The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1865-07-26
MISCELLANY
From the Phila. Eve. Post.
Sell F. IS A G r l + l G E.
BY s. ANNIE FROST.

| am llu lOilEcl CInu DuI a hidli ioN
woman now" And the tall figure was
drawn erect with all the dignity due to
two years of matrimonial experience.
81 scarcely meant II lecture" said a
gentle voice behind Hattie, and Maggie
followed her into the room. ''Only, dar-
ling" she continued earnestly, "little an
noyances' lead to great ones, and defer
enrc to your husbands wish in trifles will
seal his love more strongly than most he
roic efforts on great occasions. There,
| won't say onother word. | only spoke
because love you so dearly want
your life to have all its sunshine. You
must know, Harriet, how dear your hap
pine's is to my heart"
q do know it, you nice old thing"
saH Hattie, impulsivcly, giving Maggie
an energetic embrace; "and of course
you are right, as you always are. SO,
to prove my pcnitcncc, | will 90 home
now, this minute"
"Whot is it all ," ! asked.
'Punctuality - said Hattie. "N1y
cr, ing sin Of procrastinaton is thorn in
llarry's side, and | want to 90 down town
this morning. aud let him cat bis dinner
alone rr wait for it till | come, for
cant be back at his hour, and Maggie
looks as if | proposed to stir arsenic in
his soup, and laudanum in his pudding
sauce. But I'm off now. My gloves,
Mag! Goodbye It's II thousand piiics
you didn't marry, Mag-yon would have
made such model wife. Old maids
husbands, you know" she added saucilv.
care always III clover" And off she
flashed, TO carry her magnificent brunette
beauty and fashionable dress to gladden.
her husbands eyes.
Maggie looked after her with dreamy
light in her large gray eyes, and said, in
II musing Tone as if unconscious that she
spoke nloud:
"O.d maids husbands She is right
there. What Is all my fine preaching to
her loving experience! will not inter-
ferc again, for, after all, my theories may
be only the whims Of an old maid" And
50 speaking, Maggie, too. left me.
The whims Of an old maid, NY
thoughts took up the sentence as a refrain,
and back over fifteen long years Travelled
to the events that made an old maid of
our Maggie, willie my heart swclled with
love and gratitude as remembered what
her whims had been to ,is.
Fifteen years ago! Like panorama,
the scenes came before me. First, the
home OF our childhood. Il large handsome
ly appointed house, full OF warm, loving
hearts, gilded from cellar to roof by the
strong ties of family affection. My faith
er, whose face comes to me in its prime
Of middle life, the high forehead enobled
hy intellect, the dark eyes full of fire and
life, the clearly Gu; features handsomely
moulded, the tall, erect figure energetic
and vigorous; this dear father who lived
for his home, his wife and children, was
in a large railroad Office, drawing II salary
that covered every comfort, gave many
luXuries, but left nothing for Il future
purse. Then my mother, very trail, very
fair, the tender care of whose life had
been the main object with all Of us
Many month, ont Of every year This idol
OF our nome circle, spent on "a bed Of dis
ease, yet her own energy and will kept
her among us whenever she could throw
off the suffering. 1t was a creed amongst
Us all, mother first, and everything else
afterwards The dainticst dishes, the
easiest chair, fathers first evening kiss,
the warmest corner in winter, the coolest
place in summer-these were the daily
offerings we all brought; and in return
she was ever the fonde,t and gentlest OF
parents, making our home heaven OF
love. Horace, our merry, frank, gcner-
Gus ilrst-born, comes next, with fathers
face and mothers smile, fifteen years ago
boy just stepping into manhood, our
only brother, and the petted darling of ALL
Most of all, was he Maggie's idol; there
was but one year of time between their
ages, and from the hour when she was
brought to him, Il new sister, in her help
less infancy, he gave her the truest deyo-
ton Of Il brothers heart. As they grew
up together, this love never wavcred, and
if sometimes one spoiled boy made to free
use Of Maggie's willing hands and feet in
his service, she knew there was no boon
she could ask of him that he could refuse.
How can ! describe our Maggie, the he
rome of my "reminiscences, the angel of
our household.
She was below the medium height.
with slender figure, almost too fragile;
even in her youth she was not beautiful.
Many would have denied her even pret
tiness, though there were times when ex-
citement and some becoming attire made
her very lovely. Her hair was brown.
soft and fine, her eyes dark gray, full OF
expression, her features passable, but her
mouth sensitive and flexible, was her
most expressive feature, while the pretty
little round chin finished her face grace
fully. Her forhead was rather high, but
broad, and showing the clear brain and
womanly judgment of wel-trained intel
lect. She had pretty little hands and
feet, and her movements were always
graceful. From little girl she had al
ways been our mothers Ud-de-camp, tax
ing her place whenever the prostrating i'll
ness confined her to her room; being
housekeeper, nurse and directress, in gen
eral Of all household affairs, yet contriv-
ing always TO have an hour for fathers
pet songs, minute for Horace in his