National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-05-27
Professor Hdlstedd's Girl.

"A Siol'utlN anu COlllIdIN OIt CUdI
was Joel Shellenbarger. a rich old
farmer. as mullsh as the donkey in
his barn. He had made his way in
the world by the doggedest obstina-
cy-seizing hold of whatever came
i'll his way, and retaining that hold
as though life depended upon it
Joel's mulishness had literally been
the making of him, though you
mightn't have considered the little
pot bellled, thick skulIed old man
as much of a make after all.
Joel bad one son-a handsome,
clear headed young man-Straight
as a young larch, tail, and as set in
| his way, when he chose to have one
as old Joel himself. This son. as he
| grew up, had proved great assist.
ance to his father in working the
/ farm, and his services had been made
/ the most of. The old man managed
| To keep him some zine after he had
! ought to have been doing for him
self. Not an acre of his fathers
I possessions was ever called his sons:
he owned nothing in the world save
a horse, which some neighbor had
given him, when it WAS sickIy colt
and some sheep, obtained in much
the same manner; and the old man
/ grudged him the keeping OF these.
Joel ShellenbM ger and his son
differed often, but there were two
points IN which the difference
. amounted TO something serious. The
first point concerned education. for
which the old man had the most
/ profound conten 1T and the son had
not. There was college some doz
en- miles from the cShellenbarger farm
and Misunderstanding thoroughly pre-
/ pared himself in spite of tatherly
thwartlng and oppostion-Anson
hetook himself, III spite of the same
20rtnned opposition, and by ore
contrivauce and another, and helped
by his mothers small marketing,
kept himself there till he graduated.
joel Shellcubarger contested the
ground inch by inch, but was afraid
IN his Se.tiShneSS to do anything
more than be obstinate, lest his son
should leave him. That was the first
point Of difference. and that was
how AnSOn settled it. The second
was not likely to bc of SO easy an
arrangement. At COLLEGE AnSOu had
iunnd something beside graduating
houors. He had Glanced upon u
very charming combination ot curlS
and azure cNcs--a red hpped, dimplc
checked fairy, daughter of one of
the professors, who, instead Of curv.
iug her dainty lip ut the homespun
suit which his poverty and his IA
Tiers ulggardIlncSS compelled him
10 wear, never seemed to he con
,ciou> of anything or anybody else
WHEN he WAS by.
In short. AnSon had found some
one to love, some one that hc want
eel To marry. as he grayelY informed
bis father. You should have seen
the old mans eyes 1t waS mercy
they were fast IN their sockets. Here
was gratitude ! This Arson, having
dciiduded his old father of SO much
OF his time, was going now 10 set
the seal upon his abSurdltN and dis
obedience 10y marrying a town girl
Bad enough to marry any one, see
Ing his father wasn't through with
him Nct-but Il town girl He Sho'd
never consent, and every Shcilcn.
bargcr acre should 20 TO Stran .crS
before AnSon should have one, il
he persisted IN an .dta 50 ridlcu.
louS.
And pray what hnlm i thcro in
being town girl I! questioned Bar
bic llalStead, when Arson told her
half laughing, half vcNcd, and alto
gctlIe. ruciul; for. without assist.
ancc from his father. he could not
marry Barbic for long ;imc yet.
Anscn laughed again with some
embarrassment, saying, My father
. is afraid that a daughter of Profess
or ilal>tcad would not max" 4 very
good farmers wife
, Does he think Bmbic hcsi
tatcd, 10 king with smiling pcrplcX
it's AT her little white hands
That those pretty hlnds dou'
, know much about brewing, baking
b ctc.9 Exactly; | believe he thinks
just that
Then hc thinks wrong said Bar
bic, reddcning and looking upat hci
lover with a comcal little pout.--
Didn't | hear you say you needed {
servant at homc9 I've Il mind {,
60 down and offer for the place
AnSon laughed cnjoyingly.
'Wc need one bad enough. hu
4 my father will not suffer one insid,
il the house.
il why, how do you live. then ?
i Who cooks for you, now that you
Il mother is Ill "
Il we do our own cooking AnSOi
Il said. with return Of the half smil
Il ING, half embarrassed expression
Il 'Wp cook for ourselves or do with
u out
II The very day succeeding the on
., which witnessed this conversation
" Arson was ut home, buSying him
IN self over some culinary operations
!, when the outside door, which stoot
d ajar. was noiselessly pushed wide
Ie epen. and singularly attired form
H. presented itself on tho Threshold -
IL wore n red and green plaid dress
. the checks very large, yellow shaw
d and u very irowzy aud tumbled bon