APRIL 41 
©ORE’S RURAL W1W-YORKER. 
244 
GROWING COLD. 
BY A. E. COBBY. 
Now Nature’s fields are robed in emerald green. 
The drooping violets ltiss the op’ning rose; 
And floods of summer sunshine all serene. 
Lave Spring’s bright garlands In their sweet re¬ 
pose. 
No somber clouds now dun the laughing skies. 
No north winds breath to chill the scented air ; 
Both hill and dell lie dream-like ’neath the rise 
Of welcoming? from the beautif ul and fair. 
How sweet the bush and pence of Gummcr days, 
When heart and band find treasures oft to greet, 
From stores of wealth, which Nature wide displays 
And dally showers at our wotting feet. 
But Summer time's like friendships tried and old ; 
We think to-day Its worth and beauty ours. 
Yet soon a time may come of bltgbt and cold, 
To cloud affection's sky, and frost our flowers 
N ow Autumn come* in colors brown and sear; 
H:iif hid Ian v n Hays wide their mill to unfold; 
While gath'rlng wind*, in accent* n 1 Idly clear, 
Foretell the coating year; 'Us growing cold. 
Soon drifting snow* fill up the somber sky, 
Embrace the hills in robes of purest white. 
While the fair year in Its low grave doth lie 
'Neath Winter winds, in dark and cheerless night. 
#ur ^iorw-S^Uqr. 
THE HIGHFLIERS. 
BY MRS. C. H. ORESWELL. 
The three Misses Highfliers were sitting in 
their morning room engaged in fancy needle¬ 
work. It was a cold, yet pleasant day in De¬ 
cember, and the ground was covered a few 
inches with snow. Sleighs jingled merrily by 
at short intervals, causing the youngest of the 
sisters to glance frequently out of the spacious 
bay window which, by the way, was tilled with 
exotics pn<l blooming like a garden |n June. 
"Florence, I do wish you would not bo ao 
interested in those countrified sleighs,” re¬ 
marked Julia, the elder MIsb High flier. " I'd 
be a little more dignified wore I in your place." 
“Now, sis,” retorted Florence, saucily 
“ you're too stuck up by a great deal. Because 
we once lived in the city, we are very grand 
I think we might accept .1ANK Clo 
vkk’s invitation for to - niorw 
night.” And plucking a pint rmu 
bud as she spoke, she placed it cc 
quettishly iiincj.g her brown curl 
and bowed to her reflection In th 
opposite mirror. 
Julia gave her a coutemptupu 
glance. "Indeed! that would b 
lowering our dignity. You forge 
that Jams Clover la only a farm 
er’s daughter. Wc, who are hot,I 
the wealthiest and most faslilonabli 
and refined family in the village 
should be careful with whom w< 
condescend to associate." And Mlsi 
Highflier’s nose, which was by m 
means a small one, elevated it sc I 
considerably. 
“Ahem!” ejaculated Florence 
mockingly, “ a-a-ahem! Allow im 
to inform your ladyship that .Ian* 
Clover is as well educated and has 
as much refinement aw the proudest 
in the land. Her society is sought, 
you well know, by persons of the 
highest respectability. She Is a true 
lady, though she puts on no airs and 
makes no pretensions," 
“It Is easy to see that you have 
been spoiled by old uncle VVilmot. 
'Tis a pity you did not stay with 
him—he was bringing you up admir¬ 
ably”—sneered the amiable Ju lia. 
“ Dear uncle Wilmot ! Good old 
man I How I wish father had per¬ 
mitted me to remain with him!” 
sighed Florence ; “ I was so happy 
there." 
“ We’ll willingly sign a petition 
to have you returned to him," re¬ 
marked the second sister, Belle. 
“ Indeed, it were a consummation 
devoutly to be wished." 
“ I am going to ask father to let 
me attend Jane Clover's party," 
said Florence, alter a. i liort pause. 
"You had better I" returned Ju¬ 
lia, sarcastically. "You have got 
such low notions, I would advise 
you to fall In love with Fred Clo¬ 
ver— hadn’t you better now?" Ju¬ 
lia looked into her sister's face and 
was surprised and shocked to see it 
mantled with a burning blush. 
" Good gracious, Belle ! I truly be¬ 
lieve the creature in in love with 
thet horrid farmer I" she cried : 
“ do look at her I” 
Belle held up lier hand In horror, 
while Florence sprang like a fright¬ 
ened bird front the room. 
“Goodness! What shall we do? 
That girl will be an everlasting dis¬ 
grace to the family. Who would 
have imagined that she would de¬ 
scend to smile on Fred Clover? 
What’s to be done. Belle?” 
“Let us earn 1 the matter to our 
respected parent." returned the sis¬ 
ter, who was exceedingly affected In speech 
and manner; "she wilt undoubtedly bring mat¬ 
ters to a crisis." 
***»»,. 
I wish I could, Fred. But mother won’t 
consent.” 
“ Allow me to ask her. We are going to have 
such a pleasant time.” 
No, no 1 there is no use. When she says a 
thing, there is no turning her.” 
" It’s too bad. I wish your mother was like 
other folks.” 
>So do I. There is mi use in wishing, how¬ 
ever. You must go, Fred; they'll Boon bo 
home from their sleigh ride, and mother will 
almost murder me if she finds you here.” 
“ Does she so hate me?" asked the young 
man, a shadow resting upon his handsome face. 
"No, she does net hate you ; but—but—they 
all think that you-" 
“I understand you now. They do not deem 
me worthy of your society, ft would be a mor¬ 
tification to their pride to associate with a 
farmer. Good morning, Miss Florence 1" 
“Stay, Frro! T am not proud—/ have no 
ridiculous Ideas of exclusiveness; I dou’t think 
myself better than my neighbors; J-” 
“Then you do not hate me. Florence. You 
do not think me beneath your notice. You will 
not he angry if I dare to treasure your image in 
my heart? Answer me, Florence, dear.” 
She laid her blushing face upon his manly 
shoulder. It was answer enough for him. As 
his Ups touched her brow he murmured, “ Bless 
you, darllDg!" Starting from him, she sprang 
to the window us a sleigh dashed up to the 
door—a splendid t urn-out with u pair of pranc¬ 
ing horses and a liveried driver. 
“ Here they are! What shall T do ? Go out 
of the back door, Fred!— here, quick!" ex¬ 
claimed the poor girl, in great, trepidation. 
"Not 1, never take the buck track," coolly 
answered Fred ; “ let ’em turn mo out I" And 
seating himself, young Clover quietly awaited 
events. 
Mrs. Highflier and her two daughters swept, 
into the room all Biss and feathers, flounces 
and Alaska sables, followed by the husband 
and father, Who carried In his arms a l,tile 
black-and-tan lap-dog with a silver collar and 
a rod blanket bound with blue velvet. Instantly 
a battery of eight Indignant eyes poured down 
upon the Intruder, and four proud bends gave 
as many tosses, while poor Florence stood 
trembling in a corner. 
“Sir/" ejaculated madam, with the air of a 
queen, “wo have not the honor of your ac¬ 
quaintance—whereforo this Intrusion?" 
Fred rose, and bowing politely, repiled with 
perfect tang froid , "I bad no intention of In¬ 
truding upon jj'-u, madam. It was Florence 
I came to see." 
“ What Insolence!” exclaimed Miss Julia ; 
" it were well to order Patrick to duck him in 
the horse pond." 
“Indeed!" echoed Belle, “it were a con¬ 
summation devoutly to be wished !” 
“ Von will oblige us by retiring, sir!" said 
madam, pointing to the door. 
“O, certainly I anything to oblige so polite 
and elegant a lady," returned the young farmer, 
a mocking smile upon his lips and a flash of 
contempt fu hix dark eyes, as he prepared to 
depart. Unaccountably to themselves, all 
quailed beneath his glance and each felt, guilty 
of a very mean action as he disappeared from 
their view. Turning to vent, their spite upon 
Florence, it was discovered that she had flown 
to her room, where she remained locked in for 
hours, not even admitting her mother. 
****** 
“My dear children " said uncle Wilmot, “I 
would advise you to marry,” 
“ but., my mother—my sisters—they will dis¬ 
own mo!" rejoined Florence, anxiously. 
"Let them; /shall not. They'll come around 
when they think of my money bags." And the 
old gentleman chuckled at the Idea. 
“But, sir," said Fred Clover, “I have too 
much pride to intrude myself upon a family 
who doom mo so much beneath thorn." 
“Don’t talk to mo in that way! Beneath 
them, Indeed! Because you don’t put on airs 
—because you arc a farmer and work with your 
own bonds. I tell you, they know you are In¬ 
finitely above them in Intellect, and r,hat’s the 
reason they hate you. One thing you may rest, 
assured of—where t here are little brains there 
is always great presumption and ridiculous 
pride. (Jet married, my children, as soon « 8 
you please. The money bags will make it all 
right." 
The young folks took the old man's advice, 
and then- wasn't there a row In the family ? 
However, they all became reconciled in time, 
and some years after, when the Highfliers 
came down with a grand smash Inconsequence 
of the failure In business of the husband and 
father, I* lohrnof.'h two sisters were glad to 
accept an icy -m in thohtm.c of I’redCloYer, 
the once despised farmer, who now lived in as 
good a sLyle as they once had done. 
Uncle Wilmot was a constant, visitor at the 
home of his beloved Florence, and as lie fon¬ 
dled her lovely children, he would say to her 
eldest son, “ lie a farmer, my boy! Always re¬ 
member that Washington said, * Agriculture 
was the noblest and most useful employment 
of man.’ ” 
Brooklyn, L. I., 1871. 
THE BAG OF GOLD, 
t SEDU'J-Q- THE PET 
“Money is a great trial," said the widow 
Peckington, Impressively. “ I declare 1 did not 
know what care meant, before brother Gabriel 
died and loll me all that, money." 
"Well, comdn Clarissa," observed Goorgo 
Mernlton, who was assiduously engaged in 
entangling t he widow’s work to the very worst 
of his ability, “in case you find yourself uu- 
nquul to the strain, all you have to do Is to 
leave me the $5,000." 
v, ll '^ l l r '? fc l'i the morning,” went on 
Mrs Peckington, unheeding Mr. Merrilton's 
modest hint, “and the last thing at night, I'm 
thinking about it. First I put It in Deacou 
bliab Horton's bank, and then drawed it out 
again—banks aren’t noways safe nowadays. 
And then I burled It in the east cellar, close to 
the apple bin, and then there came the delug- 
Ing min, and I knowed the cellar would bo 
throe Inches deep in water. So up it come 
again, and then I could not rest, in my bod for 
fear of fire, go I got it changed Into gold, and 
I guess It Is safe enough." 
“ In the bottom of your big red chest ?” mis¬ 
chievously hazarded George 
“No matter where, sir," said the widow, nod¬ 
ding her head. 
"O, but cousin Clarissa, yon might tell us,” 
zaxzSi?- “ we ->*”> 
Cora Dallas sat stitching quietly in the corner 
the pretty orphan whom good Mrs. Pecking- 
br!'J ,: n ” H ‘ n ° Ut ° r fch0 orphan asylum " to 
bring up five years before 
;• I don’t expect to leave you nothing," Mrs. 
iwn . but 1 || give you a good deestrlct school 
chance to d?f hrin «ing up, and a good 
cnante to do for yourself.” 
w ml m ./k‘ ,l:i ^ “Oceptod the good dame’s offer 
\\ 1 th im r k gratitude. 
She had grow,, very prettily in the last few 
Jeurs, this Solitary child oi nobody. 
Dark-eyed, with hair full of deep 
chestnut, golden shadows, a peach 
blossom skin, where the rosy blood 
glowed brightly through on the 
slightest provocation, and a mouth 
Ike Hebe, It scorned as If nature 
had made a solemn compact with 
herself to atouo for all social slights 
that, might bo oast across Cora Dal 
las’ path. 
Well,’ said Mrs. Peckington, se¬ 
riously, “I don’t mind telling; but 
mind you don’t ropout It—the bag’s 
hung half way up the chimney on 
an iron hook." 
But suppose the chimney should 
take Ore?" Maid Merrllton. 
‘ ft wont,. I'll keep it well swept, 
and besides ir it should, it takes a 
pretty good heat to melt, gold." 
“ C P°'' “'y word, cousin Clarissa,” 
said Merrllton, “you are a second 
Machiavelli.” 
" Who In the pity’s sake was ho?" 
asked Mrs. Peckington. "’There's 
neighbor Simklneat the door-jump 
and let him in, Cora, for it’s begin¬ 
ning to snow like all possessed.” 
And neighbor Simkltts came in, a 
broad-laced jovial agriculturist, 
who lived On the next farm, and 
was suspected of matrimonial de¬ 
signs on the heart, of widaw Peck¬ 
ington. 
“Set by, Mr. SimKins," said the 
widow, hospitably, putting another 
moss-fringed log on the fire, “seems 
like we're going to have another 
spell of weather." 
And while the widow and her 
middle-aged lover discussed the 
weathei, George took occasion to 
help Cora get down a half bushel ol 
red apples from the garret and was 
unnecessarily long about It too. 
“I should think you would be 
ashamed of yourself, George Merril- 
ton,"sald Cora, dimpling and blush¬ 
ing uud trying to look very angry, 
in which she succeeded but indiffer¬ 
ently. 
“What for?” audaciously demand¬ 
ed George. “One doesn’t get be¬ 
hind the garret door with a pretty 
:irl every day In tho year." 
“ What would Mrs. Peckington 
’ay?" 
“ I dare say she’s doing the very 
ame thing herself down stairs with 
lohorum Sirukins.” 
And Cora burst out laughing at 
he preposterous Idea, just as tbo 
vidow came in to bustle around 
fter quince Jelly and apple butter, 
ml to tall Cora to mix up a batch 
f muffins In the twinkling of an 
ye, for neighbor Sim Ulna was going 
to stay to f 
* PEETTY POLEy.L 
