Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1861-12-19

ASK DrluLet II you may, how you shall dress,
and what shall say, and all the neighbors shall
open their mouths and declare, Blessed is Mrs,
Eve for she keeps Bridget.
The good, old days, when the mothers were
the head of the domestic realm. and their daugh-
tcrs fell one after another single file. and like
fair Corinhlan columns, sustained the house,
are like old Grimes-"we ne'er shall see them
more" The world must board out or Bird.
get be retained If she goes, the domestic econ
omy must 90 to pieces, or the World must go
after her. And so it does, and the World is
turned into great Ninrod, and the game is
girls. Up hill and down dale, plunge doctors
and divines editors and authors, girl hunting
All out of the way lanes, and houses back from
the road, and poor people with large families,
are sought out and the cover" beat for girls.
Dinnerless dignitarieS rush into Intelligence
Offices for girls Staid, deaconish sorts of men
go rushing through the rural districts offering
more for one little weeks service of somebody
than somebody is worth for the term of her
natural life. To run one down after a chase of
seventy five miles, is regarded as grand day S
sport, and the hunter goes home eated, and the
hunters vile wipes her nose-and an aristocrat-
ic little nose it is-bathes her pink-rimmed eyes
in cold water, and with face radiant as an
Easter day sun. thinks she and her Charles are
the happiest pair alive, opens the piano that has
been dumb for a week, and lips that have been
puckered into pout for like time, and plays
and sings,
"oh take your time, Miss Lucy'
Mr.. Adam had been abroad in top boots and
shooting Jacket, from new moon to full hunting
:.i Il; NJ, Evo .t,;1 h. ,,I t,p, 4,
az if she should fly" Bridget went away Just
after breakfast on Monday morning. everything
being literally "in the mds," because Mrs Eve
was unwlIng-don't you thing she should
wash the clothes with the "Balm Thousand
Flowers" on account of her hands, you know
Well Mr.. Adam, having equipped himselfwi'h
a neghbor's horse, and top buggy which latter
he procured elsewhere. and made poin Of
inasmuch as girls have been lost 10 hcrryed
ond suhrrng families, simrly because they were
come for in common one horse wagons. The
harness was plated, the horse was gay, the sun
was shining, Mr. Adam was well dressed and
good looking, and so far, all was well. IIe had
vowed, after the manner of Hannibal, that he
would not return girl-!eSs, and with a sort of
"whcn-shall. we-meet again" face. he hade Mrs
Eve good naming" and set forth like Don
QuiXotr in search of adventure. For the first
zen miles he pushed on without i'quiry, and
then relnel up to dsconsolate ing house
with one of the gables blown ont where lean,
bluish-mccd, antquatcd woman and 'eaner
pig were dspuing The right of way at the gate.
Mr.. Adam pu, on his best smile, and accostcd
the woman naklng known the object ofhis cx-
pednion. Gals Gals !" she cried bless YOU
Il. "a.
has gone to-day to see il he can't ind one. but
he won't Gals is mighty scarce now [ tell
yr." Mr. Adam drove on; it was region of
magnificent distances" aud he gladly vel
coined the sight of d substantial farm house
There were girls IN the yard, and girls at the
door, aud girls at the window and great stout
girls they were too. All! thought Mr.. Adam,
this is the true Paradise. Here are girls ito
the manor horn" and SO thinking, he drew rein
again. The mother Of this happy family hard
ly heard him through, when she burst in upon
h'm with "bless your soul and body bev to
hire myself My girls is all weakly like
There's Jerusha now pointing 10 a s'rapping
creature tina, weighed not less than hundred
and Gity-''iS kinder pindlin',' though body
wouldn't think it. or may be she might CO.
What do YOU pay Mr. Adam meekly replied
that money was no object whatever in such
case but Jeru>has soul was above that sort
of thing, and Mr.. Adam signing that Jerusba
didn't smile, pursued his way
A snug little cottage, as neat as a martn-box
was the next shrine Of his grimage, and as he
stopped before the gate bright, pleasant,
young face smiled at him from the door. as he
made known his errand, and family inquired,
have you any girls here" for poor Mr. Adam
felt as i he were courting, and his lady love a
little Del phic, alias little doubtful. "Only
one. Sir" said the pleasant face as she pulled
aside little white blanket, and disclosed very
small face, and very like her own, "the daugh-
ter OF that house and teart." Our hunter
moved on, and came at length to huge. double
10y house, as big and as airy barn The APP
pearance of the place was as forbidding as that
of Doubling Castle in Bunyan's dream. A
hungry looking woman met him at the door.
and before he could speak, set her aim akubo. /
and opened pair of very thin lips, Il know
what you've come for! You're the tenth man
that's ocen here in two days after girls, girls,
girls. You town folks are pretty helpless, f7rs
[ know too stuck up to do yeur own work -
Got grIs To be sure I've got girls, but
Mr.. Adam who incoulnenty retrea ated-'but
if had million on 'em they shouldn't work
out Some folks are dreadful 'fra,d O. spiIing
their hands. Let 'em do their own work, |
say"
The horse was not quite so gay, I'd the sun
had gone behind cloud, but Mr.. Adam drove
sadly on.
He had reached his "sixteenthly.' and the
miles grew longer as the sun declined. His
hope regularly rose as he deserted a house aud
spoke" it, and as regularly fell wnen he turn
ed away. He would make one eff, rt more it
should be on any terms. for he was getting des-
rcrate. The girls should have her thirds he
would come within one oil bgany. house,
the most dosolate of all, was in sight. Ragsel
pettcou,s ,ecorated the Windows; the chimney
had tuuhed down, nnd section u stove ppe