The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-10-20

He would have me at the Hall often
also, but Sabrina sent no message.
She was the mistress Of the house,
and would not 60 there without her
invitation. So l pined and grew thin,
and mother thought me i'll. SO
was, but Of heart, not Of body. And
when she talked of my wedding day,
my blood would boil, and I'd say,
between my clinched teeth,
"No--I'll marry no one who woas
me because hes bound to me, and not
from lovo?'
One night L stood by the garden
palings and looked at the stars, and
as | stood there woman in hood
came over the fields and stood beside
me- 1t was Miss Sabrina Haslet. |
started rs if had been shot; and she
took off her hood, for it was warm,
and looked hard at me.
"What kind of a girl are you r. said
she.
"What kind of one are you? ?" said
l. Not civil one to speak that way
Said she. "What l want to know
is this-Are you the person to hold my
brother to foolish bond, or let him
free when he begins to struggle You
caught him cleyerly; and though his
heart has slipped through your fingers
you may be mistress of the Hall yet l
suppose. VIII your
"With his heart gone from me -
l cried HAS he told you it is gone ?"
He'd die first" said Miss Sabrina.
His honor would not let hm break
troth with you. But to see how he
loves Miss Dorcas Oakley, and she. is
a match for him in rank and wealth
and beauty. People are talking of it
and plying him.
They shall pity him no more" 1
said. whats the Hall to me It
was my Willies love cared for Tell
him he is free"
You must tell him yourself" she
said "Ifyou care to see him happy
open his cage" and she tied on her
hood and sped away.
That night there went n note to
Willie:
"MAsrER WILLIAM HAsLEr: I've
thought long, long while that the
bond between us was best broke. !
feel sure Of it now. 1t Will be better
that we do not meet again; and ii
this send you back your ring. May
good fortune and happiness attend
you and with this wish l sign my
self, HANNAH FANIHORN."
This I wrote with n heart torn and
rent as never flesh could be; and il
was sent; and though he came to the
farm | would not see him; and all
was over between us.
L waited only to hear that he was
betrothed to Miss Dorcas Oakley
Instead of that, / heard a week after
that he had left the country Where
he had gone and why, no one knew
When | felt sure that Miss Dorca,
Oakley could be nothing to him, o.
that at least they were not married
my heart smote me little, and
wondered whether | should not hav,
put my pride down bit, and hay,
heard him speak for himself
Miss Sabrina Haslet did not marry
The wedding was put off first by hel
mothers death, then by her father
six months after; and then folks sale
there was a quarrel But be it as it may
he who was to have been her husband
married instead that same Miss Dor
cas- Oakley,
Other suitors came, no doubt, TO
Miss Sabrina was handsome and rich
but she liked none of them, and live(
on in the Hall quite alone but for tn
servants, By-and-by she saw no com
pany, and shut up half the house, anc
seemed more lonely aud wretched thar
many poor woman. All her beaut.
left her too, and she grew to be
sharp, sour spinster, always dressed
in black she who had been both bell
and beauty.
| lived on at home Ellis married
, and so did Barzillai. The years di'
not seem to give gray hair to m
mother, nor a wrinkle to my father
| They were too placid to grow old fast
t No one wondered | did not marry
They seemed to think that havin
! been so nearly the mistress of tn
Hall, it was not likely / should be wil
: ling to wed for less.
The Hall Bah 1t was Willie
, loved, and not his house or lands.
| One winter night, Christmas tim
| was nearly come, the | sat by the fir