The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-01-10


Pilkins,on lived in square, obtrusive look
ing brick toase overlooking the village greer
OF Brrkford, at the further side Of which va
row Of ugly cottages. her property. From
her pavlor window she could exercise surveil
lance over her tenants, and both them ant
her servants she ruled arbitrarily ; she rulet
Alice D,.ane arbitrarily also when she 90
her-Co,.in Ike had said the girl was wilfu
and obstinate, ard wanted bringing to rea
son. Margery undertook the task with unc
tious satisfaction.
Did Alice want to walk BY the riverside
she must sit in doors, and refresh herself
With .larnng stockings; did the northeast
wind blow. she must go out for her health
hal she a headache, it was affectation, she
must work at a solid, improving took was
she deep in some interesting study, she must
r~linqui.h it. Well, indeed, did Mistress
Margery Piking,on understand the art and
science Of thwartng every body in an aggra-
vating. considerable way, which could not be
complained OF, for It wore the guise of kind
ness. Alice contradcted her once. but she
scolded and frrtted for an hour without ia
kins breath, and impressed such an awful
picture tf her sen>iiveness on her victim
mini, that she felt no inclination to trans
gress again Alice saw through her feint,
snd despsed it, but submitted to captivity
With = tolerahlc grace.
Car! Branston came down to BeckfOrd in
buoyant humor when his cousin had been
there about ten davs-long enough to weary
Of Miss Mar.ery PlIkagton's purgatorial dis
i,li L., had. fut
ton. and chose to angur thcrcfrOm good to
his suit. Alice received him cordially: any
change was better than none.
Take me home. Carl" whispered she,
forgetting the scene before she left her I'M
lies house, and revertins to cousinly fAmili-
ari'v.
lie seemed c,atfiyd Are you softcnins
touar,'. M. Alice :" he asked, gently.
She drew up her slender shape with an
air Of ind..cri5abe haushtiness, and. looking
him in III: face, said, so. have been sent
here for rnnishment-as a punishment 2
Very we'll. Carl Branston will stay here
till doomsdav rather than he your wife. Did
YOU imagine that did not loathe you sufii-
ii. Nv before. tina, ven descend to prrsecu-
ton ?" And she turned from him a, one
would turn from some vilainows creeping
thing. aud left HIN iceliu. a very mean and
beaten .rounirrl indeed. Carl had not cour-
age enough Left 70 present the fine gauds ne
had brou .ht for her; he returned to London
with them in lis pocket, an! venomed rage
in his heart.
Marsery Pilkin. ton was, according to her
own statement, MARTYR to tic-doioureux :;
she was afflicted with it the next day. anc,
after a morning of rampant i'll ,humOr, during
which it is a question whether she or Alice
suffered most. she retired to her chamber and
shut herself ny. Alire put on her hat with
Q si:htof relief. aai saun,ered away to the
river side Bcck:o-d river was famous
front stream what more natural than that
when she was come TO a pretty hend near the
vooJ!she should Sec man fishing, and that
.hi, man should be g, u-in Robin and what
again more natural than that meeting him
thus accidentally, ti,ey should each exrlalm
how glad they were, ani then wander on to-
gc,her through TIE shady elades Of Beech
wool, talking about all sorts ct Interesting
thing. which nobody need listen to unless
shrv ike.
Il heard Of YOU Yesterday" said Robin,
land made 10y way down here directly
Why have they banished thee, my pretty
Alice :"
Alice told Lin something and he guessed
the rest.
THAT brother of mine is a sorry knave
III disown him ~ cried be. with:a laugh
but she knew very we'll thu. Robin would
have shared his last c,unb with his greatest
eaemv: ne could not remember an in urv
and, as for being Jealous Of Carl's attachment
70 Alice, lie ;hou;, it just TIE most natura
1.ins ia the world.
Robin had very pleasant voice. full and
rich in tone, but he could sink it to the soft
est of whispers, end what he SAID next, the
little birds in the t:cc-tops could sca~ely
have heard if they had listened with all theil
might. 1t was. alice, love NE let me take
care of thee I've loved thee sixteen years
ever since they brought thee q. little shy lassi'
shat could scarce crawl, and set thee dowr
between me and Carl, and told US to b.
brothers to thee
Alice was not coquettist but there was
mi,chevous sparkle in her eyes as she said
land Won fous hit the next day who shoult
dove me best"
"And | beat Carl. Answer me-, Alice
will you love me-"
IL think you have earned some reward b!
YOUR faithfulness, Robin" said she With I
blushing smile.
Then promise to give it me-"
He held out his hand, and she put hers in
to it like tiny fair dove biding in its nest
and as there was none but the wood crea
lures to behold. and the winds to whispe: it
he made her soft warm lips seal the promise
then and there made and recorded at once.
1t was mid afternoon when they met il
was shading into twilight when they separa
ted at the top Of Wood lane; Alice crossing
the Green. armed at all points against Mis-,
Margery Filking'on's humors. and Robin, not
less bIissful, vending towards his home. Be-
fore parting Robin pleaded permission to
beard the lioness in her den, but A.ire said
not for worlds; so he mentioned the proba.
bility of his fishing all next day and she hint.
cd that most likely she should stroll on the
banks at some hour between sunrise and sun
SET The river side is always so pleasant in
June '" said she archly.
When she came into Marsery Pilkinston's
pur;tanic:,l little parlor. she looked as much
out Of character as portrait OF Hcbe in a
cellar She had rich carnation on her lip.
And a rose on her cheek as bright as ever
tloomed IN garden. AMI Iustre in her large
eyes lighted at loves own torch. Her pro-
ssc'ress sat there with her face swathed up
IN flannel IKE corpse. and wearing her
most awful scoxI. She looked up at Alice
and 'nor'ed an angry tis'pproval Of her ao-
pearance.
You nave been in fools paradise" sail