The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-02-17

Mr. Bruce, the advocate, snatched
few moments from his treadmill be-
low for cup of tea and the freside,
and was taking Fairy Alice on his
knee, and twisting her golden hair in
to a new style of head-dress, not as
yet sanctioned by fashionable head
dressors, Mrs Bruce, who would be
looking. on restlessly, and with the
cold expression spreading gradually
over her face, like a film of ice upon
pond, at last would interfere
please don't, Charles; don't you see
You are rumplng ell her new
dress?"
eve will take care of that" would
answer Mr. Bruce, smoothing it down
carefully
besides" continued Mrs Bruce, the
film gradually thickening, eyou are
giving the child such bad habits,
do, please, set her down"
A shade would como upon the
forehead Of the advocate; deepening
presently; "What harm is Fairy
doing?" 'there is no one By; surely,
for few moments, it cant make much
matter
THE child's mind will never be
formed if Sic is INDUCED in these
tricks. Please set her down-do,
now"
All this while FAIRY Aliees face has
been growing thoughtful and dis
tresscd She is.so wise and so dis
Greet, she knows perfectly what is
coming, and is actually gently sliding
down off the paternal knee
Come here, Alice, said her mother,
austeroly and firmly; get chair and
learn to sit as you would in socie-
ty."
Mr.. Bruce would set her down alb
ruptly. push back his chair and with
n heavy sigh, stride rapidly ont of the
room. Poor Fairy Alice would look
very sad, and timorously fetch her
own special chair, ana sit there in 81
lence, with her parent, nov a perfect
block of Wenham ice, but inwardly
wrung by what she deemed this cruel
disrespcet to her in presence of their
child Wise Fairy Alice quite con-
scious Of this feeling in her mother,
made an effort at indifferent and
easy conversation, just, indeed MS ex-
porionced elders woald have done in a
similarly delicate situation She drew
her chair near to her pale, silent
mamma, yet not SO near as 10 outrage
any Of the proprioties, and began to
prattle about Lon lon, and it's Joys and
wonders, where, indeed, her mamma's
heart always turned Nor was this
any irregular disjointed child's talk
but sober and thoughtful and pointed
T Bat Mrs Bruce restrained her, not
harshly, but coldly, limited that an I'M
restrained curiosity was about one Of
the most dangerous faults in young
/ people, and then asking questions"
was a criminal oAonse against the laws
Of society. Fairy Alice accepted the
roproof, drew away hcr chair to the
distance prescribed by the laws Of
society, and worked sadly at her sam
pier for the rest of the night
How often these little misconcep-
lions took place over the figure of
Fairy Alice, whose heart bled on
every recurrence, it would be idle to
mention. Wise Fairy Alice took note
of all that was hidden underneath,
and of those polite battles, concealed
it was thought, from her. under this
aspect of cold speeches and indirect
allusion Many time did Mr.. Bruce,
the advocate, rise'up from his iireside,
and, pushing back his chair, walk from
the room, with that sigh of impotence,
Little Fairy grew very sad over all
this, and sometimes dimmed her
bright eyes with some tears.
Besides this wonderful love which
she had inspired, she had a greater
claim to that Indulgence which is sup
posed to spoil children, from her be-
ing naturally delicate. She was fra
gile and airy; and some four years
ago had been just snatched from
death. A famous physician had a
terrible tussle with the grim King OF
Terrors over her slight little frame,
fought him desperately, inch by inch,
and finally conquered him. Little
Fairy Alice, over whom. for three
weeks, there had been white, CHASTITY
faces, and despair and terror and ag-
ony, RECEIVERS; but it was felt that a
second such contest and such vic
: tory was not to be thought of, and