Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-03-22
1flistellanp.
The Bow Window,
AN ENGLISH TALE.

There is something so English, so redolent o (
home, Of flowers IN antique stands about bow
window that We are always pleased when we
catch glimpse Of one, even II it be when but
forming the front OF an inn. 1t gives a pictur-
esque look, too, TO a home, that is quite refresh.
ing to glze on, and, when journeying in foreign
lands, fond recollectons Of dear England come
flooding DER Us, II we happen, in some ou,-of-the.
way village, on such memory OF the land whence
We came. have not, from absence from my
county, seen such thing for some few years
but there is one fresh 10 my memory, with its
greeu short Venetian blinds, its large chintz cur.
tains, its comfortable view up and down the ter
race where we lived, to say nothing Of its assoc-
ations in connection with my childhood But it
is not OF this bow window that | would speak it
is one connected with the fortune Of my friend
Maria Walker, and which had considerable inhu-
euce on her happiness.
Maria Walker was usually allowed to be the
beauty of one of the small towns round London
IN the direction OF Greenwich OF which ancient
place she was a native. Her father had original
ly practced as physician in that place, but cir
cumstances had caused his removal TO another
locality which promised more profitable returns.
The house they occupied was an ancient red
brick mansion, IN the centre of the town, with a
large bow window always celebrated for its ger
aueums, myr les and roses, that, with a couple of
small orange trees, were the admiration of the
neighborhood Not that Thomas Walker ESQ.,,
had any horticultural tas,es--on the contrary, he
was very severe on our sex for deVotng their
minds TO such trllles as music, flowers and fancy
work but then, blue'eyed Maria Walker differ.
ed from him IN opinion, and plainly told him SO
-saucy, pert girl, as even | thought her
though several years my senior. No, that
she neglected any more serious duties for those
father ever found in her friend. MIR. Walker
strongly objected to giving anything away it wa'
bad example, he said aud people never yalueC
what they got for nothing but many box o
pills and vial of medicine Maria smuggled unde
her fathers very nose, to poor people who coulC
not afford to pay. OF course, he knew nothin.
about it, good easy man, though it would puz
zed philosopher to have told how the gir
could have prepared them. She was also an &C
uye member of charitable coal club, made fan
mel Tor the poor, and even distributed tracts upo
occasions. When this was done, she would tur
to her pleasures, which were her little world. Sh
was twenty, and was not sixteeni at the time q
which speak, but yet we were the best friend
10 the world. | used to go AMI sit in the boz
window, while she would play The piano for hour
together and had some fancy work in my lap
but my chief amusement was 10 watch the passei
by don't think that am at all changed b
half a dozen more years of experience, for sll
like a lively street, and dislike nothing more tha
look out upon square French court in III
great city OF Paris, where houses are more lih
prisons tnln pleasant residences But to fetur
TO my bow window.
In the front OF the house Of the Walkers hs
been a few years before an open space, but wbi,
now, thanks to the rapid march Of improyemet
was being changed into ros ofvery good houst
There were dozen OF them, and they were d.
nihed with the name OF Beauohsmp TeftaC
They were, abou, the time ! speak Of, oil to lt