Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1858-04-02
miscellaneous.
COUSIN JOHN.


tune do not necessarily produce happiness,
and Ida was at thatmoment painfully sensible
Of feeling Of listlessness and discomfort, for
which she was puzzled to account.
Her medtations were interrupted by the
entrance of a servant with letter The adj
Idress-"Miss ida claiborno'-n is deficiency
Of capitals and rough chirography, clearly
enough ovnced that the writer was by no
means an adept with the pen. Ida glanced at
the postmark. " Pnevillc." and conjcctured
without much difficulty that the missive was
| from her uncle jeremiah, fourshing farmer
in that most countrifed Of villages.
With not a little curiosity for this was the
first letter with which her worthy uncle had
ever favored her. she hastily opened it. and
read what, errors excepted, was meant to be
as follows:
"DEAR NIECE: take my pen to write
you a short letter, hoping that it will find you
well and hearty Yonr aunt is pretty smart,
except the rheumatis, which he sometimes
has pretty bad. Your Cousin john be-
lieve YOU never saw him-has just got home
from college and settled down doctor in
Pinovillc ! guess he'll get along pretty
well by-and-by when folks sees that he knows
thing or two, if he is old jeremiah SON
| should like to have you see him. Why
can't you come down and pay us visit We
haven't seen you since you was five years old.
Guess you'ye changed some since then
Write soon, and let me know if you can come.
80. ! almost forgot to write one thing that
perhaps you can help us about. We want
young woman TO keep school in our deestrict
this winter. The deestrict they appointed
me Prudential Committee, and so its my duty
to get somebody. Its most time for school
to begin, and haint found any body to come
yet Don't you know Of somebody that
would take il The wages are a dollar and
fifty cents per week and board. She viii
board with me. Hoping you will write soon,
as its very important, | sign myself,
Your aHccuonate uncle.
JEREMIAH HAYDEN"
Pretty well, uncle jerry thought Ida,
as she folded up the letter; $50 you want
me TO sec cousin John do you; Is it pos
sible, most disintercsted uncle, that you think
my property, which is much greater than
deserve would be a very comfortable dowry,
for Johns wife, However, ! should Just
like TO meet him, just to see what sort Of
person my country cousin may be-
She glanced at the latter part of the letter
once more.
$50 they want me to hunt up decstrict'
school teacher who, for the munifcout sum
Of one dollar and a half, with board, will
consent to enlghten the rising generation of
of Pinoville. really don't know how can
accommodate them unless | 20 myself
She laughed at the idea, but a moment af-
forwards exclaimed. gaily:
After all, why shouldn't Here | am
languishing in the city for want of little eX-
element. Wouldn't it be a capital idea to
introduce myself under an assumed name to
my worthy unoes family, and as an humble
school mistress, to become an actor and OBJ
server in scenes which are quite shut out
from Ida Claiborne the hcircss y
The idea, so rapidly conceived, was deter
mined upon with equal rapidity Drawing
hel writing dosl, towards her, she hurredly
wrote the following note:
DEAR UNCLE: ! was gratiied to hear
from you by this mornings mail, as my
prompt reply will convince you. 1 regret
that other engagements viii prevent me from
accepting your kind invitation, for the pres
ent, at least. In regard to the school, have
a young friend, Jcrusha Hall. who has agreed
TO take charge Of the school for which you
are seeking teacher. Having been long
acquainted with her, can speak with some
degree of confidence of her competency to fiji
the situation. Please write at once, and let
me know how soon you wish her to COM
mcncc the school IDA"
After sealing and despatching this letter,
Ida sat down and yielded herself up to un-
comfortable mirth.
"Jcrusha Hall I fatter myself l could
not have selected more hefttng name for
school ma'am. H1ping been long acquainted
ioih her, at least. | am secure from ibbing in
that particular, though whether it is precisely
modest TO speak so confidently of my own
competency. is another matter. 1t reminds
me of student, who. on entering college,
was required to bring with him certificate
of moral character Having unfortunately
lost the one furnished by his teacher, he un-
dertook to supply the deficiency by writing
one for himself but was informed that it was
slightly contrary to usage to receive such a
testimonial
1t occurred to Ida that it was necessary to
procure an entire new wardrobe, since, how
ever complete and elegant her present one,
rich silks and Persian laces would look slight
ly out of place in Miss Jerusha Hall, school
ma am, with an income of one dollar and fifty
cents per week and found She accordingly
started on a shopping excursion, from which
which she returned in short time, after or
doring home several cheap ginghams and cal
icoes and other articles to correspond
Her dressmaker, Madamoisclle Fanchetto,
turned up her eyebrows in mingled surprise
and disdan, as she beheld the plebian arti-
cles on which she was to display her profess
sional skill
Apparently" she remarked, "madsmoi-
sellc intends to retire from the world"
just so, was the reply, but only for
season. A little masquerading, that is all.
But however common the materials, | could
not consent to forogo your skill in the max
ing up"
Deciding at once that it was young lady's
whim, and Modified by the compliment, the
fashionable dressmaker set to work with a
will, and few days boheld Ida Claiborne
ready as Jorusha Hall, to set out for the field
of her labors
"John," said Farmer Hayden to his son,
the newly Aedged doctor, =" wish you'd 90
up to the village in time to meet the stage
l expect Miss Hall will come tonight"
1.-The new school mistrossi" quericd John
"Yes, said his father, the one that Ida
recommended
What is her first namo;' asked the
young doctor carelossly
Jerusha Hall--Jerusha Hall"