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354 
CORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
. 2 ? 
ing the same for a Btew. By dint of much 
coaxing ami arguing she harl prevailed upon 
Mrs. Grky to give her directions, ami then 
trust to luck and her memory for the rosutt 
while the good woman herself should try 
and sleep off a headache. So, much against hei 
will, and with secret misgivings as to the suc¬ 
cess of her impromptu cook, and outwardly ex¬ 
pressed regrets that a “city lady should soil 
her hands with kitchen muaslnV’ the hostess 
retired and was soon gently snoring, If t he reg¬ 
ular sound that reached the new cook a ear®, 
now loudly, now softly, meant anything. And 
while our heroine went on contentedly staining 
her jeweled hands and humming snatches from 
that naughty Opera, " Madume Angot," wimii 
her dainty tittle figure was in closer proximity 
to pots, pans and various kitchen utensils, than 
ever before lu the course of her young life, a 
gentleman came hastily down the road, leaped 
the low fence, disdaining the gate, and paused 
beneath the hop vine before the kitchen door. 
“Beg pardon 1“ ns LOUi.Y raised her eyes; 
“ U Mrs. Grey at home?” 
LOUi.Y looked at the handsome brown faco 
and Into the merry eyes which were Mrs. 
Grey’s very own, and replied : “ You are Mrs. 
Grey’s son. Walli lu, Sir, and help yourself to 
a seal,” showing her stained hands, “and I will 
call her. She la lying down with headache.” 
“ By no means,” drawing hl» chair beside 
LOUI.Y. “ l.el mother sleep as long as possible. 
1 remember her headaches of old. 1 Oil can en¬ 
tertain me, MIsa—Miss— ?" looking at the girl 
Inquiringly and thinking what a lucky follow 
he was for this unexpected tete-a-tete. 
o LOUI.Y Waters, Sir. at your service,” was 
the reply, and LouI.y’h cheeks suddenly bor¬ 
rowed the hue of her tomatoes, while she de¬ 
voutly wished her hostess’ nap ended. 
When Mrs. Grey tlnally awoke and entered 
the kitchen she started In amazement to find 
two cooks at work over those tomatoes, and 
one of them her own aou. LOUI.Y slipped out 
during the greeting between mother and son, 
and when HARRY next beheld her she had 
donned city airs and style and seemed forever 
far removed from pots, pans and tomato stew. 
Days and weeks passed, and by the end of the 
third week after Harry's return he had ex¬ 
perienced a feeling decidedly new to his heart. 
Jt had been fairly Impossible to live near Louly 
Waters all that time and refrain from admir¬ 
ing her with that peculiar admiration that 
speedily turns to love. And though he could 
keep a secret as well as anyone, it was bard 
WOI k fora fellow of his impulsive, warm nature 
to remember the gulf which society had placed 
between the farmer’s son and the millionaire’* 
daughter. He did remember it, however, and 
was far too proud to attempt to cross It, If In¬ 
deed Loui.v had thrown over the slightest 
bridge, which however she did not. She re¬ 
membered her position too well to allow the 
slightest flirtation with the handsome young 
follow, whose eyes did everything but fairly 
betray Ids secret. They did enough, though, to 
make Loui.v like their owner us she little knew 
she liked him, and because she respected and 
liked him her manner unconsciously led them 
both into - well, not a flirtation, of course, 
but a decidedly pleasant intercourse, which 
Cupid watched closely and merrily w hile mak¬ 
ing ready his arrow’s. 
As for the “gentleman up to the hotel,” (as 
Mrs. Grey said whenever she mentioned him, 
as if he had been the sole gentleman the small 
mansion contained,) he bad called several times 
upon Loui.v. In company with her friends who 
seemed determined to “ bring about a match, 
ami recently had attempted to see her alone. 
But. still on her guard, remembering her fath¬ 
er's letter, and determined not to be wooed and 
W on at. that father’s dictation, she refused, 
point blank, a tete-a-tete with the geulleman in 
question ; and thus it happened that, when Sep¬ 
tember made way for October, and her Irlemls 
returned to town, she refused to accompany 
them, giving as her reason the fad of the coun- 
t ry’s being more beautiful at that season than 
during the whole summer. So they called her 
a “goose,” and left her arubl wild flowers and 
changing leaves, reluctantly. 
“ Letters, mother I” Mrs. Grey appeared at 
the kitchen door with alacrity and received in 
her apron a couple of letters which Harry, 
just from the clUce, tossed from the wagon. 
Tnen, as she wiped her glasses and dropped 
into the handiest chair to read the rarely re¬ 
ceived epist les, her boy drove on towards the 
bare with a letcer for Loui.v addressed by a 
masculine hand, and a little jealous feeling in 
1,1s heart that, made him frown. Under the 
maples near by sat Louuv on the low rustic 
scat lie had const ructed for her comfort. From 
his high wagon-seat ho looked down at her and 
clenched his Teeth lest his eyes should betray 
to her uplifted blue eyes the love he could 
hardly oonceal. " Letter for you, Mls3 Louly!” 
springing lightly to the ground. 
The frown had not quite cleared from his 
brow and the girl saw it. 
“What a cross face!” she laughed. “Why, 
Mr. Grey, I hope my poor, innocent letter 
hasn’t been too heavy a burden for you to 
bear 1” 
“Just as if T wouldn’t bear a mountain for 
jyog, If I had the chance 1” he Impulsively re¬ 
plied. 
“ Well, then, If it wasn’t the letter, what has 
troubled you ?” 
"Tf I should really tell, you’d consider me a 
goose, and laugh at me !" 
“ I am too well bred to use the expression 
you fear, in the first place,” with a slight hau¬ 
teur, “ ami In the second place I*ra sure I 
wouldn’t laugh at any one’s troubles.” 
“ Not even at mine. Miss LOUI.YV" 
“Not oven at yours; and particularly not at 
yours since you have been ao kiDd a friend to 
me all summer. So now stt down here and talk 
It all out." 
How he longed to put his arms about ber 
there all alone under the maples! He fairly 
envied the senseless letter which, although she 
bad not opened It, yet lay within her soft palm 
and fell unconsciously the soft pressure of Un¬ 
gers he would have given the world to touch. 
But he only exclaimed lightly, ns though the 
compliment were idle, “ I wouldn’t mind being 
that letter. If lias an enviable position in my 
humble opinion 1" 
“Now, excuse me, but I must forget my man¬ 
ners and call you-” 
“ A goose in earnest?" he interrupted, laugh¬ 
ing. “ But seriously, Mies Loui.v, you haven’t 
shaken bauds with me once since I came home; 
do you know it. ? A fellow likes to touch a wo¬ 
man's hand once In awhile, you must know! 
Louly had opened and glanced at her letter 
as he spoke, and a sudden shadow passed over 
the beautiful dark face. He watched her as 
she read It through. Was It her wonderful 
beauty which so attracted him? "Was It the 
rare combination of blue eyes, with brunette 
complexion and purple-black hair, that made 
her bo peculiarly lovely In appearance ? Was It 
because of the queenly form and stately car¬ 
riage that he had learned to consider her chief 
among her sex? Or was It the frank, sweet 
manner, which won, and yet repelled undue 
familiarity, that so fascinated him ? He could 
not tell; indeed ho didn't care to reach for 
particular.", fie only knew that with his whole 
soul he, Harry GRKY, the only son or an hum¬ 
ble farmer, with nothing better than a fair edu¬ 
cation, and prospects of comfortable farm life 
for the future, loved this same Loui.v Waters, 
only daughter of a millionaire. Well, what was 
the use or it all! She would soon be going 
back to her own proper station In life, and ho 
well, he (supposed he could attend to his life 
duties and exist as other unfortunate lovers 
had before him. But It was hard !—no sensible 
person could deny that! Loui.y looked up 
from her letter. “ About slinking bunds; well, 
Mr. Grey, I shall surely shake hands with you 
before many days, for I am to leave here accord¬ 
ing to father’s wish very soon.” 
She spoke sadly, and Harry was conscious 
of a throb in bis heart which would not let him 
speuk. “ I have really, as papa writes, been 
from home a long time; and yet it has been 
such a pleasant summer for me!” She absent¬ 
ly tore her letter piece by piece and the while 
bits fluttered off unheeded. 
“But you’ll forgot all about us, of course I" 
declared Harry sullenly, storing off at the 
fields and trying not to care If she should. 
" Is that your way ?” she asked, quickly. *’ Be¬ 
cause, if It. Is so easy to forget one’s friends, I 
think the word ' friendship' must mean very 
little!“ 
Ah, Louly ! you are grieving about some¬ 
thing your own heart hardly suspects yet, and 
It. isn’t wholly the green fields and happy, easy 
country life you are unwilling to part from, 
after all! Whether It was the alight quiver in 
ber low voice, or maybe the sudden droop of 
the sweet eyes, nobody can tel), but something 
stirred IIarrv as he had never been stirred be¬ 
fore, and this tiuto clenching of teeth and 
hands, and Inward resolutions, did no good, for 
suddenly be took her face I etween his bands 
aud looked earnestly Into the surprised eyes 
she raised to his own. 
“O! Louly—Louly Waters! I love you! 
And If you go away, all my life’s sunshine must 
go with you I" 
Before the girl could answer; in fact before 
his eager bands had released her, Mrs. Grey 
appeared, and with very wide open eyes gazed 
at the two before her. “ What have you done 
to her, my son ?” asked the good woman, as 
Louly burst into tears, and Harry, ashamed 
and confused, turned Ms back and whistled 
softly. 
“ Done ? I’ve made a fool of myself and lost 
Miss LOULY’Hfriendship in the bargain,mother; 
that’s what your son has done! Ask her to—’ 
Poor Mr*. Grky, bewildered and unxious to 
set matters right, knell, beside her boarder and 
whispered, “ You’ll forgive him, dear heart, 
won't you? You know he could not help caring 
for you, and you that sweet that even husband 
Lhlnks the world and all of you. He forgot 
himself, 1 know, but you’ll not be very angry ; 
you’ll forgive him for my sake?" 
Louly, conscious that her heart held no trace 
of auger, but on the contrary a feeling suddenly 
very delightful, dried her eyes with the corner 
of Mrs. Grey's apron aud murmured He 
ought to—to—ask—mu him—himself!’’ 
Harry could not hear the words, but every 
sob Wits a knife to his heart, and he was walk¬ 
ing away when Mrs. Grey called—and there 
was a certaiu something that sprang to her 
knowledge that made her tones wonderfully 
cheery—” Here, Harry boy ; sbe thinks as you 
are the offender you should ask pardon your¬ 
self! Be quick about it, before father comes 1” 
And not wishing, I presume, to witness her 
son’s humiliation, she hurried back to the 
kitchen and left l wo foolish but very happy 
young people to forgive each other after their 
own pleasure. It certainly took them a long 
time to perform the Christian duty of forgive¬ 
ness, for Mrs. Grey had “tidied up” and was 
dressing for supper when the two came slowly 
owards the house, 
t 
“ Your father will be angry, I know he will!’’ 
said Harry, who rejoiced in the possession o. 
the long-coveted little hand, and held It tight 
in his own, regardless of mother’s laughing 
eyes. 
“ Of course ! And I don't believe he'll receive 
me at all. You see he wants me to marry soma 
one else, and I don’t choose to be driven. I 
wouldn’t marry a man that father suggested 
for all the world, because he woul 1 choose one 
like himself, and he! —oh! he is the sternest 
man, Harry dear." 
" Well, you’re my Louly now, and my father 
and mother are good enough for anybody, if 
yours east you off." Then he went to put up 
the patient horse, which had been standing all 
that time In harness, while Louly went to pack 
and make ready for her next day’s departure. 
How she dreaded the result of her confession 
to ber father, only her own guilty little heart 
knew, but she was her father’s daughter, after 
all, and W’ent steadily to the point. 
October passed slowly to Harry, who was 
waiting permission from LOUI.V to call upon 
tier at her own home and ask her hand formall, 
of Mr. WATERS. Louly meantime was worry¬ 
ing her little head and heart over the matter I 
without accomplishing anything after all. Her i 
courage bud failed considerably when, after ber ] 
return from the farm, sbe attempted a privat* ] 
Interview with the “ Great Mogul,” as she sau i 
oily called her father. And thus day after day, i 
beginning w ith strong resolutions as concerned 1 
her lover und herself, ended miserably with I 
failure*. Constant letters passed between the I 
lovers—nonsensical, foolish, happy letters, long i 
enough, goodness knows, to satisfy any hearts < 
but the hearts or the writers, and they weie 
never satisfied of course. 
Hut Harry longed for more than letters, i 
He vvantod Loui.y her. elf, with her bright face 
ami dear eyes. He wanted a certain soft little i 
hand, which had so long ago, it seemed to him, i 
returned the pressure of his with a shy timid¬ 
ity und fervor enchanting to the glad lover. 
Would she never send hliu the welcome mes¬ 
sage, “Come!” for which all through October 
he had impatiently waited ? The month finally 
slipped, like lt3 predecessors, Into the mists of 
the past, and November—chill and drear and 
forlorn—took its place. 
“Strange that the young fellow-confound 
him! I've never been able to recall hla name— 
the one who promised to call here, has not yet 
done so!” exclaimed Mr. Waters, half to him¬ 
self, half to his daughter, one evening. Louly 
looked up quickly. Should she seize this op¬ 
portunity to confess her engagement with only 
a farmers’ hoy ? 
“Never mind him, papa," sbe said demurely, 
“ I dare say there are plenty more splendid fel¬ 
lows in t he world who would save your life any 
time. If he did uot choose to accept your invi¬ 
tation, isn’t It his own loss? 
“ Yes, by George!—bis own loss, sure enough, 
and yours, too, for he is the man I would be 
proud to call son-in-law !’’ 
“ I might not have agreed upon that point, 
papa, you must remotnber,” laughed Louly. 
“ Your opinion would not be asked, my dear. 
Your father's duty Is to provide for you as ho 
thinks wise and best for you. He’ll come; 
never fear! lie’ll turn up here some day. Mean¬ 
time, my dear, don’t foolishly encourage any 
lops to fall in love with you, for I shall certainly 
put. an end to the nonsense at once!” 
“Odour!" sighed LOULY very softly In her 
own little heart, “ Harry would pity me If he 
knew r what awful times I do have, aud how I 
am prevented from mentioning him to this 
cross, old papa of mine !” 
Thanksgiving day drew near. Harry wrote 
to LOULY, (bow lucky It was that the girl al¬ 
ways chanced i?) to be at the door or window 
when the postman came, and received letters 
into her own hands!:—“ 1 am so impatient to see 
you, Loui.v. darling 1 If I can’t go boldly and 
claim you, as a man ought to, just because your 
little heart Is cowardly, why then you must 
coax your father to let you spend Thanksgiving 
with mother. You can easily make an excuse, 
you know, und 1 must see you, Loui.y. If you 
don't come l shall wait no longer, but go to you 
straight as cars and travel cun take me. Now 
heed my threat, rnia corn, and mind—H arry.” 
LotJi.y jumped at the chance for u tete-a- 
tete with her love. She really longed to see him 
again, and planned all sorts of excuses to visit 
tbelfarm. Her appetite might fail, and the 
change be necessary for her health; but, alas! | 
she had splendid health, and her appetite re¬ 
fused to fail at her command. She might plead 
loneliness, for her mot lit r was still abroad,and 
nobody but papa and herself in that great house 
would make a Thanksgiving dinner a very drea¬ 
ry affair, aud sbe did not care to entertain com¬ 
pany. l’upa, of course, could dine with his 
club friends, and Lake care of himself without 
her. But when she proposed that plan, and ex¬ 
pressed n w ish for a regular country turkey din¬ 
ner, Mr. Waters was swrpr sed at her hanker¬ 
ing for low life, and preferred to eat his 
Thanksgiving dinner at home, with his daugh¬ 
ter opposite him as usual. So, after many ef¬ 
forts to gain permission for a holiday, poor 
Louly was obliged to send a discouraging re¬ 
ply to Harry, at the same time positively for- 
biddiug him to execute hi* threat. She would 
send lor him as soon as she could explain to 
papa, etc., etc. She drove to the office herself, 
and mailed the letter; aud lol a gentleman 
raised his hat before her. Louly recognized 
the face Instantly, and a frown drew her brows 
closely together. “The gentleman up to the 
hotel ” as Mr. Guay used to say—walked beside 
her as she left the office, and apologized for bis 
Intrusion as he saw the frown. “ Excuse me, 
Miss Waters, but please tell me one thing. 
Why did you avoid me ao all last summer? I 
had a message from—” 
“ Pray do not trouble yourself. Sir,” inter¬ 
rupted the girl Impatiently, “ to repeat the 
message. I know all you would say, aud, to 
avoid hearing It, I was obliged to avoid you. 
telljyou frankly—" 
They were alone In that part of the street, and 
LOULY spoke low--” my heart and hand are 
only at my disposal, and I cannot consent to 
my father’s whim regarding yourself. Allow 
me to bid you good morning!" 
Hastily she turned away, and did not see the 
look of amazement on his face; nor did he find 
Opportunity to utter a single word, so quickly 
had she gone. 
“ That settles him!” laughed Louly softly ; 
“he will not. trouble father or me again 1 la¬ 
ther need not trouble himself to choose for me 
quite yet. It Is evident our tastes In the mat¬ 
ter of lovsrs and husbands are not alike.” 
The night before Thanksgiving arrived at 
last, and Louly, vexed at herself for her lack 
of courage, determined to rally all there was in 
her nature of her father’s obstinacy and her own 
pride, and confess her engagement and have 
done with the long delay. She was nervous 
and tired with her desire to see Harry, and it 
was far better to know the woret at once and 
then she would know how to act. So alone In 
the twilight with her father, sitting beside him 
and smoothing his gray hair as If the soft touch 
of her little flgeru could also smooth the 
wrinkles from his stern old heart, the little 
love-sick damsel confessed and asked forgive¬ 
ness for her delay in so doing all the pqpt week. 
A stormy scene ensued and Louly crept up 
stairs to cry alone, clinging more closely^ how¬ 
ever, to Harry, In spite of her father’s snub¬ 
bing remarks about " a farmer’s boy 1” 
Thanksgiving day dawned brightly. Louly 
didn’t fed ns if she had much to be grateful 
for, considering she had an unreasonable papa, 
and was entangled lu a hopeless love affair in 
the burgaln. But she went down to breakfast 
and donned the air of a martyr all thro’ the 
meal, determining that her father’s Thanks¬ 
giving should be no brighter than hers; and 
certainly, although out doors the sun shone 
brightly, in-doors the clouds and gloom were 
something very depressing. The conversation 
of the previous evening was renewed after 
breakfast, and ended as follows; 
“Of course you don’t expect me to allow 
your ridiculous choice to Interfere with mine, 
Miss!" 
“No, certainly, papa; but while you are wel¬ 
come to your own choice, I claim a right to 
mine also, and so, lest we Interfere with each 
other, suppose you withdraw from yours until 
you have seen mine. Isn’t that a good idea ?” 
How demurely the blue eyes gazed Into the 
stern parental orbs, and yet what a strong will 
lay hidden lu the girls' heart! And how the 
old man fumed and thundered, until at last a 
carriage drove up, and while the occupant paid 
the driver, Mr. Waters drew Loui.v to the 
window and excitedly exclaimed, “He’s come 
at last. Look! there’a uiy choice, Miss—nip 
choicer 
And Louly, amazed, exclaimed, “Why, that 
is my choice too,’papa,” running to the door 
herself to let In Harry Grey. 
“ The deuce!” muttered the old man. “ How 
could / know my student was her fanner, when 
I'd forgotten his name!" 
And “gracious!” thought Harry, “how 
could I ever dream that the old gentleman 
whom I had long since forgotten should turn 
out to be I.oui.y's father!" 
But result—a Thanksgiving Dinner for 
three (not a dreary affair, by any means,) and 
soon after a Thanksgiving dessert, in the shape 
of kisses (not bon-bonsq and all sui ts of happy 
times between the long-separated lovers. 
Strange how entirely lxiULV'sand her father’s 
tastes In lovers and husbands were alike, 
thought the girl, forgetful of tier once-express¬ 
ed opinion on that subject, or contra ire. As 
fur the “gentleman up to the hotel," Louly 
learned that he had never dreamed of asking 
her heart or her hand, lie had simply desired 
to deliver a message from her father, who had 
requested him Lo escort her home at the time 
of her expected return from the farm. The 
gentleman was a business friend of Mr, Waters 
only, and having mentioned his intention of 
spending the summer at-village, Mr. Wat¬ 
ers requested the above favor of him. That he 
could not have that pleasure was duo to 
Looly’s mistaken idea concerning him, Her 
mortification when she learned these facts, aud 
remembered that she bad actually "refused 
before being ashed" can be Imagined better 
than described, and was confessed to Harry 
with many contused blushes on the cheeks the 
young student kissed during the confession. 
But the discarded daneed at the wedding 
after all, and certainly LOULY's Thanksgiving 
Day was a happy one. 
-♦♦♦- 
IF thou wilt observe 
The rule of not-too-much, by temperance taught! 
In what that eat’nt and drink'st, seeking from thence 
Due nourishment, not gluttonous delight, 
TUI many years over thy bead return : 
So may’st thou live, till like ripe fruit thou drop 
Into thy mother's lap, or be With ease 
> Gathered, not harshly plucked, m death mature, 
i [Milton 
—9r 
