Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-01-05

lover ; and she glorled IN her sacri-
flee as a martyr suffering for his faith.
She wrote to Mr. Kelly; kindly,
gently, gratefully, coaxingly. But
she said no. Mr. Kelly rubbed hi s
eyes, winked, carried the letter into
the sunlight, turned il round and
about, and inside out, and upside
down, and still could make out only
the same startling words thanks /;
sorrow no.
Not syllable more passed on the
subject. All had been said that need
be said, and Mildred was now left
the only sufferer. The offer, with
lis rejection, was kept a profound
secret from every one ; from Mrs.
Smith, more carefully than the rest;
for il she had known that Mildred
had refused such a magnificent set
Element for love of Mr. Henry Harley,
she would have banished that unde-
srable individual forthwith, as in
deed he deserved and would so
have cut off all Mildred's happiness
at blow. For, as is but natural,
Mildred loved all the more because
of the sacrifice her love had cost her,
a sacrifice Mr.. Henry Harley showed
himself in no wise grateful for, mere
ly giving her kiss, and calling her a
Irregular little trump" when she
told him.
But she had bitter punishment
to undergo now. Mr.. Kelly, in the
midst of all his queer stumbling ways,
had the very pride of Lucifer in his
heart, and the little girls refusal
reused it to the full. He was at
first speeches. with Indignation
and then angry so he took to re-
venge, which he found a wonderful
solnce. And he performed his part
to perfection. For there was not
petty spite, grieve to say, in which
he did not indulge not a malicious
expression, not an evidence of CON
tempt, that he let pass, whether to
be understood by the company at
large. or by their two selves alone
Every form and phase of dIsdain he
showed her by turns every kind of
CALLING allusion he made spl,efully
and continually; Mildred sitting 10y
with her shoulders twitching painful
ly, and her large eyes raised with a
KIND OF implorIng wonderto his face.
This secret persecution continued
long time, TIE poor little girl growing
paler and more nervous every day
under it Mr.. Henry Harley cooling
towards her too till it became a sad
aud melancholy sight to witness the
gradual fading Of the poor child's
life, and the patient despair with
which shs sat by the civs'"s tomb OF
her happiness.
In the very blacklist hour Of her
dcsolation Mr.. Henry Harley went
away. No tears, no prayers from
Mildred could keep him. He had
fallen in love with painting lady at
another boarding house, where he
had been to visit friend-for peo-
pie who live in boarding houses are
peculiar race, almost as exclusive
and well-known among each other
as the gipsles or the Jews--and Mr..
Harley's artistic tastes were called
into action: he must go to study her
effects. So he went, and none
could stay him. And now poor Nil.
dred was left alone left TO reflect
upon the past, and perhaps TO learn
from disappointment that saddest
scspticism of alias to whether the
sacrifice OF worldly advantage to
principle, of ambition TO love, were
a folly or good. But she kept her
faith in principle too, and her pride
and her secret as well and no one
knew that Mr.. Kelley who treated
her how with bitter contempt, had
once asked her TO become his wife,
and had punished her thus for reius-
ing him.
Years rolled by, and still this
strange gtrl kept faithful TO her first
love, who now had wholly deserted
her: aud still Mr.. Kelly stayed on
and OH in the same dull boarding
house, as if for the one express
purpose of insulting the poor child
with an endless ruthless punishment.
Till at last Mildred could bear il no
longer. Too timid TO resent, she
was too sensitive TO endure this kind
OF life, which seemed TO have no term
TO its suilerngs. So one morning
she quietly walked out of the house,
leaving no address and alter long
time of silence and of fearful sus-
pense to Mrs. Smith, she wrote to
her, saying that she had entered a
family as governess, and that she was
going abroad next week. The rea-
son why she had not written before,
she said, was because she wished to
be settled and well provided for, be-
fore she met her mother again. Her
pride would not allow her to under
take any matter like this, and then
fail, or be dependent on her friends
for success.
"Ah, she was always a proud
child % sighed Mrs. Smith tenderly;
90 and none the worse for il ~
When Mr.. Kelley heard where
had gone, aud what she was
doing, he paid his bill, packed up his
effects, and drove away into the fog.
And if a clairvoyante had described
what he was about, and how he
looked that day when rafting thro'
The streets of murky London, he would
have been seen huddled up in a