The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1867-12-27


home a wife"
"There's no hurry. Bless my heart,
wife Why, you we're seven-and- TWEEN
ty when l married you'
THAT was your fault was quito
ready and willing years before, if you'd
only spoken up like a man."
II tell you what, wife, it's serious
thing-this proposing
"Well, | hope the result has proved
as pleasant as the prospect was scri-
Gus.
cali right, old lady, all right there
is not much to grumble at.
Why any spectator had there been
ono, should have seen Mrs. Hazel sit
ting on her husbands knee with her
arm around bis neck and tears in her
eyes, / don't know but so it was
"But what about Mr.. Halstoad,
John ?"
well, my dear if be speaks to me-
as, l suppose, being a cruate, he will
I shall give him leave to speak to
her. ] need not ask what you would
do. | know every woman would like
to have one of her daughters married
to parson, though I'm sure l don't
know why"
They arc very nice people, John,
that's why; much better than stupid
farmers.
Cob Why didn't you marry a Gu
rate, then, you had two chances p
Because because I preferred
stupid, pipe-smoking farmer, like a
foo like wise woman, John, dear"
All right, old lady, III give my con-
sent.
In due time consent was asked and
given, and Polly refused the cruate,
tenderly and kindly; Offering him sis
terly affection, which was not exactly
what he wanted And he laid his
plant before her father
"She says she is engaged, sir and
showed me n medal.
And thereupon explanations were
given, and the cruate went home worse
than ever; SO bad indeed, that in three
months time, being of a good family,
he was obliged to be consoled by one
OF seven girls Mt the vicarage, and as
nobody said anything about his little
affair at the farm, Polly attended him
in a sis;erly way as one of the brides
maids, as 1T would not do, you know,
to have only sisters, though there
were six Of them.
Another year went by, and Mrs
Hazel had her way; there was no let
ter from Sam.
Farmers and doctors, and another
CITRATE, too, had laid seige to the fort
ress of Polly's heart and had been
beaten off aud compallAd To rAtreat in.
di-pRir.
Polly MAS as bright and lively, and
did up her abun liant hair in the same
ravishing masses as ever; but she had
no love for any one
Old Clip" toothless and a little
blind, used to trot about the place of
ter her to be carried in her arms; but
as for ggisf o. care, Polly seemed
TO know them not.
At last her winter came
"Who DO YOU think has come back,
Polly?
Sam
"Yes and bis wife"
mo, father-n5 don't say it, He
would not could not-after all these
years.
Didn't l tell you 50, Polly? l
knew he would they always do
bring back wives"
A 49,. .,,,o
mo, but old Catherwood told me
he saw them in town; Sam who has
grown brown and bearded and stout,
and n little foreign-looking woman,
very young, with him
] Poor Polly went to bed with q
( dreadful heart-ache- after all these
long years
Next morning they had hardly done
breakfast when a chaise was driven up
to the door by Sam himself, and a
lady was in it.
Poor Polly ran to the door with her
father and mother to welcome him
home.
Put your feet on the step, Nina.
"Yes, uncle, sand Nina. with a
slightly foreign accent.
Polly no sooner heard the words
than she ran away without word
and went up stairs and had a good
cry, and then came down all blushine
and happy to see Sam.
What? This Polly? My little
Polly This fine, tall Hebe, my little
Polly? | don't believe it / Oh, Polly
how you have grown l suppose he
won't mind my having a-kiss after al
these years, whoever he is, and ther
he kissed trembling Polly on the cheel
once and then talked to her father
He had forgotten all-this stout
bearded man-who was as brown-as4
gipsey, and looked as old as her faith
err. Was it for this she had waited
This rough looking, loud talking
smoke smelling man-this was wha
, she had waited thirteen years forl
And this, his welcome
And then Polly was obliged to thinl
of her little guest.
I Who was Nina?
Well Nina wasNina
Well. then, she was, with her fathe
, and mother, child then of tire
years old, on board the ship going out
and took fancy to Sam and Sam 7