Show Extract From an old Diary THE following is an extract from anold anold an anold old diary which came into my possession some years ago The writer seems to have written himself down with th the frankness of I have found it necessary to translate it in a measure in order to tomake make it intelligible to modern modern modern mod mod- ern readers but I trust I have retained enough of its q quaint aint style to impart a piquant fl flavor vor Sat 18 Yesterday I had a letter from Mistress Prudence Warren Varr n who lives lives' at Roxbury and nd in t the e letter wi which h. h w was s writ in III fair round hand seal sealed d with her t own signet and scented with with- lavender she bade me come down to see see her next 1 a. a Su Sunday day afternoon Now I have lon long been in love with Mist Mistress e s J. J Prue rue and andr r though t the e wretch knows it she l leads a s me met mea t h a do dogs dog's s 's life and I have much pain from r v her She has favored one Dick Hard Hard- Hardinge Hardinge r inge a villian whom I hate j and she we wears rs a ring of the knave I have been near to killing him many times I shall t s go to Roxbury y if the weather be ri right ht t Mon 20 Sunday I myself in in my new plum-colored plum suit and went to see seer r Mistress Prue I found her in high f spirits and she smiled on me most pleasingly pleasingly pleas pleas- F but she wore the ring of that r scoundrel Hardinge the sight of which r filled me with rage But Mistress Prue railed at me and bade me me go into the 1 garden where was a seat under the pear trees I obeyed dog that I was for I Ir r have no power to resist when Mistress Prue commands but to spite her I took from her fathers father's library Percy's When we were in the garden Mistress Prue sat in the seat while I sat on the ground and began to read Then she said that she hated books and that she knew a man that would sit in the seat with her Yes I said it is is that u. u villian Hardinge whose ring you your wear and I will not sit with any anyone one who wears a rascals rascal's token Mistress Prue has lovely dimples in her chin and though I yearned to sit sity y with her yet because of the ring I hardened hardened hardened hard hard- ened my heart Dick Hardinge II answered she is isa F a fine fellow and I do not like to hear h him m spoken of thus II Then I began to read again and again she said that she hated books Well II I since you like neither me me menor nor my books and so highly esteem Master Hardinge I shall trouble 9 you no more II and I rose to leave the garden Then Mistress Prue fell to weeping most violent and said that I had broken her heart that she hated Hardinge and she plucked the ring from her finger and cast it on the ground when I set my heel upon it Her distress was so great that I took her in my arms and kissed her hermany hermany hermany many times whereupon she left off weeping weeping weep weep- weeping ing and smiled on me most pleasingly pleasing and making no resistance I put my own ring on her finger ringer where had been that base fellows fellow's N. N B. B I have forgiven Hardinge and shall buy hi him a new ring Riverview Stude Student zi COt |