LETTER WRITING--DADDY'S NOCTURNAL LABORS AND EARLY WALK.
There were two letters written by lamp light in the old brown house,
the day Edward left so unceremoniously. One was by Little Wolf to her
confidential friend, Mrs. Tinknor. A few hasty hopeless lines traced
upon the dainty sheet; a long glossy curl folded within and her task
was done.
The other, Daddy addressed to the sweetheart of his youth, Miss
Orrecta Lippincott. He had for some time meditated opening a
correspondence with the object of his early affections on the subject
of matrimony, but the magnitude of the undertaking had hitherto
deterred him; and, at last, he was only brought to the point by the
encouragement of his young mistress.
He had resorted to his regularly organized plan of loitering in her
room under pretext of mending the fire, while he marked with
admiration the easy movements of her pen.
"'Tween you and me, Honey," said he, when she had finished, "I wish I
could write like that. I've been wanting fur to write a letter fur
sometime.
Little Wolf, without the remotest idea of what the subject of the
letter in contemplation was to be, said kindly, "Well, Daddy, you may
sit right down here if you like, and use my pen and ink."
Daddy shuffled along hesitatingly towards the vacant seat. "Tween you
and me I'm afeared I shall make a very sorry job on it," said he, "I
ain't writ none to speak on this forty year."
"Shall I write it for you Daddy?"
"O no, Honey. I'll try myself, fust anyhow."
"O well, I'll go down to the parlor and you shall have the room all to
yourself."
"I couldn't stand it no-how fur ter hev the Honey laugh at the old
man's foolishness," muttered Daddy to himself, as Little Wolf slipped
away, glad to be relieved of all responsibility in the matter, and
feeling less perhaps like laughing at the old man's eccentricities
than ever before in her life; and, indeed, it was a long time
afterwards before she felt like laughing at all.
In the hall leading to the parlor, she met Sorrel Top, who blushingly
begged a private interview, which Little Wolf was too obliging to
deny, although she panted to indulge her thoughts alone.
The interview, however, did not detain her long. Sorrel Top had under
consideration an offer of marriage and wished to ask advice which
Little Wolf gave without a smile, or change of countenance.
"Well, Sorrel Top, if he is as you say a man of good habits, and loves
you and you love him, I see no objection to your getting married as
soon as you like."
While Sorrel Top's affair was being thus satisfactorily disposed of,
Daddy was anxiously bending over the sheet, upon which he could not
get courage to make the first mark. There he sat silent and anxious,
looking vacantly first at the ceiling, then at the pen which stood
exactly perpendicular between his clumsy fingers. At length in dispair
he arose and began to walk the floor, and then for the first time he
observed Fanny Green quietly playing with her pet kitten.
"Fanny," said he, "do you know how to write?"
"O yes, Daddy, a little; mamma taught me to make all the letters."
"Well, Fanny," said he coaxingly, "come here and make a D for me;
won't you? "'Tween you and me I've forgot which side the plaguey
quirl goes. Here take this ere piece of paper, you might spile the
sheet, and I'm mighty particular about hevin it in prime order."
As she took the pen Fanny suddenly began to distrust her memory.
"Maybe I've forgot myself, Daddy;" rolling up her blue eyes to the
anxious face bending over her. But she succeeded admirably in
performing her task, which Daddy duly approved, by declaring that the
quirl was almost equal to the Honey's quirls. His effort to copy it
was also a success.
"See here, Fanny," said he pausing again, "you spell dear, d-e-r-e,
don't you?"
"O no, Daddy, I spell it d-e-e-r. It's spelled so right under the
picture of one in my book."
"'Tween you an' me, I don't mean that ere kind of a dear, Fanny, I
guess it's d-e-r-e, I mean. Howsoever, I'll spell it so and risk it.
Now, Fanny," said he, again dipping his pen in the ink, "you stand
right here, fur there may be more letters that I've forgot how tu
make, and if you'll show me, and help me fur to spell a letter, I'll
mend your sled for you to-morrow."
Thus encouraged, the child, with visions of coasting in her pretty
little head, combined wisdom with Daddy's, who also had his visions,
while he wrote as follows:
DERE ORRECTA.
"Mi hart has allers ben yourn, it is old now, but it ain't
dride up nun. will yu marry me now iv got tu be a poor old
man. if yu wil i wil cum fur yu on the fust bote. iv got a
leetle muny lade up fur a wet day. i hev allers ben stidy,
and never drunk anything in my hull life. if yu wil hev me
let me no as quick as lightnin figerative speekin.
your old flame,
philip Roarer
Chimney Rock. Minnesota territory."
"'Tween you an' me I reckon that ere is tu the pint, anyhow," said
Daddy, proudly folding the letter, upon which he had spent two hours
of hard mental labor. "I wonder what keeps the honey away so long; it
must be monstrous cold in the parlor. Tom Tinknor wont thank me fur
lettin the Honey git cold; bless her heart. That ere sled will git
fixed to-morrow, you may depend on't, Fanny, fur I shall feel fust
rate;" and Daddy capered out of the room as jolly as a half grown boy,
with a plum pudding in anticipation. But, we will do him the justice
to say, that there was a depth and earnestness of feeling in this
life-long devotion, to which the ebullitions of youth can bear no
comparison.
How to break the matter to Little Wolf was Daddy's next anxiety. He
stood in mortal dread of the ridicule of his young mistress, but still
felt that he ought to confide in her. After taking several fidgety
turns before the parlor door, he finally resolved to make the
_denouement_, and boldly face the consequences.
But the condition in which he found Little Wolf changed the course
which he had marked out. She had lain down upon the sofa where
fearfully pale and cold and still, she rested, utterly prostrated by
the events of the day. Daddy had never seen such a ghastly look upon
her face before, and the vague fear that life had fled horrified him,
as he stood gazing at her in mute astonishment.
At a movement of the slight little figure Daddy was reassured, and he
bent over her in tender solicitude, "O Honey, O Pet, be you sick? you
look awful pale?"
A groan escaped Little Wolf, and, with a long drawn sigh, she rose up
languidly. "I don't feel quite well to-night, Daddy," she said.
"O, Honey, you ought fur to have somebody to nuss you; old Daddy don't
know nothin about gals, and Sorrel Top don't know nothin about nussin
neither. Now here's the letter I've jest writ, if you feel able fur to
read it, Honey, you will see that I am tryin fur to git somebody here
fur to take care of you suitable."
Daddy watched closely the effect upon Little Wolf, while she purused
the letter, and as he discovered no symptoms of ridicule, he fairly
worshipped her for her forbearance. "Honey," said he, "what du you
think on it?"
"I don't know," replied Little Wolf absently, "I think on the whole it
will do very well."
Daddy's face fairly shone. "I know'd you would agree tu it," said he,
"you allers had uncommon penetration."
Little Wolf sat shivering and silent, while Daddy pronounced his
eulogy, and the old man began again to be alarmed. "O Honey," he broke
forth, "what makes you so sick? the doctor said you was doin fust rate
this afternoon. I guess I'd better go fur to fetch him right off."
"O no, Daddy, I'm only chilled; you may light me to my room."
"Sartin I will, Honey, and I'll keep a fire fur you all night, fur I
shouldn't sleep a wink nohow."
True to his word, Daddy diligently tended the fire, creating in Little
Wolf's apartment a general disturbance by his nocturnal labors. Had
she been so inclined, sleep would have been impossible, while Daddy's
enthusiasm raged, for a series of disasters attended his most careful
efforts. The bedroom door creaked, the stove door grated on its
hinges, the shovel and tongs would rattle, and there was sure to be an
occasional downfall of wood, which echoed through the lonely house
like the voice of seven thunders.
It was therefore quite a relief to Little Wolf when the grey morning
hours began to dawn and Daddy consented to seek a little repose, with
the promise that he should not be allowed to over-sleep, "fur," said
he, "I must start airly fur to post them are letters, and you won't
mind a calling of me, Honey, bein you had such a oncommon night's
rest, fur I took particular pains not to disturb you."
Little Wolf did not think it worth while to mention that she had lain
awake the entire night, for there was then no counting upon the effect
such a communication might have upon Daddy's already over-wrought
sensibilities. As it was, he left her, flattering himself that he had
greatly contributed to her health and comfort, and, with an approving
conscience, laid him down and slept.
At the appointed time he was awakened by Fanny, and rubbing open his
eyes, he asked, "Is the Honey up yet?"
"O yes, Daddy and we've all had breakfast, and I've got my sled all
ready for you to mend," said Fanny cheerfully.
"Why yes, Fanny, I know I promised fur tu mend it; but, 'tween you and
me, I've got fur to go to Pendleton first." Howsoever, I'll fix it
afore night."
Fanny looked rather grave.
"'Tween you an' me, I'm sorry fur tu disappoint you, Fanny, but the
Honey would be wuss disappointed if I did not post her letter."
"Yours too, Daddy, you musn't forget it," said Fanny thoughtfully.
Notwithstanding Fanny's exhortation Daddy actually forgot both
letters, having neglected to take them from his pocket when he changed
his coat, Imagine then his consternation, when, having arrived at the
post-office and rummaged his pockets in vain he discovered his
mistake.
At this critical juncture young Sherman and Dr. Goodrich, arm in arm,
happened to drop in at the office, and Daddy, for reasons of his own,
pounced upon the latter and held him fast. "Doctor," said he, "'tween
you an' me, was you a going fur tu see the Honey to-day? She was took
very poorly last night. I was afeared she was clean gone one spell."
"Did Miss DeWolf send for me, Daddy?" said the doctor uneasily
regarding the grip that the old man had fastened upon his coat sleeve.
"Why no, doctor; she sent me fur to mail some important letters, and I
actually left 'em at home in my tother coat. One of 'em was fur to go
tu Miss Tinknor; 'tween you an me the Honey is mighty fond of Miss
Tinknor. I'm kinder calculatin the old lady will be the Honey's
mother-in-law some day."
The start which Edward gave at this announcement was perceptible to
both Daddy and the doctor. The former, not relishing such a
demonstration of interest from so questionable a source, inwardly
resolved to put to flight the false hopes by which he imagined the
young man was agitated. Casting a side long glance at his intended
victim he added, "Mr. Tom is a very uncommon fine young man; he is
stidy; he never drinks nothin. The Honey has know'd him allers; they
played together when they was children and has allers been uncommon
attached. Tom particularly requested me fur tu take good care of her
while he was gone, and I ain't no doubt if the good Lord was fur tu
take her away it would nigh about break his heart."
The doctor, conscious that Edward did not relish the subject, and
anxious himself to terminate the interview, waved the matter, simply
saying, "I shall be going that way by-and-by, Daddy, and will call
upon Miss DeWolf if I have time."
On this assurance Daddy's grasp readily relaxed, and his prisoner,
taking advantage of this favorable symptom, made his escape.