The Land Claim — page 49: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE CONVALESCENT. 45 CHAPTER VII. THE OLD-TIME WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. “Wert, I declare, you look quite like yourself this morn- had carefully dressed her young charge, and placed her in the great, high-backed rocker, in the little parlor of the con- stable’s house. . “ Oh, yes! and I feel quite like myself, too. There, thank you ! don’t worry over me any longer, for I am just as com- fortable as possible. What a beautiful day! I don’t think the world ever looked so lovely as it does this morning, Mrs. Wyman.” “ That’s because you've been shut up in your room so long, dear. But it is a-most always pleasant in June. I was mar- ried in June, right in the rose season; for I told Silas I wanted to keep the anniversary of our wedding, and that was sure to be a nice time to have a little celebration every sum- mer. And this is our wedding-day!” said the constable’s wife, smiling dreamily as she forgot to take the chair she had placed for herself. “And are you going to have a celebration to-day ?” asked _ Alicia. “I wish I were strong enough to do something for “If you only look pretty, and have a good appetite, that’s all the help I want. We're not going to do as we used to— have a large company—cause things are changed with us. Onur only son is dead, and our only daughter is married away off ‘from us; besides, when we lost all our property by fire, and had bad luck every way, We give up our old ways partly. I am a-going to have a nice little dinner by ourselves, and Silas has invited some friends of his, I believe, to help us eat it. So don’t get foo tired, now, for then you won't enjoy it; and I want you to be as brisk as youcan. Dear me! I be- lieve I smell my cake a-burning.” “I hope your cake is not burned,” said Alicia, looking up as the good woman returned to the parlor with her comic ooks. conn -