The Land Claim — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

hands full—a package in one—a bouquet of flowers in the other. “No indeed, it has got a nice bake. But look at these presents! One would think it was the anniversary of your wedding instead of mine. Mr. Mauvais has sent you this bottle—it is labeled French Cordial—and Mr. Allen has sent you the flowers. There was a long rigmarole of compliments with the bottle ; but the flowers were left by a boy who only said that Mr. Allen sent them to Miss Newcome.” Alicia blushed a little with the pleased excitement a young girl always feels at the first marked attentions she receives from gentlemen. She read the French label first, and admired the rich golden color of the wine; but the flowers she kept for some time in her hands, smelling at them, and in doing so, them to her lips and cheeks) Mrs) Wyman offered to put them in water for her, when she reluctantly parted with them, only keeping a bunch of the crimson buds of the prairie-rose to fasten in the bosom of her white wrapper. “T’ll put these by your plate at dinner,” said Mrs. Wyman, smiling at the eager eyes which followed the flowers; “they will make the table look nice. And the cordial too, to give you an appetite.” “Dear Mrs. Wyman,” began Alicia, nervously, “I know my father would not like to have me accept presents from Mr. Mauvais. Please tell me what to do about it.” “Why, your father doesn’t think !—” here the good woman interrupted herself. “Taere can be no harm in even Mr. Mauvais’ sending a bottle of cordial out of his cellar to a sick child like you, dear. I know what some ill-disposed people might say about him ; but there is a great many allowances to be made for a man that-has spent his life among the Indians ; and Mauvais is a generous-hearted man te his friends. He’s been very kind to my husband.” “J would like to send it to my father, if I thought he would accept it,” said Alicia, mournfully. “T don’t think he would, dear child; though husband was saying this morning that he seems a heap milder than he did at first. I reckon what Allen said to the lynchers made him feel easier; and I hear that he has been to see your father a couple of times.” comicioooks.com