The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1868-09-15
MISCELLANY.
Marrying a WIdower.
BY CLARA AUGUSTA.

Miss Eliza Pringle was on the shady
side Of forty five.
She owned up to thrty>six, and from
this you may be sure that she was not far
from despair, for it IS very seldom that
an unmarried lady lives to attain great
er age than twenty fve-which ought to
be conclusive proof that marriage is fa-
vorable to longevity.
Eliza was a most excellent woman, but
she hid temper which she did not scru.
pie to use when occasion permitted.
Her di. position was romantic, and her
constant practice Of novel reading, devel-
oped this romance, perhaps. She took
her chief content IN reading novels, and
petting Ten, her great Maltese cat.
Don't laugh at her, you happy moth
ers with ten children cIinging to your
skirts, and smearlng your face with mo-
lasses, and crying for Jumps of sugar, and
sticks to stir dirt puddings with! You
just wait until you get precisely in Eliza's
predicament, and then see if you feel like
laughing.
Eliza was always looking for her desti-
ny. She dressed every morning in the
vague expectation of meeting it before
night,
She was confident it would come some
time Confidence is beautiful thing
you know. All good people recommend
Us 20 have faith.
But hope deferred maketh the heart
sick. AMI our poor herone's heart was
often sick, as year after year went by,
and brought her nothing. Every body in
her iciaity got married, and she was left,
as The more lucky ones vulgarly remarked
10 Ianc, in the brass kettle"
But destiny did something for Eliza at
last. She met Mr. Butterfly in a very
romantic manner. 1t was almost like n
novel, as she said to Mrs jerks, her inti-
| mate friend.
1t Aas fine morning in june, and T.
'tzt wa. going down 10 the village to buy
spool Of silk to crochet a net fer her
waterfall, when just rs she was crossing
oige's bridge she mot II drove of hogs.
Hogs had always been Eliza's horror. and
npw tt sight OF the quadrupeds, she turn
id twaf nni set out upon the rnn Her
opt Slipped. lie staggered-thrcw out
ler arms h,lplessy and fell right into the
uii~t OF the astcni he'd grunters They
o,iicnti regarding her as some new spec
iinen nj concentrated swill, pitched for
ward, and began examining her in their
hoai-h fashion. She shrieked, and seiz-
ing NJ the frat thing that olierei-which
happcnc! T. be the pedal appendage of n
paIflrchal poricr, managed to gain her
feet. Th' animal to which she had at
tachcd herself, resented the indignity and
turned up her with fierce yell,
which was echoed by every hog in the
drove.
Eliza felt her senses leaving her-in n
moment more she would have given her.
selfup 10 t're-but luckily Just then a
gentlemen came along in buggy, and
instantly springing OUT, he laid about him
with his !ong,ashed whip with such a
will ilIht the animals were scattered, and
Eliza had chance to faint in his arms
which she at once proceeded 10 do. The
Gentleman sprnkled her face with water
from the puddle just at hand, which at
once brought her to herself-bccause she
m7mbered that water will sometimes
| change the color of ones face and be-
fore she hardly knew it, she was thank
ing the gentlemen for his timely interfer-
ence.
lie introduced himself as Mr. BUTTERFLY
If Springhlll; he picked up Elizas water
fall, which had been sadly smashed, and
invited her 10 take seat in his buggy to
the village.
Of course, she consented-and then, Of
course he accompanied her home, and of
course an acquaintance was the result. -
For two weeks Mr. Butterfly called con-
stantly on Eliza, and at that time propos
ed to her. She could hardly believe her
senses. 1t was too good to be true She
laughed and cried, and rubbed the pearl
powder from her face all over Mr. But
terby's shirt bosom, aud her cheeks look
as striped, in consequence, as BARRIERS
pole,
Mr. BUTTERFLY was very anxious for an
early consummnation of his happiness. -
There was no time TO be lost The said ;
they were both old enough to know their
own minds, as 1t was nobody's business
how soon the thing was done.
Eliza had got her table and bed-lin.
en- ready twenty years before in antic,
ipation Of her destiny-and all it needed
was whitening. And as soon as this
was accomplished, the wedding took
place
Mr.. Butterfly carried his bride at once
to his home in Springhill. n comforta-
ble farmhouse, surrounded by onions and
cabbages, and a grass field in the rear.
AS they drove up to The front door
quite an interesting tableaux was presented.
Before the entrance, ranged with special
regard to their height, were five children
the oldest apparently about nine years.
They all had very red heads, very sharp
noses, and were dressed in very pink
dresses.
As MIR Bulterby's buggy appeared il
sight. the two eldhst were engaged in
punching each others ribs, and the
youngest of the lot was throwing stones
Al