Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-12-21


good out OF John Harlow. He got up
early and MIXED the COW. He cut wood
and carried it in for Huldah. He rode
old Bob to the brook for water. He did
everything that he had been accustomed
to do when boy, finding as much pleas
: ure in forgetting that he was man, as he
once found in hoping to be a man. The
two boys enjoyed his society greatly, and
his father was delighted to see that he re-
tanned his interest in the farm life, though
the deacon evidently felt an unconquera-
BILE hostility to what be called that scrub
bish on the upper-lip.' 1 think if John
had known how strong his fathers feeling
was against this much cherished product
he wonld have moved the crop and grazed
the field closely until he got back to the
city.
John was not insensible to Janet Dun
tons charms. She could talk fuently
about all the authors most in vogue, and
the effect of her fuency was really daz-
zling to a man not yet cultivated enough
himself to see how superficial her culture
was. For all her learning foated on top.
None of it had Influenced her own culture.
She was brimming full of that which she
udu dCtfulIGus uul IL ndu uOl DtGu lllCUE-
porated into her own nature. John did
not see this, and he was infatuated with
the idea Of marrying a wife of such at
tainments How she would dazzle his
friends How the Governor would like
to talk to her How she would shine in
his parlors How she would delight peo-
pie as she gave them tea, and talk at the
same time john was in love with her as
he would have been in love with a new
tea-urn or a rare book. She was nice
thing TO show. Other people than John
have married on the strength of such a
feeling, and called it love. For John really
thought he was in love. And during that
week he talked and walked and rode in
the sleigh with Miss Dunton, and had made
up his mind that he would carry this bril-
liant prize to New York But, with law
yer-like caution, he thought he would put
off the committal as long as possible. Ii
his heart had been in his attentions the
caution would not have been worth much.
Caution Is good break-water against
vanity but it isn't worth much against
the spring-tide Of love, as John Harlow
soon found
For toward the end of the week he be-
gan to feel a warmer feeling for Miss
Janet 1t was not in the nature of things
that John should walk and talk with
pleasant girl week, and not feel some
thing more than his first interest TO marry
a snowy wife. His heart began to be
touched, and he resolved to bring things to
a crisis as soon as possible. He therefore
sought an opportunity to propose. But it
L
Holmes was tolerably ingenious she could
not get the boys or the deacon to pay any
regard to her hints. Boys are totally de-
PRAYED on such questions, anyhow, and al
ways manage to stumble in where any pri-
vacy Is sought. And as for the deacon 1t
really seemed as though he had some de-
sign in intruding at the critical moment.
| do not think that John was seriously
in love with Miss Duntou. Ii he had been
he would have found some means of COM
muncatiDg with her. \ thousand spies
with sleepless eyes all around their heads
cannot keep man from telling his love
somehow, if he really have a love to tell
There is another fact which convinccs
me that John Harlow was not vet very
deeply in love with Janet. He was fond
of talking with her of Byron and Milton.
of Lord Bacon, and Emerson, I. c. as l
have already said he was fond of putting
his own knowledge on dress-parade, in the
presence of one who could appreciate the
display. But whenever any little thing
released him for the time from conversa-
ton in the sitting room, be was given to
slipping out into the old kitchen, where,
sitting on a chair that had no back and
leaning against the chimney side, he de-
lighted to talk to Huldah. She could Mt
talk much of books, but she could talk
most charmingly of everything that relat-
ed to country life, and she could ask John
many questions about the great city. In
fact John found Huldah had come into
possession of only such facts and truths as
could be reached in her narrow life. but
she had assimilated them, and thought
about them, and that it was more refresh
ing to hear about the topics she was ac-
quainted with, than listen to the tireless
stream Of Janet Dunton's ostentatious
erudition And he found more delight in
telling the earnest and hungry minded
country girl about the great world of men
and the great world of books, than in talk
ing to Janet, who was in the matter of
kuON4GuA Il lltltS CtNSts II L may OG d.
lowed the expression. And then to Huldah
he could talk of his mother, whom he had
often watched moving about that same
kitchen. When he had spoken to Janet
of the associations of the old place with
his mothers countenance, she had an
swered with a quotation from some poet,
given in tone of empty sentimentality
He instinctively shrank from mentioning
the subject to her again but to Huldah it
was so easy to talk of his mothers gentle
ness and sweetness. Huldah was not un-
like her in these respects, and then she
gave him that sort of sympathy that finds
its utterance in a tender silence-so much
more tender than any speech can be.
He observed often during the week that
Huldah was depressed. He conld not ex-
actly account for it, until he noticed some
thing in his sisters behaviour toward her
that awakened his suspicion. As soon as
opportunity offered he inquired of Huldah,
affecting at the same time to know some
thing about it.
L don't want to complain of your sister
to you, Mr.. Harlow
Pshaw call me John, and as for my
sister, know her faults better than you
do. Go on, please
We'll, it's only that she told me that
Miss Dunton wasn't used to eating at the
same table with servants, and when one of
the boys told your father, he was mad and
came to me, and said, Huldah, you must
eat when the rest do. If you stay from
the table on account of these city snobs,
I'll make fuss on the spot. So to avoid
fuss have kept on going to the table
John was greatly vexed with this. He
was chivalrous fellow, and he knew how
such remark must wound a person who
had never learned that domestic service /