Year: 1879




They would have made very pretty
picture on painted tile, as they sat on
The porch in the vivid afternoon light.
The cottage itself was as trim and COM
plete as q toy house; its color was a soft
gray The late sunshine was goldenly
clear, and all the green world was shin
ing, fresh from Il shower. Auntie Trib
was sitting in bright red rocking chair,
and her pretty old face was as pink and
white MS II bunch of roses; and as for
Salie hersell--well, ask any critic in
Rockdale. from the oldest inhabitant
down to the tiniest toddler, and you will
hear Il more enthusiastic comment than
any which can supply. Rockdale is II
neat little New England village, far
away out of the world, in rocky, hilly
and-daly district, where the direct de-
scendants of the Puritans still hold their
sway.


Auntie Trib's son, Free Grace Hill
called "Free" for short-made his name
good at an early age by snatching his
liberty and marching away to town
never mind aDhdt town; we can call il
L.. He verified his mothers title at
the same time, for she became indeed an
embodiment of tribulation; but Free
disappointed her agreeably, for he found
good situation,l and worked in it faith
fully and steadily. lie was now u never
failing source of pridea and delight when
on his brief visits he dazzled Rockdale
with his town-maden ~ garments, his
dainty mustache and general air of
"style."


His last visit, however, proved an
: epoch in the history of Rockdale, and al
SO in the history of his air little orphan
cousin Sallie. He brought with him an
older friend, employed in the same house
with himself, but in more advanced
position. This parsonage, whom he de-
signated as Jack Arnold, Immediately
sent poor Free into the shade, and cast
him down from that pinnacle of fame
which he had mounted at the cost of
many a pair of highly-polished boots
and much studied elegance:


will not attempt to describe the effect
which young Arnold produced upon the
'simple village maidens." Every pretty
vile which had formerly been directed
toward the fortunate SON of Auntie TTib
was now leveled at his friend, with a
force and energy tina. produced the effect
offs bombardment. Ere long, however,
it was discovered that the newcomer
was proof against every species of attack.
Not that he was invulnerable-far from
it. The truth was that he had fallen
under the very first shot. lie had not
been beneath Auntie Tribs roof twenty
four hours before he had succumbed un-
conditionally to the force of Salhe's
charms. The little Puritan maiden,
with her cameo face and her steadfast
gray eyes, stole at once into his heart
an honest heart, for there is no villain in
this unpretending tale-and from thence
forth he was her liege knight for life. Ii
was not by passionate pleading and great
deeds that he undertook to win her foT
his own; no, the task was but easy, after
all. He was fair, good-humoIed, tall
and handsome; Free said he was capi-
tai fellow, and Sallie had great faith in
Free he was devoted and unreserVed in
expressing his affection: what more
could maiden ask Before his vacation
was over lie had bravely made known his
love, and was shyly but readily accepted
and when he and Free left Rockdale they
bade tender farewell 10 happy little
damsel with ring upon her finger.
All this did not happen long ago, but
in this very year of 1879. Rockdale was
nestled away far and deep among the
hills; it was not very near the town o
D., and l. itself was not a grea
city. How should Rockdale know wha
was agitating the world beyOndp By
newspapers, of course; but women dc
not often read the newspapers carefully
and the two women of this narratiV,
seldom looked into them. Especially
did they, in their Puritanic rigor, neglec
the amusement columns. After all, VIII,
read of operas, plays and concerts tina
one cannot see or hearp When anything
was "going on in Rockdale itself, al