Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-10-09

FOote. EnOs was clerk in her fathers store
and as likely young man as any there was il
town. | don't know't they were exactly enga.
ged but twas understood well enough by every
body that he was to marry Lyddy and go into
business with her father, who was to take him
into partnership; and every thing went on
smooth enough, till up comes that everlastn
gentleman from Boston,
81 shall never forgt the fust time | sec him.
Twas to mectin' he had some business with
the Deacon and he Sot in the Deacon's pew
lie was dressed up mighty smart, with his
hair all queued down behind, and pomatumed
up straight before, and powdered all over. as if
it had jest come out of ilour-bag. That was
the fashion them days But / couldn't help
laughin' to see him lookin' so uncommon still
and fierce lie stoid in town three or four
days, and the Deacon introduced him around,
and had much to say about the ge,Heman
ttom Boston that it got to be a by-word for
the Deacon thought there never was any body
like him. We used to joke Lyddy about him,
and asked Enos if he knew there was sock
knittin' for him ? and it worked mboth up so,
began to mistrust how the land lay. The Dca-
con had his wcaknesses-hc was human, and
desperit worldly-and he'd thought it all over,
how nice 'twould he to have the gentleman from
Boston a member of his family.
"lyddy warn't girl to be sighted neither,
by the best of 'em. She was amazin' perty-
clear red and white-with ewes bright as di'-
monds. She want none too good for Enos.
though. But while every girl in the ncighbor-
hood was after him, and he was after Lyddy,
she changed her mind all at once. and began to
receive attention from the gentleman from Dos
ton. Twas her fathers doin's mostly ;.but she
was Young, and little giddy, and s'pose she
thought it would be fine thing to marry Il
stranger that dressed so smart. and talked so
large, and walked so much like prince of the
arth, and had so much money as folks told about
and that, arter all, was the main thing, | i'm
agine.
They managed perty shrewd to keep Enos
quiet and at last he was sent off to Hartford on
some pretence of business, but for no 'arhly
reason under the sun, only to have him out of
the way when the weddin' come Off The gen
tleman from Boston was fierce enough for the
match-and no wonder; for whoever got Lyd-
dy got perty wife, and a fortin with her.
"Iour gran'ther Slade was courtn me along
bout that time he was kind of half cousin
of Lyddy's-her father was old granny SHADES
halt-brother-and since we'd been engaged,
Lyddy and l had got to be tolerable intimate
80 one day. arter She was published--the min
lister used to read off in meetn them that con-
templated matrimony, always, in those days
Iyddy sent for me to come over and see her.
| took my knittin', and went over-girls never
thought of goin a yisitin' then 'thout some kind
o work. | remember went cross-lots, and
picked some ros berries by the way and strung
some on a stalk Of grass to take to Lyddy-
She run out by the well to meet me. ndhugged
me IN her arms, and bust out a erwin right there
on my neck.
"My, Lyddyr says l. What on 'arth is
the matter?' says l. Now don't cry" saws l.
But all the time was a erwin myself; for
knowcd what the trouble was--and many "A sad
and lonesome time I'd had thinkin' of her and
poor Enos Foote, though 'twa'nt no business
of mine.
al ant cryin, or if | be, its cause I'm so
glad to see ye. says Lyddy, says she. Come
in, do : So went in, and she began to look
S @ sAb But SS E spp2 somehow p%G
l KEEP thinkin', thinkin' and e'ena most chokin',
when tried to talk and at last Icoudn't help
speakin' right OUT
"What 'u'd EnoS say, Lyddy q
"She turned white as sheet, and dropped
her Dress and stood a minute the most distress
ed object ever | set eyes on; then she began to
CRY agin
"'Oh don't mention Enos" says she. There
never was any body so miserable as be
'She took on terrible for much as ten or ff-
teen minutes; and | let her, for / thought
'twoud do her good to have her cry out. But
! felt awful while sot by and looked on. | was
in love lite myself then, and could lest en-
ter into her feelns, and feel for EnoS, too, eX-
acty as ift had been my own case. At last she
wiped up, and tried to put on a sober face on
the matter.
Its no use now,' says she; les talk about
somethn' else
"But was determined to dive into the mat
ter a little deeper. So says |
"'lf you don't like him, what makes We mar
ry hin" says l.
"'lf don't like who?' Lyddy spoke up, real
spunky for a second or two.
"'Your gentleman from Boston, SAYS /.
"'Who says don't ike him ? OF course !
like him, Or shouldn't marry him. says she
but her voice was beginnin' to trembe.
"'But there's somebody you like better says
|. no use your denyin that. And there's
somebody likes you good deal better than cv-
| or you deserved he should. And you're willful-
| ly and wckedly breakin his heart, as if twa'n't
of no more vally than a stununder a cGut-wheel
Excuse me for bein' so plain with ye, Lyddy
but that's Jest what l think, and | couldn't her
sayin' it,.
"Instid of bein' mad, as l s'posed she'd be
what did she do but run up to me, and git right
down on her knees by my side, and look up il
my face, with her hands a holdin' both of min,
| tlgnti ana tne tears running out OF ner eyes
jest like two springs of water
"'Oh will it break his heart p says she.-
Do you think he loves me so--do youP Ant
she laughed and sobbed, both at the same time
as if it made her happy, even then to think how
! Enos loved ner.
"Then she told me the hull story; and it die
really seem as though she want so much t.
blame, arter all. Twas all her fathers and re
lations' doin's-for they was bent ON havin' he
marry the gentleman from Boston, and thcy't
fairly talked it into her, and made he's thinl
she must, She owned right up that she didn'
like him bit, and never could and declared
she had never for minute thought Enos woulC
feel half so bad about it as she did.
"'Tan't too late yit,' says |.
"Shc frightened up at that but when l tolt
her what she ought to do, her countenance fell
and she gasped out that she never could do i
in the world
"'Turn right about, says |, 'and undo jes
all you've done wrong-that's the only way
Tell your father you never understood your feel
; ms till now that you never can love any bod
but Enos and that, as for marryin' the gentle
man from Boston, you can't and WON'T That
what told her; and was so worked up abou
:. 4 I ln, h,,,