266
THE WEST SHORE.
September, 1879
MK. rALVILKAFS PROPOSAL.
White anl glistening like mammoth bridal
nil, the December tun Lv uvu U lb N
Hanipalurc hills; tUrk and delicate, like the
tr cry of lacework, the leaflets woods ImU up
their l.ugh against the dauling winter sky
uul the Kev Peter Palmleaf, studying over an
etnliryu sermon in his awn especial sanctum.
glanced up where a blackbird m whistling Hi
the casement, and thought to lumtelf w hat
lovely world the Lord had made.
When, all of a auddeo, a thrill voice called
through the entry,
Trier, the horn ia readv '
"What hone' ' asked tlie Kei Mr. Palm-
if.
"Oor horee; to W tuic: ' said Miae Paulina,
hia aieUr.
"What for?" demanded the itrs n. ataring
tin.. ugh hia near sighted sctatle at tin- door.
"To lake yon to Mr. Darrow'."
"Why ani I going to Mr Darrow 's?'' further
questioned the man of theology.
"Well. I Dever!" aaid Miaa Paulina. Uiuncing
int 1 the study, with a yellow pocket handker-
hiaf In . I an. 11 11 1 her hea 1 and her sleeves rolled
in a business like faalima, Ui to her elbows,
"I'eUr, y.rti grow more moony and absent
mindeil every day of your life' Have you
forgotten our dutcueaion at the hrcakfaet table'
Why, you an- going to Mr. Darrow a altera
girl, to be sure!
"A girl r repeated the young ittiilttf,
drasunily , rubbing hu forehead. "Oh, I do re
call something of law cnicraation. A hired
girl.'
" . nodded the lady hnakly . he's go
ing to leer Mr. Dartow a thia morning, becauae
th family ao Urge and work ao heavy. She
can l find that fault with our esUbli-hmcut, 1
guaaa. Aak h. r how much wage he want.,
and how old ahe it, and aak her if the baa any
.were l. II her a follower i our thing 1
oaa't tolerate, and be aura you bring her back
again with her handle; aa I muat have her or
eoene ptnon to help no More couain Philinda'a
folka eoene from tha city. "
"Hut auppow ab woo l come' aaid the
young umiiaUr dobiooili, lilting no the fing.-n
of hit gh iao.
"1 lien vou muat make her come,' aaid Miaa
Paulina, hurriedly retreating, to look after a
certain kettle, w Inch waa noiaily lulling over,
at the hack of the booaa.
And ll.ua, charged with bia miaaion, the Rev.
Pater Palmleaf got into the on. I. ,.ri. cutter,
and Jtngle.1 in. ml) away.
Mr. (arrow a farmbooae neatiel under a hill,
in the protecting ehadow of a cluat.i nl ricr
greeoa, with a green fence- in Ironl of it, a red
Urn at the rear, and a colony ,.( dovehouae at
the awnny southern angle, and Mr larrow him
aalf. a ruddy-face. I elderly man with a fringe of
whit hi.kera around hi chin, wa ahoveling
away the rarly maaaea of enow in fr. nl of hu
do
"Kh'' aaid Mr Darrow, leaning on to
handle of hia spade, aa the belU jingled up in
front of hia gale, and then etopped. "How
Why. n't the minuter ' I iood morning I That
there Sunday termon of your waa a nutter
paece. M and Njuire "aoim "
"Yam,' aaid Mr. Palmleaf. leuuraly alighting
ood Wing the h. rae to the Mat " Hull have
called no huaioea Una morning "
For Mr Palmleaf waa u.pnaiicallt a man of
ooo i lea, fur the Urn being, the " hired girl "
had c hated all thesdnfy oat uf hit hea i
"Kh '" aoad Mr. Isarroa; " business ? "
" l'v neta after a y.-ung woman, aaid the
minuter
Mr I 'arrow dropped the apavl in the middle
of to now drift
"Dot) mean Isnlly?" bo amid
"If tool's bar atn- ywa," atawrled the mm
later, srwttaaly
"YM don I mean tool It la to be on engage
awaat oned Mr. laarrow
Weil, yaw that ia. if wa out etv h other, '
aaid Mr Palmlaai. taildly
saud Mr. laarrow. who had
always heard that Mr. Palmleaf, like most men
of genius, waa ao "eccentric," but had never
realized it before. "Have you spoken to her?"
Leruuuiy not. antwereet -Mr. Palmleat.
" Of course I shouldn't think of such a thing
without seeing you first."
"Very straightforward of you, I'm sure,"
said the fanner. " Hut, of course, I can have
noohiecti.ni if I ollv herself is suited. Thoueh.'
and he smote one red nutted haod upon his
knee, "now I come to think of it, you've never
seen Holly. "
" No ! ' said the minister serenely. " But
that need make no difference."
"Jerusalem ! " again uttered the farmer. "It
wasn't the way I useel to look at things when I
was a young man. "
"Taste differ. "said Mr. Palmleaf, a little im
patient at thin lengthened discussion.
"Oh, of course you can ace her," Kaid Mi.
Marrow. "She's in the dairy, skimming milk.
Dolly : " raising his voice to a wild bellow.
"Here's the KOT, Mr. Palmleaf wants to see
you ! There's the door iust to the left, sir."
And, in his near-sighted way, the minister
tumbled into Farmer I 'arrow's dairy, where a
roay-cneekeil girr, with jet-black hair, brushed
away from a low, nine .lark btOW, and eyes like
pools of aherry w ine, was skimming the cream
in. in multitudinous milk pant into a huge stone
pot
"Young woman," said Mr. Palmleaf, turning
his spectacles upon her amazed face, "do you
want io encage youraell:
"Sir?" said Dolly, her spoon coming to an
abrupt atanilatiU amid the wrinkly and leather
like folds of the cream on a particular pan.
"In other words," eiiloined Mr. Palmleaf,
do you want a good home?"
"Indeed, sir, 1 never thought of audi a thing!''
aai.i noiiy ail in a nurry.
"How old are you?' questioned Mr. Palm
leaf. "I am eighteen," said Dolly, in some confu
sion. "Have you any follow on?"
"Mr1" Muttered Dolly.
Twain. I mean, elaborately explained the
clergyman.
"Of course 1 haven't," aaid Dolly, half in
clined to laugh, half to be angry,
"Then I think you'll suit me," aaid Mr.
I aJml.al; or, rather my sister. Our family is
not large; the work is' light, and Paulina is a
nioei considerate mistrraa. t.et your bundle.
"Mywhat:" aaid Dolly in bewilderment.
"Your clothe. 1 am to take you bock with
me immediately," aaid Mr. Palmleaf, "Paulina
Mots company. It ia essential that we obtain
help at once."
Dolly Darniw looked lit. with cheeks crimtoii
like any r.e, eye full of deep brown tparkle.
and hpa around whi. h danced a jwrfect galaxy
"( dimple.
"'Wait a minute, please," aaid she,
"t'ertainly. 'aaid Mr Palmleaf.
And he aat down M a wooden stool in the
corner, and fell to meditating on the "thirdly"
of hu uncompleted sermon, while Dolly sixxl
up stairs, three step, at a time.
'Father," cried the. Hying into the presence
id her parenta, "the minister has mistaken me
for Kndget:"
' Kh- aaid Mr. Darrow.
"You don't tell me!" laid Mrs. Darrow.
"And he want to hire me," aaid Dolly, her
eye gleaming with fun. ' And I'm going
Wotek- where', my hat, and thaw! and muf
II. ra'
Mr. Jhvrrow roae up in the majesty of her
Hack talk gown ami gold watch-chain.
"iMrothy Darrow," aaid she, "you're never
going to hire at a tenant
".to, 1 am. said Dolly. "If. better than
private theatrical. He's to nice and absent
minde.1, and Paulina is a jewel: Oh, moke
haste or he'll be tirad of waiting:"
And Dolly succeeded to carrying her point
rilUtn minutes later ah hod got into the cut
tar, with parcel, which Mr. Palmleaf stowed
nugly sway under the seat, ood the minuter
drov home with secret exultation.
Mio Paolino was in the kitchen frai.,
sausages for dinner, when Dorothy walked it
with cheeks like carnations I-' - "
her face, and the bundle under her arm.
"Here I am, Miu Palmleaf," aaid she. "Tb,
hired help, at your aervice!"
Miu Paulino stored.
"Why, it' Dorothy," aaid ahe. "And I
sent Peter after-"
"Yei, I know," aaid Dolly brightly. "Bit
Rridget was gone, and he mistook me for her
ond he has engaged me to work here. And oo!
Misa Poulino, pleoae don't undeceive him. Be
cause I am o smart little honoekeeper, and I
can help you just oa much as any Irish girl
could. Just give me a trial, that's all."
Miu Paulino had o shrewd appreciation o( a
joke; her hard feature relaxed with a smile, m
she stood looking down at the radiant little
brunette.
" Well," said she; "I don't mind if I do."
For one month, Dorothy Darrow officiated is
hired girl at the parsonage. Then she cam to
the clergyman one day :
"Mr. Palmleaf," aaid she, "I am going to
leave the place '."
Mr. Palmleaf looked in amazement and dis
may. "I hope, Dolly," said he, "thot neither my
sister nor I hove unwittingly offended you?"
"No!'' said Dollev, potting her little foot oo
the staring green leovee in the study carpet,
"but, oh, Mr. Palmleaf, I hare done wrong,
and I earnestly beg your pardon !"
"Dolly!" cried out the Reverend Peter, ia
mild surprise.
"ltecauae yon are so good and true," sobbed
the girl. "I tin not a hired girl, and 1 only
came here for o joke, ond I can t bear to think
I'm do de-de ceiving you I"
And Dully began to ory piteoualy, behind the
comer of her apron.
"You come here for o joke, eb ?" said the
minister.
"Y-yee!" confessed Dolly, behind her apron.
" ell, then," said the minister, gently draw
ing her toworrl him, "aoppooe you stay it
earnest f
"Sir?" faltered Dolly,
"My dear," aaid Mr. Palmleaf, "I have got
used to you around the house. I slum 1. 1 miss you
terribly if you ahould leave us. Do you think
I am too old to think of o blooming young wife
like you ?"
"Not o bit :" cried Dolly indignant I . .
"Old you:"
"Do you like me o little bit ?"
"A great dead," aaid Dolly, laughing and
blushing.
"Then yon will stey with ma always' '
And Dolly promioed thot ahe would
FWerybody wondered how oo bathful a Dial
aa Kev. Mr. Palmleaf ever mustered courage for
a propnaal; but nobody knew thot the "eogof
meot ' begun for o joke turned out in sobsr
earnest
Oison Aiivii E io Hkh.kks. If you measiia
the value of study by the insight you get its
subject, not by the poorer of aoying you ban
read many hooka, you will soon perceive that
oo time is ao badly saved, as that which
saved in getting through o book in a harry.
For if to the time yon have given you bail added
a little more, tha subject would bore been lira
on your mind, ond the w hole time profitably
employed; where, Umn your present arraoft
ment, becauae you would not give a little awn
you hove loot oil. Betide, thit is overlook
by rapid and superficial readers that the bat
way of reading book with rapidity is ta acquire
that habit of severe attention to what they con
tain . that perjietoolly confine tb mind to tb
single object it ha in view. When you bar
read enough to hare acquired the bobit of read
ing w it h out suffering y our mind to wander, ooa
when you can bring to boot upon your tubjoot
o great aha re of preriouo knowledge, yoo bob
then read with rapidity: before that, as J
hove taken th wrong road, the faster yu pro
ceed, the more yoo will bo euro to a M
loOooV