Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

MISS. L. RUTHERFORD, Term Editress. VOLUME I. IN MEMORIAM. The eye is dim and sightless now, Which once in beauty beamed; And drear and pallid is the brow From which in glory streamed The lustre of his rising sun, Ere Eve ning’s envious shades drew on. He died, while in his early day, Life’s morning march was young; Ere sin or sorrow on his way Their baleful shadows flung, And cloudless was his breezy sky, And gladly sped his moments by. Ah! darkness drapes our lonely home, Where joy no more is found, Our hearts together mourning come Around the hallowed mound, Where sleeping ’neath the ehwreh-yard clay, He dreams Heath's solemn night away. W. Henry Waddell. FROM APPLE BLOSSOMS TO JUNE HOSES. “If you pull the blossoms to deck your hair in the Spring, lassie, you’ll have no apples to set before your lover in the Fall.” Kiltie Fordvce finished twisting off the cluster of pink and white blossoms from the branch, and leisurely pinned it in her hair, beioie she turned around to face the quaint, white haired old man who liad ad dressed her. Then she smiled brightly and a little saucily, aial said: “Will Uncle l)ayie, there’ll be,plenty of apples after all and you needn’t grudge me a bit of Spring preitiness for the,sake of ; oti.c unknown swain who may or may not come in the Fall”, “May or may not come? Do you. mean to say, Katie Fordvce, t; it there’s no love glowing up between you and the young minister over the wav? You may think its none of Davie Daw mi’s business, but you know well how i have loved you Kmtc yonr mother left you an orphan baby m n y arms, eighteen years ago; miu when 1 aw you plucking the bios* son ; just now it came to me like an al b gory oi your life. I don’t.like the way, Katie dear, that yen deal with the young man—yoifare throwing away a true af fection, and by and by when your heart yearns for it you‘ll find no apples on the tree of love.“ The color mounted up tothe white brow of the young girl, but she made no an swer, and David wet on: “It is not for me to attempt to force your inclination, Katie, but it’s plain to my mind that if you saw less of that young Ken worthy, you’d not be so co quettish with the minister.” “Now Uucle Davie, you know, or you ought to know, that Mr Duncan has never offered himself to me; and should he ask me I don’t see why I should be bound to accept; so where is the harm of •my being polite to Varney Kenworthy when he calls, or asks me out to drive. Pm sure the old house is dot so gay that you need wish to pen* me up like a nun. “Katie it is not right to trifle with the mail, and I fear that is what you are do ling—dulng, too While your heart belongs to him and all just for the silly vanity of playing off that rattle-brained young fellow against him. You’ll not listen to advice now, but be sure,,my girl, nothing but sorrow will come of it;” and so Uncle David set. his staff tothe ground and turned down the lane to the village. Katie was not a heartless girl, and in truth hr r better self was very strongly drawn to tile young clergyman, who had had charge of the parish fora year or so; but she was something of a coquette and Very fond of gaiety; and when shef ought that perhaps at no distant day she might he asked to become the minister’s wife, slm shrank from what she feared would be a dull career. She loved company and gaiety better than she yet knew she lov. ed Harvey Duncan. Varney Kenworthy had not half the intrinsic worth of Mr. Duncan, but he was gay and jovial, al ways entertaining,ready, with song and jest; but as yet the selfishness of his char acter had not been exhibited to Katie,and idle had listened, pleased and somewhat flattered, to his admiring speeches, and had not repelled his insinuations that a pretty young girl might do better- than to favor the attentions of a grave serious man like Mr. Dun can. IMPROVEMENT. ATHENS' GEORGIA, APRIL, 1876. He bad not offered himself to the young girl. He had trimmed all about the edges of a proposal and had given herevtf) rea son to believe that lie intended to ak her the momentous quesiion on more than one occasion, but somehow months of masked attention had passed, and yet Katie had never heard the coveted words. To-day, after David Dawson had left her, she gat down on the trunk of an old tree in the orchard and tried to think it all over. She asked herself: “Why do I allow his attentions when really if he asked me I do not think I would marry him? And why is it that I regard his conduct so differ ently from Mr. Duncan’s? Is it not be cause I know in my own heart that Mr. Duncan, though he loves me sincerely, is waiting to see if I will not act my better self and stop this giddy trifling with Varney; and do I no* know, besides, that he has too much self-respect to put ihimself in the attitude of a rival with such la man as he knows Varney to be? Kittie iFordyee be a sensible gin* and send the fellow about his business—let the apple iblossoms come to fruit.” And so saying Katie walked slowly to ward th%house, turning her good resolu tions over in her mind. But on the porch Stood Varney Ken worthy, looking very handsome in his light Spring overcoat anc rakish gray felt sombrero. His horse ant light wagon stood at the gate, as Katie camertip he called out gaily, “Just in time Miss Kittie; a party are going down to the Long Pond woods to gather wile flowers, and I’ve come to take you'. The day is so fine that we must take advan tage of it.” Refusal was on Katie’s lips / f ?,r she had told Mr Duncan that she would be at home that afternoon; but she had been longing for a week to get out in the woods where hepatica and anemones grew, so she dallied with her resolutions and said: “Who are going?” “Oh,- Jemima Brown and Charlie Ran sem, Idlewild Gardner and Rose Ray mond, the Minister and little Meta Van Buren r and 1 don't know who else.’’ “The Minister and Meta Van Buren,’’ thought Kittie. “That settles it. If Mr Duncan can find companionship with that silly little doll and break his engagement SI.OO For Six Months. to me, why I may as well go with Var ney, and stop caring what he thinks.” So she said, “ 1,11 be down in a minute,” and she triped up stairs for her bonnet and sack. As they drove away, Varney said: “ We are to meet the rest of the party at the cross-roads and drive to gether to the woods.” At the cross roads half a dozen car riages were wailing filled with merry people, hut the minister was not there. Meta Van Buren and her two cousins from the city were in a rockaway with some young men from the next village. Kittie said nothing, but when they were gathering flowers at the pond side she asked Meta why Mr. Duncan was not with her. “Oh,” said the young girl, innocently, “I asked him to come with us on Cousin Lita’s account, for they used to be ac quainted when he was in the seminary, but he said he had another engagement.’ Kitty’s heart sank a little when she re membered hoVv lightly, she had broken her resolution,- but in the gaiety and pleasure ot flower-gathering for got it. But she found that Varnev was by no means all attention to her. Lita Van Buren, from the city, was very pret ty and stylish, and luid the reputation of being a great heiress and to her the young man devoted himself most assiduously. J Kitty fell'a little piqued, but her regard for Varney would not allow any deeper feeling. As the lengthening shadows proclaim* ed the approach of sunset, the little party set out to return. Varney’s horse was a mettlesome creature, and two or three hours standing made him eager to get home. Hardly had they cleared the wood when he took his head and ran. In vain Varney tried to pull him in. Kittie sat still, hut trembling, blowing very well, however, that while the road was smooth and open before t hem there was very lit tle danger. Varney’s teeth were set and he held the reins with all his might, say ng not a Woni; but suddenly,as they turn ed a slight curve iu the road, the horse shied at an upturned harrow by the way side and the carriage was upset. Var ney was but slightly injured, but poor little Katie’s head fell a upon a stone, and when she was taken up she wassappoaad NUMBER 3.