The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1868-10-20


spociaclcs il was not without little
paag that she saw them IN bis hand,
for they had been the doacons aud
were placed each night bike the arm
chair, beside her, and depositing them
ou the sctteo. Give nae the table cloth,
ma'Am-Tye learned that, along with
score 4 other things, in my wander
ings Now let nc relieve you u those
dishes. they are far too heavy for those
little hands-thc widow blushed and
now please at down with me, or can
no, eat a morseL .....
had supper long ago, but really !
think | can take something more, said
Mrs Cobb, drawing her chair near the
table.
OF course you can, my dear lady. IN
this cold, autumn weather, people
ought to eat twice as much as they do
in warm. Let me give you a piece Of
this ham-your own curing, / dare say.
Yes; my poor husband was yeryfond
Of it. He used to say that no one un-
derstood curing ham and drying beef
better than l.
He was most sensible man, | am
sure. | will drink your health madam
in this cider
He took long draught and sat down
his glass. ....
1t is like nectar.
The widow was feeding Bowse and
the cat, who thought they were enti-
tied to share Of every meal ate in the
house,, and did not quite hear what he
said. fancy she would hardly have
known what nectar was, so it was Just
as we'll
Fine dog, ma'am, and very pretty
cat
They We're my husbands fayorites,
and sigh followed the answer.
All, your husband must have been a
very happy man.
TIE blue eyes looked at her so long
that she grew hurried.
Is there anything more l can get for
you, sir ? she said at last
Nothing, thank you, | have finished.
She rose to clear the things away
He assisted her, and somehow their
hands had a queer knack of oftouching as
they carried the dishes to the pantry
shelves Coming back to the kitchen,
she put the apples and cider in their
places, and brought out clean pipe
and box of tobacco from an arched re-
cess near the chimney
Ny husband always said he could not
sleep after eating supper unless he could
smoke, she said. Perhaps you would
like to try it, ~. ......r ......
Not if it's going to drive you away,
he answered; for she had candle in
her hard ...... .. ...... 81.
Oh, no, I do not object to smoke at
all. She put the candle down--some
faint suggestion about propriety troub-
led her; she glanced at the old clock,
and felt reassured. 1t WAS only half
past nine.
The stranger pushed the stand back,
after the pipe was lit, and drew her ca
sy chair little nearer the fre-and his
own. ....
Come, sit down, he said, pleadingly.
It's not late; and when q man has been
knocked about in California, and all
sorts Of places, for score of years, he
is glad enough to get into berth like
this and to have a pretty woman to
speak to again, ..... .
California; Have you been to Cali
fornia2 she exclaimed, dropping into
the chair. Unconsciously, she had long
cherished the idea that Sam Payson -
the lover Of her youth-with whom she
had foolishly quarreled, had pitched his
tent, after many wanderings, in that
far-of land. Her heart warmed to one
who, with something Of Sans way and
looks about him, had also been sojourn-
ing in that country, very possibly had
met him. At that moment her heart
beat quick, and she looked very grac-
iously at the bearded stranger, who,
wrapped in Mr. Cobbs dressing gown,
wearing Mr. Cobb's slippers, and sitt-
ing in Mr. Cobb's chair, beside Mr.
Cobbs wife, smoked Mr. Cobb's pipe
with such an air Of feeling thoroughly
and comfortably at home.
Yes, ma'am, I've been in California
for six years, Aud before that went
quite around the world in whaling
ship.
Good gracious
The stranger sent a puff Of smoke
curling gracefully over has head.
It's very strange, my dear lady, how
often you see one thing as you 90 wan.
dering about the world after that FASH
ion.
Ard ruhaI Il Hiatt