Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-12-06
. VOLUME vi. g zg


Isas ofbuatiae sbsoueh bis asaenyelye, waist
cat &c stepped desperately toward the door,
essayea toturn The irs handle; but 50
proaisgs sdid The bashful MANS very fingers per-
spiret lfat they slipped round tie Knob without
tdrnigs e The second truis with the help of
cesgbgie handkerchief, was more successful, and
abe lover was inthe presence 4 The lady.
cstEaaly It was she4 Ms Frazer. the hap
less SIMPSONS MARY ssS0e, was there in DO.
ally reaiify.. But tie taelsl tnniility, the
tears aud tenderness. y pr red BY tbe char
ming note -, Oh Albed Gayl
The unrafledsfase, abs, eqi d, .reseryed polite
ness With which Mrs. Frazer received him cbillv
ed enlhdsiaste fer7s vtndronslY ais per-
spiration became a'coid one, anfin few mo
moqts be elt as ifcnvelopcd in coatines md
Ieagius Of Wenbam- Lake ice. Recovenngian-
self as speedily as he could from The shock Of
this unexpectedly chilling reception, Mr.. simp.
son stanimeied forth something about bis ex-
trene good fortune in having obtained a favor.
able gesgaase ffsin g sninbls pessoa. 4 Az
csierd.
CettainIy," replied The lady, II think you
are us y-iorunate, Mr.. Simpson" And then, by
way Of saying something particularly civil, and
to relIcYe the modes, mon's embarrassment, she
added But few men have like you, sufficient
Discrimination to discern and appreciate attrac.
tons which lie hidden from the mere Superficial
observer"
Poor Siinpson gasped for breath He was
literally luplbloundedF Here was modest gra-
ttnde, to say nothing of@tears andtenderness,''
with yengeanco! Miss Fortescue, with pre-
carlous salary some twenty pounds per alf1un
exclasigeof bnad and butter, was, in her own
Eopsnloq; coHferring q tremendous obligation upon
r a clgc dlgnltary worth at least twenty thousand
pounds, by accepting him fora husband That
was qnl clear; and although Mr. Simpson was
too much in love to deny such a proposition in
the abstract still it was, he thought, scarcely
consistent with maiden modcsy to state it so
very broadly.
Notwithstanding his amazemcnt, Nj. Slmp-
son, a. soon as he recovered breath, continued,
so well had he studied for the occasion, to get
out sentence or two about The superiority of
connublal to single blessedness This sentiment
also met with ready acquiescence.
"Oh dear, yes" said Mrs Frazer; 81 would
not have been an old maid for the world ~
W ell thought the ostonished admrer of
feminine reserveyalmos doubling the evidence
Of his ears, this is certainly the frankest maid
en- evsf converted with"
; A considerable pause followed. Mrs Fraz r.
seated upon sofa, PLAYED with the luxurious au.
i burn really auburn tresscs OF her nephew AL
Z fred
"A handsome boy" at length remarked Mr.
' Simpson. "Fs pity that he has MT dferen
y coured hair !"
" "a piyw exclaimed the lady F." think
z. tsaaps.sat N"As' .sinel s,.,, aalsa easu
isaed man somewhat sterUy IN the face,
should be well pleased if all our children ba
ha'r OF The same color :"
This was a climax | Simpson leaned n h
rect as II impeed by the shock of oalyoni
:, oa'e'y' Our children Well. after that
but must he dreaming" tloupbt the f,s,,a;a.,
-lronuonge, as he wiped the nersni,,,;a.. :
his tecnng fprehe,d; " laborng unIo. . .,0
V horid euchlntueut."
Dreaming indeed and to be swiftly and rude.
y awakened. The door opened, and gentle
man entered, whom Mrs. Frrzer immrdiioy IN,
tr',ucei with Mr.. Simpson, nv husband, Mr.
Frazer p
The blow was terrific Simpson staggered
ack as if he had ben saot. He glare aItel
ma ly At the husband aud wife for few Sc
: coad, them pale as hi, shit collar, totle,ed tc
: his char, and sinking into it, circulated with
white hps, Oh !"
b "Whi; IS the mater, sir? you look i'll :" said
q Mr.. Frazer.
: The bewildered man made no reply. Iii.
~ bralnswas whrl,ng. Who, on earth, then h,tl
81 he been courtng?"
~ q A9Ual knock at the street door somewha
I aroused him. My sister, lares,y," exclaim
3. ell Mtx Frazer.
! Her slsler! Possibly his Mary might be til,
+ brunette /; and yet - ine,e were nut thret
females pre- ent on that fatal evening, besides
le Ms. Pnckford, that he distinctly remembered
It and peraaps-- Vain hnpel the door open
a ed, and tie brunette and two gentlemen enter
n. ed" Mr. and Mrs. HOLLAND, and MI. Alfre
E. Gray
ly All Illusion was now over, He, Robert Simp
ID, son, wealthy tradesman, respected fshmonge
k and common councilman, was the bethrothe
IS husband of red-huired dan sci with decide
er, cast. with whom moreover, he had never ez
I'd changed sentence His first impulse, as tn
rh certainty of his miserable fate flashed upon hiu
was 10 strange Alfred Gray out Of hand as ii
,te author OF his destruction, when fortunately anC
lily Their rap tap arrested his fell inteat.
IT,, Miss Fortescue at last !" cried Mrs. Fraze
he as if announcing glad tdnga. 81
IN "Ohm calculated the accepted sutton, droT
- ping neryelcssly back into his seat from whic
he had just risen" :"
list He was seized with sort of vertigo; an
ID, what occurred, or how he behaved for conside
to rable interval, he never distinctly remembered
as He was. however, soon seated at table by tn
ut side of his aeianced bride, Mr.. Puckford sayin
e. qaoe. rs, was the actual state of affairs b.
Sc poor Simpsons impression ut the moment wa
bf lthatlle had been led out to sudden execution b
c. an enormous Jack Keich with red hair and
Ia Effightul squirt, and that his friend Puckford wa
b the chaplain reading the funeral service. Grt
a dually, however, his brain cleared, and he gre
ut cooler and more collected. Upon reflection h
- position did not appear so ctryd sperate. As
r. Mrs. Frazer, all that was of course over, pa
PRAYING for, and he must dismiss ii from bis min
lis as speedily as possible. The lady beside hin
N who he could see was almost as discomposed {
m. hinsen wns he had M dnnht n seIiSihle nersc