Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-06-12

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walk. And the very next day, leaving
Miss PIN in charge of the house and chill
dren, Mrs Summerbell went off in the
stage to visit her brother at Slate, deter
mined to stay away until the idle rumor
had time to die the death of neglect
Then she would 90 back and be. oh so
circumspect
But what do YOU think? She had not
been gone three days when Il letter fol-
lowed her from Mr. Bloomfield who was
beginning to find ont for himself, having
. come to forty year." that there is not for
any man, necessarily, during his whole life,
a one and an olily. IIc was finding also.
Meadows even more lonely than Leeds. and
if She did not forbid him he should follow
the letter in two days.
Worse and worse, That would never
do D., just think of the effect on . the
cause" \ visit would be more conspicu-
Gus than staying at home and bowine
across the fence now and then Besides
there was no time to send a letter forbiding
him to come, and if there was what talk
the sight of it would make at the Mead
ows post-office, Yes she must 90 home at
once, and live down the scandal as fast as
possible.
So she took the stage for home, a little
glad in the depths Of her treacherous heart
to go-glad to see her boys YOU know
She arrived at her own door Just in the
early twilight, and found the house empty.
Miss PIN had run across the garden to sit
an hour with old Mrs Danger, the Doc
tors mother, who was very deaf and insist
ed on having all the news and >mall-talk
Of the town dropped word by word into
the mouth-pcce Of her car-trumpet 50
Miss PIN. being thus charitablv engaged.
did not see the stage stop; and Mrs. sum
merbell, after glancing with the eve Of a
householder around the rooms, was sitting
and rocking in her low sewing-chair. full
Of the gladness and content of being at
home once more. when there came a patter
and clatter across the porch and in at the
half-open door. Then there was triumph
ant cry: ." Mother has got home mother
has got home Mr.. Bloomfield. come and
see mother! She is here she is here ="
And Immediately he came and there he
was right before her.
Of course Mr.. SummerbeIl could not
open conversation by telling him with what
formal respect She meant to treat him
thenceforth. but, fortified BY a son on each
side and one in her lap, she felt She might
and must continue for that once her usual
gentle cordiality; postponing for little
the mortifying of the flesh. which She
feared might come to be her duty. by tell
ING him that his usefulness which was be-
ginning to be so sen~iblv felt, must not be
injured by any suspicion Of partiaIity for
one parishioner over another. She had
even prepared a little speech III her own
mind to say but before there had seemed
to come a good time to say it the conver-
sation somehow dritted ont their dead. and
Mr. Bloomfield was telling her an about
the last dav~ of Mrs Bloomfield, life. aud
the first days of his great loss. There
We're many circumstances quite alike IN the
bereavement Of each; and when Nli~~ Pim
futtered in. more by moonlight than day
light. it was to find them ~orrowing to-
gether in company" with tears in their
tour eyes and the little boys asleep. their
heads leaned against their mother
The very next DAY Mr-. Summerbell
went into Squire Slos,on's store to pay for
barrel Of flour. and there She saw DR..
Danglcr. Deacon Folsom. and Deacon
Proudfoot. in earnest discussion with the
squire They looked % conscious Oh See
ing her that she at once grew conscious
also; and it seemed quite IN keeping with
what She might haNc e> .tot. when, after
one or two whispers and a decided nod,
Deacon Folsom, mindful H. ever Of the
Importance Of his position a chairman OF
the societv's committee, said. in hi~ most
business tone
Mr, Summerbell, may We trouble YOU
to step into the blackstone "a moment
where We shall not be liable to interruption,
whilewe speak to you respecting matter OF
much importance to a. a church and So
cietv"
.Certainly," replied Mrs. Summerbell
feeling as though She was Lady Jane Grey
on her way to the scaffold. The blackstone
| filled with barrels OF -four, mola>ses, ano
. kerosene. with dried Goldfish and kits o
picked salmon and mackerel, butter boxes
cees, nails, and onions, was Mt much Of Z
, bower Of roses.
Be seated, Mrs Summerbell-be
seated" said Deacon Folsom, bringing
, forward broken-backed chair. with All
air worthy the master Of ceremonies al
+ Bath.
But Mrs Summerbell refused to sit
r
and Deacon Proudtoot, who was an abrupt
outspoken man, began, plunging into the
heart Of the subject, while Deacon Folsom
would have been making Introductory
bow:
There has been Il great deal Of talk
about you and the minister, and we thought
, we. as the church committee, would Just
ask YOU if there is anything to ii or likely
f to be- he said.
! Mrs. Summerbell felt like Il chicken
picked out Of its she'll by well-meaning
! fingers before its time had come; but brac
, ing herself by putting one hand on a chest
, of the strongest kind of green tea. she re-
e piled
! No indeed | would be as far as either
, of you from wishing you to do anything
to weaken the present interesting state o
{ feeling in our society toward the minister
! and his work. Besides, have never hac
| any proposals from him.
r You would MT have supposed Mrs Sum
o merbel could have looked so much like
! Joan Of Arc, as She did at that moment
4 her face fairly sublime with self-sacrihc'
Y and heroic courage.
- Nevertheless, because you never hac
Q had is no security you never tcW have,
), replied Dr. Dangler, who knew something
of the anatomy Of the heart in the way o
: his profession.
d Mrs Summerbell fast growing III
dienant 1t was rude of the Doctor
positively an unjustiiablc interference il