Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-10-20

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were still in the branched sockets at the sides,
and on one of these branches hung little black
lace kerchlef; faded satin pin-cushion, with
the pins rusted in it, a scent-bottle, and largo
green fan lay on the table and on dressing
box by the side of the glass was work-basket,
and an unfinished baby-cap, yellow with age,
lying in it. Two gowns, of fashion long
forgotten, were hanging on nails against the
door, and pair of tiny red slippers, with a bit
OF tarnished silver embroidery on them, were
standing at the foot of the bed Two or three
water-colour drawings, views of Naples, hung
upon the wallis and over the mantel-piece,
above some bits of rare old china, two miniatures
in oval frames. One of these Miniatures repre-
sented young man about seven and-twenty,
with sanguine complexion, full lips, and clear
candid grey eyes. The other was the likeness
ofa girl, probably not more than eighteen with
small features, thin checks, pale southern.
looking complexion, and large dark eyes. The
gentleman wore powder the lady had her dark
hair gathered away from her face, and little
cap, with cherry -coloured bow, SGT on the top
OF her head-a coquettish head dress, but the
eyes spoke of sadness rather than of coquctry.
Such were the things that Martha had busted
and let the air upon, four times a-year, ever
since she was blooming lass of twenty; and
she was now, in this last decade of Mr. Gilf's
life, unquestionably on the wrong side of fifty.
Such was the locked-up chamber in Mr.. Gilfl's
house; sort of visible symbol of the secret
chamber in his heart, where he had long turn
ed the key on early hopes and early sorrows,
shutting up for ever oil the passion and tho
poetry of his life.
There were not many people in the parish,
besides Martha, who had any very distinct
remembrance of Mr.. Gilfl's wife, or indeed who
knew anything of her, beyond the fact that
there was marble tablet, with Latin in
scription in memory of her, over the vicarage
pew. The parishioners who were old enough
to remember her arrival were not generally
gifted with descriptive powers, and the utmost
you could gather from them was, that Mrs.
Gilfl looked like " furriner, wi such eyes.
you can think, and voice rs went through
you when she sung at church, The one
exception was Mrs. Patten, whose strong memory
and taste for personal narrative made her
great source of oral tradition in Shepperton.
Mr.. Hacklt, who had not come into the parish
until ten years after Mrs. Glfl's DEATH would
often put old questions to Mrs. Patten for the
sake of getting the old answers, which pleased
him in the same way us passages from favour
lite book, or the scenes of familiar play, please
more accomplished people.
" All, you remember well the Sunday as>Mrs.
Gifl first came to church, eh, Mrs Patten ?
" To be sure | do. 1t was fine bright
Sunday as ever was seen, just at the bcginnin'
o. hay harvest. Mr.. Tarbctt preached that day,
and Mr.. Gif sat i the pew wi his wife. |
think see him now a-leadin' her up tn aisle,
an her head not leachln' much above his elber
a little pale woman wi eyes as black as sloes,
an yet lookin blank like, as if she see d nothin'
wi en-"
81 warrant she had her weddin' clothes on p
said Mr.. Hackit
Nothin' partickler smart-on'y q white
hat tied down under her chin, an white Indy
muslin gown. But you don't know what Mr.
Gilfil was in those times. lie was fine an al
tered afore you came into the parish. He'd a
fresh colour then, an bright look wi his eyes,
as did your heart good to see. He looked rare
an happy that Sunday, but somehow I'd a
feelin' as it wouldn't last long. I've no opinion
O. furriners, Mr.. Hackit, for I've travelled i
their country wi my lady in my time, an seen
anutf o their victuals an their nasty ways"
Mrs. Gilfl come from lily, didn't she?"
81 reckon she did, but niver could rightly
hear about that. Mr.. Gilfl was niver to be
spoke to about her, and nobody else hereabout
knowed anythin'. IIowiver, she must ha' come
over pretty young, for she spoke English as
well az you an me. It's them Italians as has
such fine voices, and Mrs. Glfl sung, you niver
heard the like. He brought her here to have
tea wi me one afternoon, and says he, in his
jovial way, Now, Mrs. Patten, | want Mrs
Gilfl to see the neatest house, and drink the
best cup O tea in all Shepperton; you mus,
show her your dairy and your cheesc-room, and
then she shall sing you song. And so sht
did; an her voice seemed sometimes to fill tn,
room an then it went low an soft, us if il
was whisperin' close to your heart like"
" You never heard her again, | reckon?'
0 "No, she was sickly then, an she died in
b few months after She wasn't in the parisl
: much more nor half year altogether. Sh
0 didn't seem lively that afternoon, an coul
: see she didn't care about the dairy, nor tn
: cheeses, on'y she pretended, to please him. A
: for him, niver seed man SO wrapt up in
= woman lie looked at her as if he was woshir
o pin her, and as ifhe wanted to lift her off til
is ground livery minute, to save her the trouble {
is walkn. Poor man, poor man 1t had like t
!, ha' killed him when she died, though he nivC
g gev way, but went on ridin' about and preacl
n m But he was wore to shadder an h
y eyes used to look us dcad-you wouldn't h,
a knowd EN-"
r. as She brought him no fortin p
}, Not she. All Mr.. Gilfls property cone |
r, his mother side There was blood and mont
le too, there. It's thousand pitles as he marie
& a that way--a fine man like him, as might h
1t had the pick o tho county, IN had his gram
p children. too"
le In this manner Mrs. patten usually wour
up her "reminiscences of the Wears wife
t whom, you perceive, she knew but little.