Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-06-24


Patience, | wish thee wouldn't sing"
chided Aunt Phebe. &" 1t sounds 50 trihng
and frivolous"
Patience's song was checked, but the
new light her eyes had brought from Eagle
Cliff the night before did not die, and her
step was as if she trod on air.
Il never saw such hoity-toity ways,
Aunt Phebc said to Patience's mother.
" She makes me think of some wild
thing fairly let loose. 1t all comes Of let
ting her 20 outside of her own Society.
always knew it would make mischief.
Jane; thee must speak to thy child Thee
owes it to thy religion as well a. thy er-
ring offspring"
Aud Janc Wilson. signing heavily
spoke to Patience Ny daughter" Sic
said, 'how did it happen that John
Duane came home with thee last night p
Patience colored, but She replied, &" 1t
did not happen at all. 1t was piece OF
deliberate election on his part, and of en-
tire willingness on mine
Where was Eli Gardner ," asked her
mother, anxiously.
Oh mother. | don't like Eli Gard
ner,' Patience broke out, resentfully.
"Of course thee don't like John Duane
either, for that matter" said Aunt Phebe
But do answered Patience, in a
voice that was intended to be firm, but
maidenly modesty made the confession
low
Jane Wilson looked at Phebe Morgan
helplessly 1t was much worse than she
expected. \ liking confessed that way
was loving. He is not of thy people,
she said, sadly.
He Is a good man." Patience an
swered. He is devoted son and {
kind brother BY his own careful man
agement he has kept the homestead anc
placed the family beyond want. And
then-he loves me-
Phebe Morgan groaned. He is a mar
of the world, given up to its pomps an(
vanties," she said His raiment is OF
fashionable cut. He praises his God, no
in his heart, but on strange instrument
He dances to the sound Of the fiddle. ano
mingles with bine-bibbers and sinners. |
behooves thee, Patience, TO look well to thy
ways, for thy feet stand on slippery pla
ces. Eli Gardner is steady man
whose principles thee could rely upon, anC
who would be acceptable to thy family"
4 shall never marry Eli Gardner, Pa
tience answered, firmly
Thee is standing in thy own light,
said Phebe Morgan, in sharp, rebukine
tones.
1t grieves me to the heart Patience
to think of thee joining the worlds VANITY
Fair and forgetting the simplicity anc
spirituality Of thy fathers" Jane Wilsol
said sadly.
Pauince turned from her Amt Phebe t,
her mother. 1t was one of Phebe Nor
gan's trials that people paid little hee(
to her advice. Her sister Jane, with hal
her words, welded double her power. Pa
tience Wilson looked at her mother, ant
in low, fearful tones answered, THE
doesn't know what thee asks me to Civ
up when thee bids me dismiss Johl
Duane
Il know, my child" fell from tn
mothers lips. "When l was girl
stood where thy feet stand
" Yes, thy mother is a brand plucket
from the burning" broke out Phebe Nor
gan.
Patience Wilson stood profoundly med
itative with white quivering lips. Wher
she stood her mother had stood before her
The holy calm of that mothers life ha'
grown out Of suffering and sacrifi ce. Pa
tience Wilson's mother sighed. Whateve
sacrifice her life had known she had foun'
some compensation in Abram Wilson's low
but no such compensation came to Patience
g shall never marry Eli Gardner t
the longest day l live," she said to he
mother, months after she had given u
John Duane, and Jane Wilson recogniz
ed in her daughter a tenacity ofpurpos
that admitted of no compensation
She was thinking of these things SIT
ting in her tidy sitting-room the tollowln
Sunday afternoon. She had closed he
Bible and laid off her spectacles, Will
she glanced around the room with
mothers fond pride. Rebecca and tn
younger sisters were reading quietly bu