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About The Albany register. (Albany, Or.) 1868-18?? | View Entire Issue (Feb. 28, 1874)
L P Fiahsr ALBANY. OREGON. FEBRUARY 28, 1874. VOLUME VI NO. 25. Wrljc(rl"s. BY ii;i UciK Wriggle is .i little buy W ho never he stllb Squirming i- his only joy, And Mjnlnii he ever will, jacket' will nut stay on him. And buttons will nnt hold ; Then he hn a fimny whim For jumping j.-ieUs. I'm told. Wriggle lovef the butterflies AikI birds ; but then he feels Very klnilly i ward and xiglw PVir tadpole ami for eels. With the boj he Wuiit to school Tw.-i; dawji a whaling Ian; He set them squirming, 'spite tlie r?i ; They ul! squirmed home again. WrtggM ent to fly a kite I'pon tl)" house's top ; There lie in -with aN his might So fast oe. couldn't stop ! Down he spun ! The folks below Looked np in tear and pain. Little Wriggle' wriggled so, lie Wiggled buck Again ' A bitter day. Not a pleasant day to navel on by any means; but then Lett ice Mainwaring was one of the sort that makes the best of every thing. "Its a long journey over the hills, miss," paid. the wile ot'tlie landlord ot the little one-story tavern that was perched oil the crest ot the highway, "and the snow is power eri'ul deep." "I think a Winter landscape is the prettiest thing in the world," naid Lettice, cheerily as she wound her fur round and round her nock. "An l old Stokes' stage is awful unconfutable," said the landlady. "I like stage riding," asserted Lett v. "You'll not get there till dark." "Oh, that is sooner than I ex pected." And Letty climbed up into the Stage coach, which stood creaking and groaning at the door, having just rumbled up from the next vil lage, a mile or so down the hill. One solitary passenger occupied the opposite corner a tall, dark man, with a Sjtnish sort of com plexion, and clear dark eyes, who wore an odd sort of olive green cloak or mantle, heavily trimmed with sable tur. He nodded briefly, in return to fatty' smiling recognition. Our little heroine would have talked with a polar bear, had a polar bear chanced to be her trav eling companion. Lettice arranged her rugs and her basket ami tier bonnet strings, and wondered secretly how tar the tall man was going. "Can I be of anv assistance to you V" " Thanks no." said Lettv, com ing up again with very red cheeks, and curls a little dishevelled. "Are you going all the way through?" "As far as the stage goes yes." "()," said Miss Mainwaring, "so am L" The gentleman nodded inteiro gatively, and immediately lasped into ait unapproachable silence. "Cross thing!" thought Letty, involuntarily pouting her cheiry lips. "Why can't lie talk and make himself agreeable? And he knows very well that we are to lie shut np here together for eight long hours." But the wild landscape, as it flitted by, white, gloaming with snow, and darkly ringed with waving boughs, was, after all, near ly as good a study as the human face dtviue." Letty soon forgot her temporary annoyance and chagrin in the white keleton-like walk of a deserted pa C mill, long siuo disused and tal to ruin. "1 wonder if it is haunted," said she aloud. The stranger smiled, and again apieared conscious ot the presence of a fellow traveler. "Po you believe in such things?" he aked. Lettice Mainwaring laughed and colored. "Of course not And yet are you much acquaint! in this part ot the country? "1 have lived hereabouts a good' deal." "Oh! then perhaps you know Easterham Hall?' ilis face brightened. "Oh, yes. You are going there?" "Yes. I am to lie governess to the little children," said Letty, making haste to elighten him as to her true position, in order that he should fully comprehend that she was no elegant lady coming to the I Hall to make a visit, hut. a humble i little working liee who was coin I pe led to toil steadfastly lor her i daily bread. "Indeed?" he said. And Letty was vexed at herself for noticing the polite indifference into which his tone subsided. "I suppose it is a very hue old place?" she went on. "Very tor those who fancy 'tine old places.' To my taste they are apt to he overrun ith rats, full of draughts and picturesquely incon venient." "And haunted, perhaps," mis chievously put in Letty, the roguish sparkle coming back to her eyes. "So far as i know, F.asterham Hall is free from any sujieniatural occupants." "1 am sorry for that," said Letty. He arched his eyebrows. "You would like to share your room with a ghost or two. "No; but 1 do like a little ro the ulae.e snmethins to set it. a little above and beyond the level of the common p ace." I He did not answer, and talkative Letty once more set the conversa tional ball rolling. "The Easterhams are very rich, I suppose?" "Yes." "1 never heard of them until last week," she said musing y; "and now how strangely things are or dered in this world ! I am going to cast my lot among them." "How dues that happen?" said the gentleman. He could not very well say less in ordinary politeness; and yet Letty felt triumphantly that she had "drawn him out." "1 hey wrote to .Madame Moligny my o d Metier, to select a governess qualified to icach two little boys; and Madame knew that I wished i tor a situation, and so I am here, j I wonder how they will like me?" ; "I hope yon will like them," said the gentleman, stilling a yawn. "That isn't the question," said Lett,y,'imieratively. "Mr. Kaster ham is a dreadful bear.'' "You are acquainted with him?" "Oh, no; only what I have heard," said Letty., ".uid what might that be?" "You are a neighbor," said Letty, . i . it i . ' i . - t I -: J ilououiiliy. "remaps l nave sain too much already." He laughed with more animation than she had yet seeen in his man ner. " Depend upon it, I shall not bo tray you to Mr. Kasterham. So he is a bear? WeTI, f have thought so myself sometimes." " "But he wou't bite me it I am a good girl, and do my duty to the little ones; and they tell me they are very nice little boys," persisted Lettice. "They are very like their lather, I believe." "Oh," said Lettice, smiling, "I can tame young bears; it is only the full-grown specimen with sharp teeth and long claws, I am afraid of. Only think," and a demure, apprehensive expression came over Letty's round. hhmmii g counten ance, "he goes all around the house, all day lot g, and never says a word to any one." "lie must lie a savage, indeed," observed the gentleman. "Ami Miss Electa Easterham, the old maiden aunt, who keeps the house for him, has quarreled suc cessively with every governess they have had," wen on Letty, patting her little foot on the rustling straw on the stage floor ; "but she shall iii t quarrel with me. I won't let her. I'm too good-natured, a"d too accustomed to humoring peo ple, especially old ones. Madame Moligny wrote me word that she disliked young and pretty govern esses particularly. Now I'm not voting not very young, you see." "No?" "I was twenty last week," said Letty. solemn y, "and I am only tolerably decent looking. Now, if Madame had selected Olive Day tors, who used to lie in the same class with me she was a regular beauty, with great shadyi eyes and a complexion ad iearls and roses there would have been danger then.'' The stranger began to look inter ested. "Tell me more about your school," said he. "I have a sister whom I think of placing in some desirable institution, and should like to judge whether Madame Mo lignv's would be a good home tor her." Letty's eyes brightened, her cheeks reddened, and her tongue was loosed at once. Her traveling companion was so cial and chatty, and the time passed swiftly away. "Yon are going?" she cried, as at a lynely glen inn, overshadowed with silver-stemmed birches, a light chaise, drawn by two milk-white horses, was waiting. "I have reached my journey's end," he said, Courteously touching his tur cap. "I had intended to keep on to the end of the route, but I see they have sent tor me here. 1 wish you every success and happi ness in your new task of bear-tain-' ing." As the chaise rolled away, Letty felt herself blushing deeply. "1 am afraid I've been talking too much," thought Letty ; "but what is a body to do, shut up all day long in a stage coach with a conversable gentleman ':" And the rest ot Miss Mainwar ing's journey was a liule tedious. It was dusk when she arrived at Esterham Hall, a snowy, chill dusk,1 which made the glow ot lights thrgugh scarlet moreen curtains, and the coral shine ot a great. Wood tire in a stone paved hail, as seen through the half open door, most delightful and welcome. Miss Electa, a tall, prim old lady, in snowy cap ribbons and a brown satin dress, stood ready to welcome her. And just behind her Letty saw a tall gentleman, with two little boys clinging about him. " I'his is my nephew Phillip," the old lady said. And Letty felt as if the blood in her veins was turning to fire as she recognized her traveling companion ot the day. "Do I look very much like a bear, Miss Mainwaring ?" he asked, laughing, as she stood trembling and tongue tied before him. "No; don't color, i promise you to allow myself to become very tameable. And you must not cry, either," as the tears came into Let ty's eyes. "There nothing for you to cry for.'' "Why didn't you tell me who you were ?" she asked, piteously. "Because you never aed me." i Letty resolved within herse'f'that I she would leave Easterham the next ; day. I'ut she didn't keep the resnlu ! tion. At the year's end she had j neither quarrelled with Miss Electa, i nor Mr. Easterham, and the little boys thought Miss Letty was per- tectum So did their father. "Letty," said he, "the year for which I engaged yon is' over" "Yes," she responded softly. "Will yon stay another year? Will you stay with me always, Letty?" And so within the shrine of a wedding ring, Letty found herself a prisoner forever at Easterman Hall. 'ot In the Milky Mny. Iii the lower portion of the city ot Sacramento, Cal., resides a widow lady who is in straitened circumstances. A few days ago she had an attack of fever and ague, ana being alone, the circumstances were decidedly unpleasant. A young lady friend hearing of her illness, next morning, accompanied by a gentleman, proceeded to the widow's residence, where the young lady did her liest to make the sick woman comfortable. She started a fire qnd made arrangements for the preparation of a nice cup of tea. I tie water oemg hot the tea was put to steep, but just then the dis covety was made that there was no niilk in the house. The voting lady wasaware, however, that the widow had four or five goats, and from these obtained a goodly quantity of miiK. Mie iim not know much about goats, but thought it would be possible tor even her to obtain a sufficient quantity of milk from one of them to suffice flu the cup ot tea the sick woman stood in need of. Procuring a pale she went out to where the goats were and found them all loose but one, which was hitched to' the fence Ofcourse she directed her steps to this one, as it might take some time to catch o- e of the others, but it so happened that the one tied up was not the one she should have chown in fact, it was a William goat ! When the amateur milker got Within a few feet of Wi'liam he showed symptoms of restlessness nwering his head significantly and prancing about. The young lady Wame frightened and went back into the house, but the sight of the tea made her think it was too bad there was no milk for it, and she remarked to her masculine companion that she thought she could milk that goat if lie would take hold of its horns and keep it still. He consented, and they sallied out. He advanced promptly and caught the animal, but as she was approaching him with the tin pail the goat made a bound, which upset his captor, and proceeded to butt and prance upon him vigorously, doing his garments more hurt, than a year's ordinary wear. When the couple returned into the house and informed the widow of their ill-luck, it did her more good than all the tea imagin able, especially when they hap K?ned to mention that the goat they had been operating with was the one which was tied up. A Brooklyn young man, who sat dowu to mediate in his sweet heart's lap, had occasion to cantion her against looping np her skirts with pins.. He found that the consequences had a tendency to disturb his mental poise. "Mary." said John.Hencr, as he reclined in the arms ot Ids loving sweetheart, "can yon tell me why my head at present is like what I was last night?" "No, my dear, why. is it?" "Because." murmured John Henry, absently, "it is on a bust" The re semblance was not disoernable the next moment. A WANG OF KOIIIIKUS GO THROUGH A STKAHtnOAT DOWN IN LOUIS IANA. From Dr. W. I. Jordan, a plant er of Morehouse Parish, who has just reached this city, we learn the . particulars of a Most outrageous act of piracy, committed in that parish last Friday evening. It apjiears that the steamer Ellen )., which left here some mouths ago, fitted out for a trading expe dition by Messrs. Kiantz'ass & Per son, was tied up at Point Jefferson, on BuMiff River, during the greater part of last week. They had been doing a pretty good business, and felt satisfied with the result. On Friday, however, just before dark, five men, whom ;tone of the traders had seen before, came aboard at, nearly the same time. Some of them had crossed the river, others had ridden down the landing by different approaches. No two arrived together, yet all arrived within the space of fifteen minutes. They were handsomely dressed, good looking men in every instance. and there was a striking air ot in telligence and refinement about them. With tV exception of this prevailing similarity, they seemed to lie unknown to each other, bent on entirely independent errands, and only assembled thus by the most nnaecountable of accidents. They were sit ting or stand ing about, as all customers on a trade boat are in the habit of.'doing. One, a par ticnlarly handsome fellow, had just bought pud paid for a pair of boots; Another was rejoicing in a new hat; others were contemplating different purchases, and. everything seemed going on as usual. Sndden'y the handsome man cast his eves around and said in a low. clear tone: "Shall we?" and instantly the other four started to their feet. "Ready!" they a'l answered, and quick as thought, their pistols were drawn and presented at the heads of the clerk, salesman pilot, and engineer of the hapless boat, and the laconic but suggestive command was given: "Squat !" It was done like lightning. Be ore those unsuspecting traders quite comprehended the state of thii gs, they were tied, blinJfiJded and lying helpless on the floor. The five elegant looking gentlemen then proceeded below, where the four deck hands were subjected to a similar operation. Alter this the real business of the day commenced. It transpired that the five gentlemen knew each other quite intimately, tor they laughed and ta'ked in the pleasantest possi. ble way, while they went through the safe and stock ot goods, taking all the money about $1,000 and such of the goods as were at once valuable and portable. Their se lections in the latter which bv the way, evinced the greatest judgment amounted to $500 and upward. After accomplishing all this with a neatness and dispatch quite re markable, the party made off at a great rate, and were far advanced on their road when assistance came to the disconsolate victims on boar! the Men D. All sortsi of speculations are rite, concerning the mysterious strangers; but little is known beyond the fact that nobody at Point Jefferson ever saw them before or has seen them since It is supposed by some that they are a part of the famous McCoy band of Missouri, though this ap pears to be nothing but conjecture. The Sheriff and a volunteer posse started in pursuit immediate ly; but when Dr. Jordan left More- . ' .i .i i . house nounng m me way of si bad attended their efforts.
