Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-11-06

I
the course of it.
At ten the lovers of hunting, of symphon.
les, and of Lydia took their departure. and
the household retired to rest.
do wish that people still went to bed at
ten, There is no midnight now, only a
twelve o'clock with a small and how can
one believe in the supernatural without a
midnight Now, belief in the supernatur-
al is necessary to human happiness it Is al
so (Which Is of more importance) a trump
card in the hands of the story teller. Alas
we have no duels and no ghosts, and the
taste for sensational is increasing, No straw,
and yet the tale must be delivered
julia and Lydia sat over fire in the bed
room Of the former. They were in their
dressing gowns, ready to pop INTO bed in a
moment. Julia had her hair all over her
shoulders Lydia had not, because it wac
cut short, and curled about Ike a boys.
" Such pity said Julia 50 such lovely
hair as YOU had"
'' Do you think 50 dear ?' replied Lydia.
d" 1t was coming of, and Ships of Bond
street said, last season, that cutting it short
for time would restore it he said, also,
that this style suited my ieatures-and then
it's the fashion. 1t Is very convenient, too,
for riding ones back hair can't come down
where there's none to come, you know. Be
sides, 1t will be so very handy for our private
theatrlcals, in which | am going to take a
mans part"
Lydia how can you how absurd. As
if | was going to believe that
e 1t is quite true. have got my clothes
made and will show them TO You tomorrow
We want pert Young fellow of eighteen, and
have got nothing but brawny men six feet
odd; 50 You see | must come to the rescue.
| make a capital man; you would not know
me, especially when have got my moustache
on. Fa-act, pom my word, ya-as. Got a
cigar about You. old f'ler?'
" And what do Sir Thomas and Lady Snaf-
hes say?"
Why it made them open their eyes at
first; but they are so fully impressed with
the wholesome idea that | must do what
like, and that if it seems wrong, it must be
the laws and customs of the country that are
in fault. and not their lydia that they soon
dropped all opposition. Indeed, having pri-
vate theauicals at all was such a pill for
/ them ,G swallow, that their dear throats have
/ been wider ever since.
3. Well. did wonder at their having them
and especially at their letting You act.
Whv. YOU see. dear. Lord Coulis. the
head Of the Oldest family in the county,
started it all. and Lady Augusta acted. The
/ frs, fact converted papa, and the second mann
ma.
" cannot think how YOU dare. o LYDIA,
/ vou never will be able to appear in he-clothes
/ before a ro7mfull of people
" ! shall not mind it a bit.
.. You always were as bold as brass. fl
were your mamma though. would not let
YOU
3. If the cherub has sister. Julia. YOU
viii make terrible Vruie of her-will You
not? Why did YOU not make prude Of me
mt school? You were two wears older, and |
thought You very wise 90
.' was not an old married woman then.
said Mrs Coutsher .. ! was q little Eighty
myself fear"
" Yes, You were, dear.
" And then you We're so unmanageahle,
somehow. it was impossible to help spelling
YOU; everybody did"
d" Even the Misses Nlagnell."
Yes, even the Misses Magnell; and they
were stiff enough. But You We're kept IN
better order there than at home. Sir Thom-
asand Lady Snafles seem to let you do what
ever You please
" Ah. Julia dearest, said lydia with a
sigh, '' they indulge me IN trihinC matters
but where the happiness Of my life is con-
cernel, they are obstinate and cruel
s.. Indeedt'
Yes, they want me to marry Mr.. Stauu-
ton"
=. Al, said Julia, and is thar such a
very great hardship? Iesemed 10 me Just
the sort Of husband You would Ike. "
3. Perhaps, if had no prior attachment.
"Whv." cried Julia, " YOU can never
mean that affair between you and William
Waters That was quite bit of boy-and-
girl nonsense, not at all suitable either and
You cannot have seen him for year and a
half2"
- Should you have forgotten all about Mr..
Cout-her, if YOU mad not seen him for a year
and q half o.
" Perhaps. But that is quite different.
We were in the same station in life, and our
parents approved of our engagement.
" Why that was all against yon? cried
Lydia 50 don't believe there can be any
true love without difficulty and opposition.
on used t. think so once. Don't You re
member when William used to come under
the playground wall and whistle, and throw
letters over when whistled back again
And how YOU and | used to read them, an d
concoct the answers together o.
b. am afraid We did.
" William was very respectable, | am sure
he was the son Of clergyman near here, you
know, and used to be asked to the house.
But be had no money and his grandfather
was in trade in Ipswich 50 when he asked
papa's leave to be engaged to me, papa broke
out into a terrible passion, and called him
dish0norable, and turned him out Of the
house and he said if William ever wrote tc
me, he would find him out and horsewhiT
him and William hasn't L Neither papa MOI
mamma ever scolded me; they treated me
like a goose girl who knew no better, and
they laid all the blame on poor William
and vet lam sure had to give him tremend-
Gus encouragement at school, when we walk
ed out two and two and at church, before he
dare DO anything-hadn't I?'
'' Yes, dear, YOU certainly did.
"l almost fancy that | was the first 70
write
" imagine that you did send valentine
OF something. You had arrived at the mature
age Of thirteen at the time. What a puss
But have you ever met him since Sir Thomas
forbade him the house,
d" Once; and he declared he would never
marry any one else. and promised the same.
And ] mean to keep my word too; and If
be If faithful, III marry him when | am
twenty one.
80 And if he Is not faithful, or misbehayes
in any way, then you viii marry Mr.. Staun-
ton, sappose?'
.. Perhaps. 0 Julia, it is a terrible thing
to be crossed in love -
sad, indeed. dear 1t often ends in CON
sumption. have heard"
Lydia sighed but she did not look con-
sumptive.
1t would have made pretty picturc-l
mean. Of course for ladies, artists, and faith
er5of families not for modest bachelcrs-those
two sitting over the fire in their dressing
gowns, because their STYLES Of beauty were SC
different that each acted as a foil to the other.
Lydia was tall. dark and 1.-the, with slight
ly aqulilne nose in the middle of her hand
pretty.
LYDIA darling" said Julia after bit,
80 you are the funniest contradiction ! ever
yet met. You wear spurs.
81 No, only one
" \ spur; and you jump over hedges and
bitches, and break your neck like n rough
man and YOU let off horrid guns: and YOU
I whistle; and you have smoked cigarette
and you mean to act in thingummies and
vet YOU are romantic, aud so very romantic -
e. But don't you see that is just where it is, -
cried Lydia. 1t is because l am sick tc
death OF what is commonplace, that am al.
ways wanting to try something new and un-
usual Men seem so much happier than wo
men, that | wish to know what It Is thai
makes them so. But 80 far as poor William
goes, do not see anything so very romantic
in being commonly faithful and truthful. l
you make promise, you can keep 1t, sup
pose, without being silly. Besides, don 2
+ know why it is romontic to love any one
+ You do not think yourself so for loving yOul
Z husband and vour hahv do von 2 II Is moi