Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-08-14

an aged woman, apparently IN the last stages oil
disease, while Ellen Eden was propping the dy-
ing person with pillows.
God will bless for this, said the sufferer fee
bly, Il know what you gave up to come hlther
l sent for Miss Isabel Warner, whom | nursed
when child, but she said she could not come;
and then l knew there was no one who would
sacrifice their days pleasure for me except you
Miss Ellen. But heaven will reward you for it.
Say nothing of it but compose YOURSELF re-
piled the sweet girl. 4 only did my duty
'Ah duty, duty---but that is it. Who does
their duty? Few Miss Ellen, few indeed
The young heir listened to no more, for he did
not wish to be seen. lie had heard enough
He n9iselessly gided away, and entering his
skif began to row up the lake After while
he stopped and looked at the humble log cabin
he had left behind
'And it was to seclude herself in that misera-
Bile hut he said, 'to watch over the couch Of
sick and dying woman, that she voluntarily gave
up the anticipated pleasures Of this day. And
| have been calling her puritanical for it,
When Harry Conner Joined the picnic, he
was no longer in mood of replying to the gay
sallies of Isabel Warner His heart was by the
bedside of that dying woman, where Ellen Eden
watched in silence and alone AS he looked at
the beautiful Isabel, and thought of her heartlosg
refusal to visit her old nurse when dying he
wondered how he could have been deuded into
believing her amiable as he had been. She SEEM
ed to him now lovely Medusa, while Ellen
rose up before him miniserlng angel
From that day Harry Conner loved Ellen f.
den. lie made no alluson when they met, to
her refusal to attend the picnic, but he stroye
by the gentle kindness of his manner to repay
her for any regret she might have felt. Ellen
scarcely knew what to make of his altered de-
meanor There was something so different in
his tone, SO respectful in his looks, something SO
different from anything she had seen before, that
her heart trembed with strange happiness. She
f had resolved to treat Harry so coldly that he
would abandon her society," for she knew alb
sence from the beloved object to be the only cure
for unrequited affection. But now she hesitated
A sweet hope began to dawn on her Could he
really moan to give up the beautiful and brilliant
Isabel for her? His intentions were not long
secret. The more Harry saw Of Ellen thC
more he congratulated himself on his escape
from Isabel The very pety Of our heroine, OF
t which he at first looked with disapproval, now
became an attraction; for however men, in thu
giddy maze Of gaety may effect contempt for thc
: christian, they always in their more serious mo
ment8 wish for a wife who shall be truly pous
: Harry now found moreover, that there was {
vast difference between a false ostentqtious chris
tianity and the pure religion which Ellen pract
l ced so unobtrusivcly.
'And are you really going to marry Ellen z
} den I? said one of his friends to him. Il hear ev-
cry where she is a cantng reIigionist
4 am about to marry her, he replied 'Wha
: you mean by canting relgonist do not exact
ly know; but Ellen, however pous she may be,
has nothing of can't
She teaches Sunday school,
But is not that a merit rather than otherwise
Surely to devote three hours, every Sabbath, tC
5 the gratuitous mental and moral instruction O.
v Others is a seCdenying task worthy of all praise
S and you will agree with me that time thus occu
. pied is spent more benefcially than dressing fo
a ball room.
1 Il am a stranger here and know nothing o
' Miss Eden, said his friend with some embar
rassment Excuse me for what ] said. / an
sure would rather have pious wife than al
t infdcI one
There you are right, and it is that conviction
which has made me seek Ellen for a companion
l am only too happy that she loves me. an
. unworthy of one so good and pure. Believe
me, my dear Frank, the best thing a man can Dc
is to choose woman with strong religious feel
ings Recollect the wife is to be the mother o
your chidren-your own CONSIDER in the days
of troube-the guide who, ever by your side
| with sweet smiles and angelic words is to viii
= you up to heaven. What would man be with
out woman! And how dreadful to see an ir.
5 religious female, ono.without any hopes of aliec'
tons except for this world, who is thinking con
tinually of gaiety and vain show, and who per
haps goes off to ball when a child or HUSBAND
is lying almost at the point of death with nc
one to turn the thoughts to better world
+ 4 never considered the subject 50 seriously be
lore,' said his friend grasping his hand. But
feel that you are right
'YesP said Harry, 'and even in6dels-strangE
as it may seem-preier a conscientious wite@c
fore one who mocks at religion.
4 now see,' replied his friend, 'how it is tina
true love and religion arc SO intimately connect
t 3D. Reverence is prominent part in both.
too will seek wife like Miss Eden, with these
words they parted.
Harry Conner and our sweet Ellen were mar
e red within month of this conversation; ant
( happier couple nowhere lives The husband
t like his uncle, has become consistent christian
e and chiefly through the gentle persuasion of his
t wife. The house is always open to innocen
j, gaietv, cheerluness has its abode there, and al
c in our village low and high alike, love them.
!. word on Isabel before we close. From the
= day of the picnic, she saw that her influence
e over the young heir was departing. She made
: several abortiye struggles to regain him, but
e Gndinr all in vain unwilling to have If thouph