Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-04-22


were concocting calico dresses for the
missionary's children, the subject ragged
with even greater virulence. rs might
have been expected, considering that
Lance had been general fayorite, and in
the days Of his freedom had roamed from
flower to flower. after the usual butterfly
fashion of young bachelors. They pitied
her. They wondered at him; they
wondered at her. Poverty and sickness.
ruin and disaster, were the mildest of
their predictions for this unfortunate
couple.
Equal CONSERVATION prevailedin Knipsic
village, when it was rumorcd that Laura
Bridges was deliberately determined to
marry farmer. No engagement had
created such a commotion since the next
to the last new minister had married Sue
Syllahub. Everybody dressed up and
called on every one else to talk it over.
lis the child crazy?" asked Mrs. Cen
eral Sampson of Mrs. Judge Jewett, in
her most impressive manner! at is true
the Bridges are not wealthy. but they are
one of our oldest families; and Laura,
with her connections, her fine education,
her agreeable, lady-like manners and
pretty face. might have married into the
very first circles George Ledell was
very attentive to her last year, before she
went off teaching that miserable district
school. and became infatuated with this
coarse far aimer'-pronounced CO. -os fahmah.
Then Mrs Judge Jewett took up the
refrain: "She will have no society what
ever. She will be obliged to work like q
galley slave-farmers' wives always do.
ThinS Of Laura making butter and cheese,
apple sauce, soft soap, sausagcs ,mopping,
eating with hired men, living on salt
porko" And Mrs. .Jewett shuddcred at
the dreadful picture imagination thus
presented Of farmers life.
"Oh, it's truly dreadful :" said Mrs.
General Sampson.
"She can't endure i,,n said Mrs. Jewett.
"Shell break down under il, :" said Mrs.
Sampson.
"She won't live long" said Mrs.
Jewett.
Meantime. the victims. unconscious OF
their DOOM were jogging along in q
state OF perfect happiness and iniatuation
They were driving ove' the Jackson farm
to inspec. their future homc.' II was y
cloudy. bleak March day. the road muddy,
the grass not yet turned green. People
who ne, them on tho street added, "A
disagreeable day. to their "Good-after-
noonr But Lance aud Laura found 1t an
uncommonly nice day. | think they
laborcd under dim impression that roses
were blooming and bobolinks warbling
all along the road. The summer oi
youth, all loye in their hearts, east its
glamour on all the world outside.
The Jackson farmhouse certainly need
ed to be looked at through glamour. If
ever a house did Ii was story and n
half house. the paint worn OFF, no blinds
the fence, poor at best, now dilapidated,
solitary scraggy lilac representing the
shrubbery.
There is always something slightly
pathetic in these scraggy lilacs and flower
ing almonds. one go often sees struggling
for life in the otherwise dreary waste Of a
farmers front yarl. Some woman once
had heart TO try and redeem with such
touch OF the beautiful rs came within her
power the desolate barrenness other sur
roundings.
Poor Mrs. Jackson set out that lilac
when shewas young and hopeful. and still
expected something of life; before Jack
sons harsh. narrow skinflintedness took
all the heart out of her, and made her the
broken.sp spirited drudge, who work on like
tread mill horse till one day she drop
ped into her grave. and there, let us hope,
found rest. Then Jackson. finding n
house. e.keeper expensive, sold out, and
went to live with his son out West, where
he could get twenty per cent. for his
money on first mortgage-as much of
heaven as his meagre soul was capable of
appreciating.
And now another young couple were
coming here to try that difficult expert
ment we call lifc-the experiment against
whose success there are so many odds
the experiment so many of Us would
gladly try over again, with the dear
bought experience that comes OF failure.
Would Lance degenerate into mere
money making machine, a keep p-what-
you get and get-whatyou can" sort OF
man, like Jackson? Would the light. t.and
hope, and love fade out of Laura's eyes
in the years to come. leaving her another
Mrs. jackson? Certainly. the associations
of the new home wero not calculated to
inspire very cheerful ideas of farmers
! life.
Fortunately. Laura was ono of those
happy people who look out on life through
rose-colored spectacles. So she inn
mediately fell to seeing the bright side
of the jackson house. If secretly rather
dismayed at the forlorn aspect OF things.
yet the native energy Of her character rose
up strong within her to meet the emergen'
cy. Old Debbie, Mrs. Bridges washer.
| Anr,an nsah 10 Snv al .anry,s all grit