Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-03-18


red additional fertility on the already fertile
fields. 1t was such tract of land as is q
paradise to Dutch farmer-low, sheltered
and level. Immense stacks of hay and
grain were clustered costly together around
the great red barns fat oxen lowed ovel
bars, and dozen sleek horses pranced id,
about the pasture, the only unemployed crea.
lures, capable of work, that were tolerated
on the premises.
A prominent point in the fiat picture was
the house of the landlord old large and
aristocratic as half dozen chmnics, poin.
ted gables and prodigious fancy window
over the front hall door, could make it. II
had, besides, deep green lawn around it
IN which, with good taste, singular for their
race, each proprietor had carefully spared
many goodly weeping elm, and stout, COM
pact maple. Yet even to the passing trav.
eller the place had chilly, forbidding as
pect The front shutters were never opened
and from the chimnies, save one,
No kindly smoke climbing the cold and empty sky"
Peter De Roos's wife had died long, long
ago. If he was hard and stern, she had been
harder and sterner. She had brought him
as her dowry a bag of silver heavier than
she could lift, and she took good care that
the amount should never be lessened Even
to her boy she showed few marks of affec-
ton to others, none. Oh, a misery, strange
thoughted woman was Annatie De Roos !
In her last illness, which was also her only
one, heavy bag of gold lay night and day
under her pillow When her kind neigh
bors, forgetful of her hardness, in their dear,
ready, country sympathy, came to nurse her,
If they raised her from her bed to arrange it
more for comfort, she invariably held the
precious treasure in her lap until it could
be restored to its place. Oh, shame for wo-
man With those thousands hidden under
her pillow she died
Her niece, a worthy woman, though bowed
by years of grief and poverty, came to fill
her place as housekeeper and care-taker of
Harry. And cherries life was hers still :;
for few visited the house, and so poor Mrs.
Deming lived on, accomplishing, but utter
ly without spirit or animation.
Very different was the unpretendng little
dwelling of the Morrises 1t was wholly
uncottage like, although almost buried in
the long, sweeping branches of one of those
patriarchal elms; for it stood in sight of
the brick house, on one corner of the lawn.
There were all sorts of old fashioned roses
and peonies and snowballs in the yard, and
a snug garden on one side, through which
little brook, that had lost its way in the
woods above, hurried and splashed and spat-
tered, to hide itself in the bosom of the
creek. There Mrs. Morris's loom banged
and clattered all day. while Minnie was en-
ployed out of school in picking up lost ends,
or detecting incipient breaks in the harness,
or that never-ending duty, spoolng the yarn
which her mother wove
Sometimes she had assistance in these inn
portant affairs from her favorite school-mate,
Harry, who was sure to find some errand to
bring him there every day. "He was more
bother than good" Mrs. Morris sometimes
calculated; " for he was forever coaxing
Minnie to play fox and geese, or dots and
crosses, or something or other"
But how linger with my story! FORE
saw i'll the commencement that it would be
so, when found myself talking about bright
eyes, etc. | never knew story commenced
in that way to turn out well. To take long
leap
Harry De Roos and Minnie Morris were
no longer children. Their early partialty
had never been interrupted, and very natu-
rally it had widened and deepened. On his
nineteenth birthday, Harry, with some hes
itation, and without quite looking his stern
old father in the eyes, announced their en-
gagement.
Peter Re Roos had always been accus-
toned to consider his son as yet mere boy
he had given him money and fine horses,
and allowed him the disposition of his own
time, to be sure, but farther he did not trou-
BILE himself For Harry was so quiet and
almost femininely gentle in his tastes and
habits, that there was nothing to correct and
control. So when the important news was
communicated to him, he merely brushed q
fly from his sleeve, and exclaimed
"Pshaw pshaw boy What stuff is
this? Just mind your own concerns, and
let me hear no more of it"
But, father p' persisted Harry, CT an
in earnest"
Z" So am /" was the gruf' reply.
Poor Harry He had never opposed his
father in the world he knew not how to be-
gin. But he had strong motive and witt
desperate resolution, he related the story
of their mutual love and promises Wher
the old man really comprehended the truth
that his son contemplated marrying the
daughter of his tenant, he, De Roos-no
one of whom had ever suffered love to out
weigh gold-he was exasperated almost be
yond his senses. With every eplthet tina
rage and disappointed plans could supply
he commanded his son to leave his sigh
and never appear there again.
Had Harry been bred like other boys t.
assert his own rights and receive them, he
might have resented this conduct; but eve
accustomed to yield, never having exercised
his own will, the storm was too sudden t.
be borne with frmness, and he left his home
in perfect silence, but with intense suffering
Men had called his father harsh names
they had hoped that fire and flood woul'
waste his possessions; but Harry had neve
until now realized his character
Poor Harry He mechanically turne
his steps to the cottage lie found Mimi
sewing at the window, prettier, brighter an
happier than ever. What passed at that in
terview none knew, but from that hour tn
sunshine was gone from Andrew Morris
dwelling. Minnie's bright eyes were swo
len with weeping, her cheeks were pale, an
her hands white and cold. Her mother sal
not a word, but worked at the loom with re
| doubled diligence, while her fathers usual