-won't see nothin'
of Roxy all day. The Lord amt no
hand at making weather lately. An
s'pose Tewk will be hanging round
an gittin' in the way. I'm going to
speak to Roxy about him. She favors
him too much lately"
"Mornin', SimmyP' chirped
Grandfather Gayley as the youth seat
ed himself at the breakfast table.
"Quite dressed up, amt ye? Coin
to meetin', of coursel"
'sI s'pose so," answered Simeon
wearily. IT don't feel quite like it.
Looks like pourin' rain to me-"
"Twon't rain," observed Mr..
Boldly, the gentleman who did duty
at Zachariah's in the double capacity
of hired man and male companion.
"It'll be clear by 10 o'clock-you
see! Til bet ye Sim'll be a-setin' in
the cemetery FIVE minutes after the
benediction, along with Obed Frogg's
gal, jest ez peart as tomtit.' -
''I orter be-" remarked Simeon
dolefully, "but there's too many fell
lers around Roxy lately. Like as not
she'll be ketched up by one of EN- be-
fore I get chance.
"Sho !" said his grandfather. "You
dom t wanter let 'em, Simmy. Now,
eff twas me I'd hev spell O. cough
in endurin' the long prayer an go
out SOS not to disturb folks, an when
they come out I'd be right thar, /
would. I'd hustle right up to Roxy
in the vestibool, an I'd say, Miss
Frogg,' I'd say, there's little bird
a-singin' out in the churchyard, an
he's app'inted me to fetch you over
to hear him. 1 was out thar, an he
says to me, "Tweet, tweet, she's
sweet '' Why, Simmy, she'd fair
ly run We out to git away from the
other gals. That's the way I useter
do, an they was all wild over me. F"
ooh, you'd say lot, you would, !"
replied his grandson disrespectfully.
"S'posin' you had a sadness come
over you on account of the sermon an
felt all pulled down an mournful, you
wouldn't feel like doin' no bird act,
I guess"
"NoP' cried the old man, laugh
ing. "There'd hev to be more fire
an birthstone in a sermon than what
old Peasants puts in his'n to dis
combobbolate me, Simmy. l useter
be an awful cheerful listener, didn't
/, Abel?"
No one would set with yer" re-
piled Mr.. Boldly, with a grin. "You
was put out reg lar for lahin', I've
heered. I was a little feller, but l
kin rec'lect seein' old Deacon Small
lead you out"
Zachariah chuckled. "No sech
thing" he said. Don't ye believes
him, Sim. The gals was crazy to set
with me-"
you've KEEP company with Roxy
now comm on two year, an ye don't
wanter let nobody git her away from
ye. She's a nice, purity young wo-
man." put in Boldly warningly.
"Tewk Collins is arter her, an l
know it. ..
80 do I, an she's favorin' him
too much" said Simeon dejectedly.
"She orter to be spoke to."
"Don't ye try to do the speakin', {,
though observed the grandfather.
"She might fare. That curly red
hair of her'n has got lots of sparks in
it, shouldn't wonder"
Simeon, with his mind full of Rox-
ana and his eyes glued to her ruddy
presence in front seat, acted upon
the ancient Lothario's advice. He
coughed violently during the long
prayer and attracted much attention
and many frowns thereby. Then ne
slipped out in modification.
1.-THE old man was married three
times, and he orter know" he reflect
ed. "What was it he said about that
derned bird? Oh, yes; remember,
I'm all cast down this mornin' some
how. Church always gives me a
hopeless feelin'. I'd quit goin' If it
wasn't for Roxy. Here they come. "
Jostled by the crowd, Simeon wait
ed. After what seemed to him an in
terminable length of time Roxana ap-
peared. Her buxom figure and bril-
liant coloring warmed the doorway,
but Simeon experienced chill as he
saw young Mr.. Collins tagging few
feet behind her. "Now," he thought
and stepped forward.
"Miss Frogg," he began.
Hello p said that lady. Amt
you kind of formal, Sim3 What's
the matter?"
"There's Bird" stammered Sim.
The girl looked at him as If she
thought him suddenly bereft OF rea-