Litchfield enquirer., 1860-03-15
LrTcHFIELD, CONN, THURSDAY, MARCH IS. 1seo.

@ " a LITCl him to be concealed atheist. Why can not he shew his face at church, she asks like decent Christian Mrs. Squills, tn, surgeon's spouse, suggests that that night walking and talking point to remorse fo some great crime-perhaps murder. Swind ling finds more favor in the eyes of Mrs Brown, the retired tradesman's wife. She would like to know whether Phillips IS hi. name, and how he got h;s money. .Perhap. he's coiner,' whispers, in an awe-struck voice, her daughter Belinda, a great reader of romances. Miss Harriet Phipps, who is suspected of having had Iove-affair lone ago. is the only one who is not censoricus she hints that bIighted affections may have caused his melancholy. But this compas sionate hypothesis, in common with all it's un. kind predecessors, Aunt Rhoda scornfnlly scouts. In her opinion, the man is merely an absurd hypochondaiac old bachelor. who has grown halfsilly through living by him. sell, and having no one else to care for; and, as usual, sharp-sighted little Aunt Rhoda is right. She VOWS, moreover, that she will rout him out, and make him take wife, and l do some good in the village, instead of haunting his house like 2 selfish old ghost.
 Why not ask him yourself, Aunt Rho da ? says Miss Brown. Next year is leap year, you know
 We'll laughs Aunt Rhoda, if can't manage it any other way, aoiH'
 ( l. riet
 Thus they sat chatting until the bells burst out with their joy-peal at the birth of the new year, when, with many expressions of surprise at the quickness with which the time has flown, they give each other the customary hearty greeting of the hour and then the vieitors clog and cloak, and scatter to their homes, the rector's wife tossing her head contemptuously when she meets the Methodists coming out from their watch night service in their little meeting-house 1; in which manifestation of scorn I cannot sympathise with Mrs. Rector, there seeming to me to be a deal of solemn poetry in that rite. The few minutes before midnight, passed kneeling and in silence, whilst the clock ticks audibly iu the hushed chapel. as if it were the heart of the dying year fast hastsning to its final tbrob, struck me- when ouce witnessed the service, as being about the most thrilling time ever spent.
 Leap-year is not three days old, when, in company with Mrs. SquiIls, Aunt Rhoda presents herself at the gate of Holly Lodge, aud requests to be ushered in to the pres ence of its owner. In vain does wondering John, the janitor, inform her that Master don't see nobody, miss.' He mast see her, as she has come on business. But when they are seated in the drawing room, comes request for the ladies to send iu their mes- sage, as Mir. Phillips is too unwell to leave the library. Very well, then, we'll go to him, John says the undaunted little wo- man and go she does, dragging her con- panion with her. Mr Phillips, tall, pale faced man, with twitching lips and quivering fingers, starts from his chair at the appari- tion. Since they hare bearded him in his den--caught him sitting on his form, per taps would be 8 more appropriate figure he tries hard to be polite, kicks over the coal-scuttle in nervous attempt to hand them seats, and stammers out welcome to which, however, his startled eyes give de cided contradiction. He looks little re- lieved when he finds that the intruders have come for no more formidable purpose than to solicit subscription to their coal and blanket fund, and permits them to put down his name for muni6cent sum, evidently ho ping to bribe them into speedy departure :; but still Aunt Rhoda stays, rattling on about the weather, and the neighborhood, and general news, uutil his look of pain changes into look of puzzle, and eventual iv into one of semi-pleasure. It is novel, and not altogether disagreeable sensation to have the stagnant waters of his existence stirred. Women, he finds, like otEer repu- ted monsters, are not quite so terrible when closely scanned be eau talk after 8 bit, without stutterng and blushing, and when his visitors leave, escorts them not only to the hall-door, but also to the garden-gate.
 Other local charities afford pretexts for other calls. Ruthlessly does little Rhoda bleed his purse, affirming that she ought to extract heavy fees for the good that she has done him. And, indeed, he is marvel lously improved. He no longer denies him self to the village ladies, all of whom Rho ua lHtrOuuCtS to HUI Ill tufli uc VcutuIes outside his gate on the weekdays he joins the Book Club, and attends it's meetings at first, indeed. with the scared look of u shared thing, but he gets used in time to hearing his own voice in company, and proves valuable acquisition to the society, not on ly by his suggestions as to the selection o their literature, but also from the interesting nature of his conversation. His front cur tain at church is now undrawn, aud rumoul says that he looks good deai more at Aunt Rhoda than at the rector. Belinda Brown who is rather an old young lady, adds that it is really immodest for Miss Rhoda Phipps-- she doesu't aunt her now-to call so ofter at his house but she supposes that her ag. protects her.
 At this spite and tattle, Aunt Rhoda on