Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-10-20
Nlisfellanp.
MIR. GILFIL's LOVE STORY.
Complete in Eight Numbers---NO.

Complete In Eight Numbers---No. q.
1t was not to the Shepperton farmers only
that Mr.. Gilfl's society was acceptable; he was
welcome guest at some of the best houses in
that part of the country. Old Sir Jasper Sit
well would have been glad to see him every
week and if you had seen him conducting
Lady Sitwell in to dinner, or had heard him
talking to her with quaint, yet graceful gallant
ry, you would have inferred that the earlier
period of his life had been passed in more state
ly society than could be found in Shepperton,
and that his slipshod chat and homely manners
were but like weather-stains on fine old block
of marble, allowing you still to see here and
there the fneness of the grain, and the delcacy
of the original tint. But in his later years
these visits became little too troublesome to
the old gentleman, and he was rarely to be
found anywhere of an evening beyond the
bounds of his own parish-most frequently, in
deed, by the side of his own sitting room fire,
smoking his pipe, and maintaining the pleasing
antlthesis of dryness and moisture by an occa-
sional sip of gin-and
Here [ am aware that have run the risk of
alternating all my refined lady readers and ut
terly annhilating any curiosity they may have
felt to know the details of Mr.. Gilfls love
story. Gin-and-water foh you may as well
ask us to interest ourselves in the romance of
tallow w-chandler who mingles the image of his
beloved with short dips and moulds.
Bat in the first place, dear ladies, allow me
to plead that gin-and-water, like obesity, or
badness, or the gout, does not exclude vast
amount of antecedent romance, any more than
the nicely executed " fronts" " which you may
some day wear, will exclude your present pos
session of less expensive braids. Alas, alas
we POOR mortals are often little better than
wood ashes-there is small sign of the sap, and
the leafy freshness, and the bursting buds that
were once there; but wherever we see wood
ashes, we know that all that early fulness of
life must have been. ], at least, hardly ever
look at bent old man, or a wizened old woman
but see also, with my minds eye, that Past of
which they are the shrunken remnant, and the
unfinished romance of rosy cheeks and bright
eyes seems sometimes of feeble interest and sig.
nifcance compared with that drama of hope
and love which has long ago reached its catas.
trophe, and left the poor soul, like u dim and
dusty stage, with all its sweet garden-scenes
and fair perspectives, overturned and thrust ou
Of sight.
In the second place let Inc assure you that
Mr.. Cliffs potations of gn-and-water were
quite moderate. His nose was not rubcund
on the contrary, his white hair hung around a
pale and venerable face. He drank it chiefly,
believe, because it was cheap; and here fine
myself alighting on another of the Wears
weaknesses, which if cared to paint fatter.
ing portrait rather than faithful one, might
have chosen to suppress 1t is undeniable that
as the years advanced, Mr.. Glfl became, as Mr.
Hackt observed, more and more g close-fsted' u
though the growing propensity showed itselI
rather in the parsimony of his personal habits
than in withholding help from the needy. He
was saving-so he represented the matter tc
himself--for nephew, the only son of sister
who had been the dearest object, all but one il
his life " The lad, he thought, twill have
nice little fortune to begin life with and vii
bring his pretty young wife some day to- see th'
spot where his old uncle lies. 1t will perhaI
be all the better for his hearth that mine wa
lonely"
" Mr. Gilfil was bachelor, then =?
That is the conclusion to which you wou
probably have come if you had entered his sit
tiag-room where the bare tables, the large old
fashioned horse halr chairs, and the thread bar
Turkey carpet perpetually fumigated wit
tobacco, seemed to tell a story of wifely exis
ence that was contradcted by no portrait, n
piece of embroidery, no faded bit of pretty triv
iAlity, limiting of taper fingers and small fem
nine ambitions. And it was here that Mr.. Gil
fiji passed his evenings, seldom with other soc'
ty than that OF Ponto, his old brown setter, wh
stretched out at full length on the rug with h
nose between his forc-paws, would wrinkle h
brows and lift his eyelids every now and thel
to exchange glance of mutual underestimate
with his master. But there was a chamber
Sheppcrton Vicarage which told a different stol
from that bare and cheerless dining-room-
chamber never entered by any one besides M
Glf and old Martha the housekeeper, VIII
with David her husband as groom and gardene
formed the Wears entire establishment. II
blinds Of this chamber were always down, e
cept once a-quarter, when Martha entered tn
she might air and clean it. She always ask
Mr.. Gilfl for the key, which he kept locked l
in his bureau, and returned it to him when 81
had finished her task.
twas t,uciing sight that the daylig'
streamed in upon, as Martha drew aside Il
blinds and thick curtains, and opened the Goth