Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-09-04

teach as young as she is.
But suppose she is compelled to il
and is determined not to fail, / said
Really, l have a curiosity to see heI
and shall give you a friendly call by to
morrow eve, Nellie, when | shall be sur
of meeting this new teacher and per
haps l can persuade my quiet brother t
accompany me- added, when Ellen ros
to go, saying she could not possibly re
main longer; she had only run over 70
a moment.
Oliver, of course, accompanied he
home, though she persisted she was no
afraid and after they had gone l sa
planning, as l had often done, about thos'
two, and more especially of late, since
myself had become engaged to the new
minister at Hapgate, young Herman
Rutledge.
The next evening Oliver and l wen
over to Mrs. Perry's. Nellie was de.
lighted to see me, as we had not met
since the previous evening, whole day
intervening.
Miss Vernon is in her room, but will
invite her down. said Mrs. Perry, Mel
lies mother. Poor young thing l pity
her, for she looked pale and tired tonight
when she came from school. I'm afraid
it's too much for her, Squire Horton,
she added, as she left the room.
A few moments after, she returned,
and then the door opened, and the teach
er came in. I had been prepared to see
a young and girlish figure, but hers was
certainly much more so than l had i'm
agined. She could not, at the farthest,
have been over eighteen, and looked
much younger. Her eyes were dark
blue, large and liquid, with a soft light in
their depths; her hair, of a chestnut
brown, waved in little pillows around her
white forehead, and was fastened in a
close coil at the back of her finely shaped
head, in order to make her look more
dignifed, fancied, and / wanted to pull
away the comb and let it fall in shining
rings, as / knew it would, and make a
frame for her lovely face. Her COM
plexion was fair, almost too pale, ex-
cept for the quick flashes of color which,
| afterward noticed, came and went as
she conversed. She was clad in dark
blue dress, with plain linen collar and
cuffs. This completed the picture of the
new and youthful teacher at Hapgate.
| took her into my heart at once, and
we m a de rapid advances in acquain-
tance, and were soon quite like old
friends, while Nellie engrossed Oliver in
conversation, and Mrs. Perry was busy
with some fine sewing at tn e table
not too busy, however, to spare a pleased
glance at the two conversing together,
Nellie and Oliver, and weaving the same
plans, l fancied, that | had often done
concerning them.
When Miss Vernon first entered the
parlor, my brother made some inquiries
about the school, how she liked it, the
number present, &c, after which ques-
tions, to which she returned satisfactory
answers, he turned his attention to Nell
lie again.
When we rose to depart, l felt that
| had passed delightful evening, and
told Oliver so on the way home.
"A delightful evening, indeedy said
my brother, somewhat sarcastically, 'and
| suppose l a m expected to say the
same but l cannot, for l find neither
pleasure nor interest in listening TO the
fashionable nonsense + gossiping chit
chat of young ladies of the Ellen Per
ry order. l do wish l could find a SEN
sible woman among my acquaintance,
one who can forget her own identity
long enough to converse about something
else than her own perfections and her
neighbors' delinquenciesp p And he spoke
seriously and gravely.
"Why, brother Oliver, I'm astonished
at you" l exclaimed "for l certainly
thought you were enjoying yourself i'm
mensely this evening. Every time l
looked at you you seemed engrossed with
Nellie's conversation, and you certainly
do her injustice if you class her with the
generality of yOurg ladies in Hapgate,
for she is far above them in intellect and
a.tainments."
"Yes, this is the very thing l mean,
for it seems TO me that she is quite well
aware Of her own merits and of others
inferiority--at least l inferred as much
from her conversation tonight; but
may be doing the lady injustice, for she
most certainly is handsome and accom-
plished above the generality of her SEX"
replied my brother as if 20 make amends