Year: 1866

paper, and sat down with my head on m,
hands, sulkier than ever, suppose, to lool
at. Maybe it was an hour, maybe two
that | sat there before heard step com
ing over the grass, and looking up, saw thu
girl | had driven over from Baldwin, Annie
May, coming toward me. She did not SEE
me at first; but when she did she started
and stopped, and smiled at me just as PC
seen other girls smile often at other men
but never once at me before that moment
| never thought what | was doing, but helt
out my great brown paw and shook hands
with her as if we had been friends fol
years.


" found there was nothing for me to dc
in the factory until Monday" she said
'and | came out to see what these woods
were like. It's pretty place"


Prettier in summer" | said, "and pret
tiest of all in autumn, when the leaves are
turned gold and scarlet"


q" like spring BEST" she said "every
thing is new and fresh, and Just begun In
autumn every thing is nearly over, and
that is sad"


"I don't mind it," | said 81 haven't a
gay disposition, l suppose. But look here,
if you like fresh young things I'll show you
something )" and took her to where, be-
hind fallen log, the first spring violets al
ways grew. There was a dozen there now,
and she went down on her knees to smell
them. She would only pick one, though
it seemed wrong, she said.


That one, after we had walked for an
hour or so, somehow dropped out of her
hair. She did not know it, but | did and
when she had gone home went back and
found it lying on the path and put it in my
bosom. 1t was so sweet and fresh and
beautiful that | could but think it was like
her. liked to think so. 0, what a day
that was for me ! What night when |
dreamed it over


Next day was the Sabbath, and l did
what I'd never done before After | was
dressed, angry with myself for not looking
handsomer all the while L stood before the
glass, went over to Mrs. Munson's and
asked for Miss May.


She came down in muslin dress and a
pretty bonnet with pale blue ribbons; and
| remember stammering out something
about thinking she might like to go to
church and would not know the way That
was all nonsense, of course, for there was
the steeple in full sight, but it gave me
what | wanted, leave to be with her again.


Pm afraid couldn't have remembered
the text to save my life, and that the SER
mon was thrown away on me. But | was
very happy-happier than | had ever been
before for this sweet young thing seemed
to like me, was frank and pleasant with
me, and found, l was so glad to think, a
sort of protection that she liked in my great
arm where her hand rested, going home
| fol 10 fol Hak
almost seemed to me that | must be crazy
to believe that she had taken a notion to
me but it was true. So true that when
four of those Sabbaths had passed l made
her walk with me again in Baldwin's
hollow log, behind which a great patch of
violets were in bloom by that time, and
told her how | loved her, and asked her to
be my wife


Only month since she came there
only one month since | drove her over in
the little wagon but if the answer had
been any thing else than what it was |
should have prayed to die. 1t may not be
such mighty matter to other men to have
one woman's love, but had no one else on
earth to care for. So when she said, eyes, y
and let me kiss her, it was only shame that
kept me from crying outright for joy.


She was mine now, and how proud was
of her ! How glad to know that she was
so near me when | was at work How
happy to see her so trim and neat among
the other girls, who were most of them
slovenly when they were not fine !! and how
full of dreams of the future !


She had promised to marry me in the au-
tumn, and after that she should work no
more in factory. | was saving to buy a
little three-roomed cottage IN the village,
and to furnish it--humbly, Of course, but
so that it should be home for her and
when she was its mistress | should not en-
Wy any king his palace. Meanwhile we
saw as much of each other as we could,
both working so industriously y.


One week we had been more than usually
busy, for it was near the end of June, and
we were making fireworks for the Fourth
of July, and the first had seen of Annie
that day | saw in the great salesroom
where we always gathered to receive our
wages The men on one side, the girls on
the other, stepping up to the great desk
one by one as old Griffin, the clerk, called
our names. | looked across the line of
girls faces, and saw her smiling at me, but
L COuld not get near ner. DeslueS, at tuat
moment, my name was called" Hathron
and l stepped up to the desk. Then, for
the first time, noticed that old Griffin was
not there. A nephew of Mr.. William, whose
name knew to be Richard James, was
paying the hands instead He was hand
some young fellow, and very gentlemanly
and of the fair kind. remember thinking
as he laid my wages before me that his
hair was Just the color of Annie's.


He had a sort of amateur way with him
very different from the business-like man
ner of old Griffin, and when it came to the
girls he had something pleasant to say tc
each one, instead of the old mans swapping
-" Sixpence deducted from yours, Jane !
or, " You were late three days last week
Martha 7" What he said to Annie don't
know, but she blushed like wild rose from
brow to chin.


Walking home together, she asked mt
who he was.


"Mr. James," l answered did you evel
see him before 2"


"No," said Annie. "How very beauti
full he is don't you think so 2"
l gave grudging "Yes." | couldn'
bear to hear her praise him. She might