Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-01-14
NJ | s c E L L A n Y.
Written for The Vermont Phoenix.
MY COUSINS.
By LUCY.

Reader, shall tell YOU of my good cousins
Lorin and HeenP My fancy will have naught
to do, save to Gull from memory's record, and
translate its selections into English, for these
cousins OF mine are bona fide flesh and blood,
90 YOU will never doubt, should you be so for
tunate as to have your hand rest, in his cordial
grasp, and your eye view her rosy, healthtul
cheek.
scarce remember the commencement of our
correspondence. My mother availed herself of
the ready pen of her eldest daughter, to write
to her brother, and his eldest son replied; that
was the story of it. Lorin and | soon learned
to write for ourselves, and left our parents again
to depend on their own resources Then Helen
added new interest to the correspondence, not
only by her own pleasant letters, but also by
the new freedom of expression, which her rela-
ton, as a wife, gave to mine. Thus, with occa-
sional postscripts, in masculine hand, to my
chatty epistles we held pleasant intercourse for
two or three years. Invitations to each others
homes had been repeatedly reciprocated, when,
five years ago last June, decided to take my
summer recreation, with the uncle, aunt and
cousins, whom had never seen. Notice of my
purpose was most cordially responded to by Lo-
rim and Helen; the former of whom volunteer
ed to meet me at Waterbury depot.
On the appointed day, my long ride in the
cars was enlivened, by casual meeting, with a
pleasant acquaintance. When we reached my
place of destination, my reverend companion
gallantly assisted me to alight which turned
Cousin Lorins attention from me, and gave me
an opportunity to make most ridiculous blum
der / had expected to stop alone, at a wayside
depot, and had not given thought to our
means of recognizing each other.
As my eye glanced over the gathering upon
the platform, it rested upon a pleasant social
| ox-a1 hn IN hp K.
ing for some one. Supposing myself to be the
object of his search, offered my hand as in
quired, if it were Mr. Lee. 1t was not in his
nature to avoid shaking the hand he had grasp
ed, and so it happened that | shook hands with
John Crosset, the hostler and porter at the vii
lage hotel, and first saw Cousin Lorin's black
ewes brimful of laughter Well, l did not hall
so much regret that hand-shaking, with good
humored man, as ! did the fact that did moi
see Lorin, when he rendered his first salutatior
to the only woman who stepped from the cars
alone He was not so fortunate as |, in finding
his ideal passaby realized, for the woman, tC
whom circumstances pointed, as the cousir
whom he was awaiting, was, according to his de
scription, ga regular six-footer, black as a full
charged thunder cloud, and stiff as a stake"
He hardly needed her curt reply, to his in
ouiry. to convince him that this corn-fed las
was not the friend, for whom his wife was 81
eagerly waiting at home, and thus | could neye
have chosen a moment more propitious, for m,
making favorable first impression, than whel
honest John relinquished my hand to him, no
could he well have appeared to better advantage
than he did at that instant when his more in
teectual, and handsomer face was frightened
by my involuntary comparison.
Our pleasant ride, of seven miles, in tn
bright summer twilight, Cousin Helens heart
welcome, and, half hour later, Uncle Lee
cordial recognition of me, as his loved sister
child, lie bright, among such recollections a
, shame the creations of fancy.
The next two days brought the rain, for whic
the farmers had been wishing, and | hearth
enioyed seeing Lorin, while he congratulate
himself that the bright drops were doing NOR
for his broad acres, than twenty men could dc
devote his whole energies to having goo
time. With his quick wit and abundant mirtl
fulness, he must have succeeded, even it hi
companions had been far less disposed, to max
merry with him, than were Helen and l.
Then came the Sabbath, goriously brigt
June day, when no one could avoid rejoicing, !
the exceeding beauty of the fresh, glad eartl
81 Divine service was to be held in the little scho'
bouse near by, and, an hour before the time al
pointed, the people began to gather at Cousi
e Lorin's. They came weary, from long walk
hut full of sociability and earnest interest, j
those whom they met. 1t was pleasant, soci
reunion from which they gradually dispersed
af,er the arrival of the minister, whom ! sha
take the liberty to call, in the present skete
Mr. Lowther. He was jolly, shouting job