The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1866-06-13


lowed as gloriousIy as any basso profundo
who ever shook the walls of the Academy
of Music, and apologzed for the owner of
the shrill soprano (rather cracked,) } yelept
Miss Squiggs.
I" He didn't mean to 90 a drowning
ladies' voices but when lie got going,
he couldn't help getting too loud. 1t was
the fault, he reckoned, of blacksmithing.
The snow was white ON the ground one
December eve, and the golden sparks
rushed from the clugging anvil faster
than ever, and the song to which the
strokes kept time was louder and clearer,
when somebody leading a horse stop
ped at the forge door and looked through
with an eye that took in its picturesque
beauties at glance.
"By Jove, it's like some Of those old
Dutch pictures" muttered voice under
golden mustachc. ''Id paint ie if /
were an artist"
Then, in louder tone,
"lIullo, young fellow; my horse has
lost shoe, and want it looked to im
mediatcy."
The young fellow dropped his ham
mcr and strobe forward to the door, and
in an, thcr moment horse and master
stood beneath the forge roof.
As Mcrrick Masters bent down to look
at the foot Of the horse, its master, a
splendcd parsonage, sauntered to the fire
and stood basking in its genial warmth,
and shaking off the feathery flakes which
cuhg here and there to his shoulders
light-haircd, blue eyed, well-built cXqnis-
ltc,as great Il contrast to the brown Her
cules Of the forge as can he well imagin-
ed, though in his way, Merrick was very
handsome, too.
Jdst as tho blacksmih's whistle began
to play about the hoof he was shoeing,
and while the stranger was standing with
his back towa the fire, admirin3 the
/ light and shadow on the wall, steps came
tripping through the snow, ard girl with
a shawl over her head came dancing in
from the shadow.
"Tca will be cold, Merrick," she said.
" Your mother says
There she stopped, covered with con-
fusion at the sigh; Of a slranger--onc, too,
who stood looking ut her as unco; ccrnedly
as he might at "a picture.
Certainly she was we'll worth looking
at--a pure brunette. with large brown
eyes and check like rose; with lashes
long and curling like pretty child's, and
buXom form where not an angle was
visible.
1t was only n moment that she st cod,
with The red shawl slipping from her black
hair. in the full glow OF the freight
the next moment she was gone, and the
stranger turned to the blacksmith.
A pretty glrl that-your sister p
"No, ! am glad to say" replied the
blacksmith. " Because she's something
better than sister to me" said Merrick.
'NVe are going 10 be married in May"
Then out rang the whistle again, shrill
and clear, an' the stranger asked no more
questions. lie paid Mcrrick and rode
away few moments afterwards, and, for
ali the blacksmith knew or cared, they
had seen the last of each other.
lie washed his hands and went into the
great kitchen, where at the tea table sat
his mother and the girl who had s@m-
mCned him-an orphan, who had lived
with the old woman for years, ever since
she was a child, in fact, and had grown
into his heart, somehow before he knew
it. The old mother was quite diSpcascd
when she found it out; but Eff, was,
after all, only the help and the black
smiths widow and blacksmiih's mother
felt proud TO say that none Of their folks
had ever hired out
But for all that, there are people in
this very village who look down on us be-
cause | shoe their horses and mend their
wagons" said Merrck.
"More fools they TO take airs" said
the old woman.
$50 say l." said Merrick "and we
would he as bad as they to look down on
Ellie for washing our dishes. Shes AS
good as you, and deal better than me,
rich or poor,
And Merrick Masters had his way, and
the whole place knew they were engaged
in IA fortnight.
Now, when he went in to tea, the first
question both asked him was about his
new customer.
Life says he's the handsomest man
she ever saw" said the old woman.
$50 he is" said Merrick, not one whit
Jealous; "but 'clo he is | don't know.
lie came and went, and had his horse
shod, that's all | know and he asked
who you were, too, Ellie"
Sand had this dreadful old apron on,
too" said Eflie.
"IIe didn't notice that, guess" said
Merrck.
"Why not!'
Merrick laughed.
'Oh, do tell me-"
swell, he asked who that pretty girl
was"
Ellie hid her face in the old apron,
and Mrs. Masters turned her head. She
never quite admired Elbc's beauty.
'What notions to put into the girls
head ~ she thought, and 1t was pity,
for EtliG was vain enough already. A
greater pity, too, because, whenever a
horseman gallopsd up the forge thereafter,