Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-08-06
BRATTLEBORO, W.: AUG. 6, 1859.


word, he quartered himself upon a section of
the sleigh's floor, and drove ahead.
In little while Miss Brandon said, softly
81 think there is room up here. Mr. Langford."
81 am very well down here" he answered !;
and them in low voice, leaning over toward
her-"1 could not have thought, Miss Brandon,
that you would transfer any part of the resent
ment you felt toward me to this unoffending
and unfortunate person."
Lucy began to cry, but this new phenomenon
escaped his notice. The woman of woeful
countenance, who heard nothing, but saw eve
ry thing sat on thorns.
Now here was most unhappy misunderstand-
ing, for Lucyreally deserved better of this good
naturcd, but too hasty young knight. Grant
The fact was, that just at the moment when the
pedestrian episode began to interfere, she had
discovered that she was not irreconcilably Of
Tended, after all, and was longing for an oppor-
tunity to give a fraction of hint to that effect.
Having, after much wavering, heroically resolv-
ed to do this unfemenine thing, she was natu-
rally disturbed by the interruption. SO the
cause OF her pque was not at all unhattering to
her cavalier.
Presently she bent forward, and said timidlv,
but with incxpressible sweetness-
"Won't you forgive me, Mr. Langford?"
Harry looked quickly up, and saw one tear
glistenng on the end of her nose, and another
threatening to freeze upon her check He
pushed back something that came uninvited in
to his throat, and sang out Justify :--"Come
now, it is cold here, and | must have a share of
the buhaloes "-and he clambered in, without
much disturbing the solemn-visaged passenger.
Lucy got up a small laugh.
Before they reached Linvie it was six o.
clock, and growing dark. A few snow flakes,
scarcely noticed, rested upon the horses back.
Five minutes MORE and they had deposited
their passenger at her destination. She flung
out a profusion of thanks, favored by tear
The reconciled twain started homeward each
little doubtful as to the exact condition of the
others temper. Preliminarily, they convcrsed
upon very remote topics-agrecd that as Lin
willie was eight miles from Winston, they had
now about eight miles to overcome; and that
as it was already late, it would probably be la
ter before they reached home. The increasing
snow furnished new subject, and this very
soon acquired positive interest, as it steadily
gained strength. In a little while gusts of
wind came surging along, keen and icy, and
impudently whirling the light snow into the
faces of the homeward bound. With any other
companion, Mr. Harry Langford would have
said disagreeable things. Miss Brandon ac-
knowledged to herself that if she were now un-
der the guidance of any of her professed devo-
When they were four miles from Winston.
they came to a sudden turn in the road. The
new snow had drifed here, and the way was
difficult to psss. AT touch of the whip, the
horse plunged forward and-and a trace snap
ped!
This was serious. Langford sprang out, and
discovered that the difficulty might be tempo
rarily arranged by splicing. For this he need
cd twine. Together they searched the sleigh,
but found no consolation there. Ten cheerless
minutes passed. Harry tried dozen cxpedi-
ents, all unsuccessful. What should be done?
There were no houses near. 1t was becoming
very dark.
AT last he proposed, not without hesitation,
to draw the sleigh to the side of the road to
wrap his fair charge in impcnetrable folds, and
to start off ON foot in search of twne.
AT this point all trouble vanished in an in
stant. In n faint voice Miss Lucy unexpected
ly chirped forth from her pile of buffalo robes
-"Will this do?' and instantly hid herself
from human view.
She had let fall something upon the snow
that lay like a half-coed blue snake. In an
swer to her frightened question she was in
formed that did. Harry, laughing himself to
pieces internally, but specifically solemn and
calm, repaired damages, resumed his place, and
drove cautiously onward. After a while he said
Think, now, Miss Lucy, OF woman walking
to Linyille in this tempest
Lucy looked appealingly into his face, and
gave signals of great distress.
.You are cold" he said and as she was ST.
lent, he took it for granted that she was
As they passed through the long avenue to
Mr.. Brandon's house, an electrical experiment
took place, without the same explosive result as
before.
The next evening there was q sewing circle
in Winston. A sewing-circle is a popular
needle and thread d-assemblage at which ilannels
and regulations are pitilessly punctured at
which under-garments for infants and scandal
cloaks for adults are manufactured, and all
made TO fit. The duties of the occasion having
been worried through early in the evening, the
masculine element was suffered to mingle social.
ly, and the sport began. Mr.. Henry Langford
was admitted with the rest of the hitherto ex-
cluded. lie looked mischievously at the cen
tire of attraction. The centre of attraction
smiled at him, and folded its front upper teeth
over its lower lip.
Did you ever notice what depth and variety
of meaning is conveyed by that very curiou.
contortion of the female face9 1t signife.
amazement, amusement, grief, anger, reflection
almost any thing, according to the will of tn,
exhibitor.
This time it meant remonstrance and exhorta
ton.
A divinity student was talking very loudl,
about the Atlantic cable, and descanting upol
the ingenuity of man.
Mr.. Langford asserted that the ingenuity o
man bore no comparison to the ingenuity o
woman; and proposed to substantiate his posi-
ton by a slight narration and simple apparatus
he had in his pocket.
From the centre of ATTRACTION there cam
again high d, head register, this time stacca
tissmo. Miss Brandon broke recklessly from
her circle, spilling all sorts of work-box treas
ures as she ran. Spools needles, pins, bodkins
scissors, books were scattered around in mex
tricabe confusion.
Harry, give it to me" she pleaded very soft
ly-"please do, dedr Harry"
The "dear" was of at least ten seconds dura
ton. Long before the prominent vowel wa
exhausted Harry Langford was lost man.
"There it is," he said, "and what shall hav
in return?" Can this very softly.)
"Every thing"-(more softly STILL but with
smile that was better than dozen orations.)
In the course of week, the youth of Win
ston heard something that took away its appe
tite. 1t considered that its confidence had bee
abused. II regarded Mr.. Henry Langford q