Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-01-17


ing like Oamb, aud you know that you have your
own private ends in il all
What end can have p exclaimed Fanny.
'Why, Miss Carr, If must speak the plain Truth
and am plain spoken person, you know,
not much given TO hatery--l must say, that | see
clearly enough what you are aiming at. When
one party is foolish, and the other is arinl, it does
not need much discernmen, to see what is in the
wind what do you mean, ma'am p excaim-
ed the little old maid in agony.
why, mean, Miss Carr, just this you see
thnt my uncle is silly old man, and rich, and you
being clever and poor, you think you mny he able
TO catch HIM in match. You think IL would be
a better thing to he Mrs Jeffrey, and keep your
carriage, than even to live the idle life which you
nre doing
'rhe idle life which now lead exclaimed the
little old maid. Il, who toll in Iabours which have
no end through all the weary days, without either
thanks or wages aud now to he accused of this !
You see that my uncle is half fool and you
think you Gun jugge him into marrying you. But
tell you once more that will not stand by aud
see such things done in my house; so just have
the goolness 10 tie up your things and take your
departure in halt an hour--and very glad shall
be when you are fairly gone, for see how ar,ful
you are, and there is no knowing where the mis-
chief may end Fanny Carr hurst into an agony
Of tcnrs.
Mr.. Jeffery is not the weak man YOU think
him. but cear-hendcd and strong minded enough
TO detect me- it were the artiuI creature you nc
cuse me of being But will go, will not stay
TO be accused of eating the bread Of idleness, or
practising subterfuges-no, will 90 aud beg my
bread rather than that anything is better than
that only only--dont laugh at him any more,
poor gentleman, for il he were to find it out he
would feel it, for he is not so simple as you think
hun, dear poor gentleman 'lley !! hey D.! what
does she say !? asked unc,c jeff.
Mmv dpnr IuucP IpffIrV. don't mind her. She
is an ungratelu creature, after all the kindness
which we lave shown her, to be weary of paying
you few little attentions which had enloned
upon her But, my dear uncle, have sent her
away. 'Humph said deaf uncle jeff
The little old maids eyes were almost drowned
with tears-and, whatever poets may say in rhyme
oil the superativeness of the beauty OF boodshol
orbs, aud their red curtains and all that, we have
always been accustomed 10 consider those SORT oil
things amazingly unbecoming. But it happened
that our little heroine forgot to consult her look
ing & Ass upon the occasion, and consequently
her eyes became something like the red sea. The
poor little body however, proceeded US expedi
tlously as might he 10 lay her scanty wardrobe as
s:ralghtly rs possible in wooden box, which was
both small enough and large enough TO collect
her needles and her knitting few letters, care
fully tied up in piece Of foded blue ribbon the
dates OF which proved chronologically that the
paper had been made full twenty years ago, all OF
them written in neat masculine hand, like that
OF school usher, and dated MS many years back
to look very particularly at and sigh over little
morse Of sandy hair TO stroke her lavorite pus-
| sy for the last time and then 10 take her clogs
her reticule, and her umbrella to look at an old
sunmer-house; to gather two or three leaves from
an old tree and then to pass through those in
| hospiiabe doors into the wide, wide, bleak ant
| cold world, aione-alone
There are soue hparts like sorpp veOetnbleS-
they take root any where, no matter how unfa
vorabe the soil, or how blightng the atmosphere
| Thus 1t was with the little old maid. In spite o
derision, and scorn and buffeng her feelings fiat
| grown TO the lnanirnae stone walls that surroun
ded her, simply because they had nothing else tc
| cling and if the mere impulses OF loving
nature could thus attach her to repelng and repuI
sive objects how tenderly might she have lovet
what was really oveable!
Poor Fanny Carr, with the liberal, large and in
exhaustabe sum Of five shings in her pocket
looked mentally round for shelter for her head
and having bethought herself of one of Mrs. rcken
! hams discarded servants, who had married ant
! settled, determined upon seeking shelter there.
In little cottage by the road side, as clean a
those dear cottages OF England ever are, with
neatly trimmed garden without, luxurant in sum
mer bIossomngs, and with the whitest of whit,
curtains within, and the reddest OF red floors, an,
| the brightest o. round tables, and the most re
|
dressed as neatly as if fairy hands had been he
tirewoman, and working at her needle as blithel,
as birds perform their daily task of singing VIVA
though her five shilling were nearly exhausted
she could earn almost sxpcnce a day, and tina
was independence, and Independence was happ
ness.
There came great dust whilst the old mai
was thus deving for happiness and sixpence day
aud n noise of carriage wheels; and looking Vi
to see what might be coming, she saw plain re
| spectable grave, steady, brown-yisaged carraig
and pair, with n coachman in II brown livery be
fore, and servant in a brown livery seated in ih
box behind, and 10 and behe IL stopped at th'
very cottage door where she working ant
so the lille old maid jumped up, aud threw dow
| her cotton and her scissors, and fastened to tel
them that it was all mistake, when, tolher partic
ular establishment, she saw deaf uncle Jeff getting
down the steps, and walking across The cOttag
! garden, and coming in at the door. And having
gone thus far, the dent gentleman took hold OF he
diminuive hand in his great gigantic paw, anC
gave il a squeeze, which almost made the little oil
maid cry out, which, however, she did not do, TO
ladies' Of all sizes very seldom cry out at squeeze
OF the hand, generally bearing that sort of pair
very philosophicaly, and then uncle Jeffery pro
ceeded 10 draw one Of the brght-rubhed wooden
bottom chairs 10 himself, for his own particuIa
use, and TO sit down upon il close to the little ole
| maid.
| Hopo .ou are wei Mr. JeHery, snouteu I'M
| little old maid sit is very kind of you TO com,
and see me- hope you are WELL
| 'Quile, ell, thank YOU replied uncle Jeffrey
and now tell me what you think has brought M
to see YOU?
Perhaps said the little old maid colorinG
slightly with the remains OF a well-whipped well
worn-lown, well subdued pride, perhaps yot
wanted me to do some plain work. You neec
not speak so loud, my dear,' said deaf uncle Jeff
you know you will lire yourself, you will exhaus
! yourself
20, MIR. Jeffrey = said the little old maid, tn,
tears rushing into her eyes, 20, Mr. Jeffrey, pray
believe that never complained, or never ever
felt it a trouble to talk TO YOU Indeed, did mol
don't know how soon | may be afflicted my
SELF Uncle Jeffrey took poor Fanny's hand, anC
gave il another squeeze that almost threatened il
with compression. Il know you did not. Ye
nevertheless you must not speak SO loud
But you have not your ear-horn, said Fanny