Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1849-06-15
From Nclrs Saturday Gassti
The Minister'S Daughter.

nj THOMAS nEIsnxDER
Soon after leaving college, Henry Med.
way attained his majority, and entered into
the control Of his share Of property which,
under the careful management Of his guar
dian during long minority, had grown 10
an independence. He determined imme-
diately 10 enter the University as a resident
graduate and bellies letires student, for the
double advantage Of large libraries, and re-
fined literary society.
He had spent three years thus, when one
summer he set out on an excursion through
New England. Nearly month was pass /.
ed amid the mountains and valleys Of West I
ern Massachusetts,, when one evening, just
AZ dusk, he entered the village OF c..
The next day, being the Sabbath, he visited
the church. Never did the sun look down
upon iairer morning. All nature seemed
hushed in alteration, as If conscious that her
Lord had made and sancti6ed il. The hum
Of the insects, the subdued notes Of the
birds, the ceaseless rural murmur, all chord
ed in psalms Of thanksgiving.
The church stood near the centre Of the
village, in small enclosure, filled with
the graves Of the village ancestors. The
house was full when Midway entered, and
the utmost silence pervaded the whole as
semblage. The very urchins Of ten years
were quiet and demure. Soon the minister
rose and having invoked the blessing Of
the Most High, read a chapter Of Holy
Scripture, and gave out the psalm. The
choir, seated in the gallery opposite, rose
and sung il TO a solemn tune, in which the
congregation joined; and with such heart
felt earnestness, too, as almost TO start tears
from Medwsy's eyes. His ear was soon ar
rested by female voice, the sweetest and
strongest wiihal il had ever noted. The
tones, now so faint in the distance as TO be
hardly discernable, again swelled nearer so
as almost to drown the others. Midway
quickly appropriated the voice to young
girl in the choir. whose face, without being
strikingly beautiful, was certainly one Of the
loveliest he had ever beheld.
i She was dressed in simple white, with
plain straw bonnet, without any ornament.
From beneath her hat few curs OF brown
hair seemed trying 10 escape, while her soft
halle eyes we're lit up by sympathy with the
sacred words Of the psalm, into most spir-
itual expression. Midway gazed at her
from time to time, as the service proceeded,
with growing admiration. He was made
conscious at last that he was almost rude, by
once detecting blush on her cheek, as her
eyes met his for moment, but he could
not forbear During the remaining exer-
cises of the morning, be was partially atten.
tive. Yet the appearances of the venerable
was marked by depth Of thought which
Ma1,vor had moi awnarfRd tn find
During The evening service, the same
voice again charmed Midway, while the
face appeared still more lovely. In the in
PERMISSION he had learned that the sweet
singer was the daughter Of the minister Of
the village, and this helped TO surround her
! still more with that veil Of sanctity wherein
he had enwrapped the voice and face in abe
morning. ''She truly .tsl., them" he ,ho'..
"the high import Of those holy words Of the
} sacred psalm"
Near the close Of the succeeding day, he
4 walked TO a mountain in the neighborhood,
:, noted for the view from its summit Heat
ed and fatigued with his long ramble, he
threw himself down upon small spot Of YER
r dure, where a stunted birch gave slight
shade, and drank in the delicious prospect
d NC .un, ~ -" 49, ,.sS. c,,aJs,,
was a'reauy oa,.ng rug sna.J H., ..""a ~,
ne was s'a,ueu py sohaf' u'o~ uPou "'
n snouioer, ana me suuueh eAe'a'ha''oh' "
voice strangely isni.'a'-
mere, .aAe lna'' uuans, 'o' yyu' ="
gananl conuoo., anu .nahs .ea De"a ''''
"i1 nos 'ePea' 49, ~. '""",,- ..a l..
n bsid ,ba swss, minstrel NJ The J,y before.
q, A, he s;0h, 81 stranger .be stood mo
y ,;onless Win snrnrise aSd eonfu,;on. An
W most perfect picture Of loveliness Medwa,
had ever seen. Her bonnet. fallen bacl
upon her shoulders. held by the string
around her neck-her hair. disengage,
from its confinement, hanging in tresse
about her face--her cheek, flushed from ex
7. ercise. crimsoned still deeper at the unlock
, ed-for appearance Of a stranger-she leane
on the stick with which she had Just salul
q ed him. the personiication Of astonishe
81 beauty. Recovering soon, however, he
: self possession, with an ease he did not e,
pect, she bowed gracefully, and said
r. pardon me, sir, for my rudeness.
-. r.. -. ........ 'El....J ,,ho,