Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1870-11-04
"Simon Peters wifc's mother;' but If she
had ever known
"a dearer one
Still and q nearer one
Yet thnn all other.n
she would have clung to her own wagon,


Yet thnn oil other"
ala, .,..,,,, ,o,,o .,,,. o. ,.os o,..,, ,,,.,o,
ord 10, nc ,,, -, o,,r ,,,o,, aIoro
7 roolived bowover becoro had nourod
ont NV viois or wrath ~, bor thot n ,vos
steven who had made tho offer and botrav.
cd bis total indifrarenco 10 tbo sveot lonoIi-
moss which had boen go,heri,o round ne
among the pines
am clad had t,o ,r,co ,o n,o1,o toll,
with the troub1oeor,o ot1 ,yor,a, ond 70
listen with interest IN tbc whole couraa of.
her sisters illness, from the yorv first
symptom.
1 had nv reward when steven lif,ed mo
down at our gate, and she said =
"You're your mothers own gall You
hain't never let me feel that two's COM
panv and three's n crowdr'
, steven had Walked I'm n long notb with
me to carry shawl, and might have said
Just word then-a woman can live long
on only a word, if it be loving enough
but he almost threw the shawl across my
arm, and ran down tho path as if he were
glad to be well rid of me.
As l "piled Ossal on Pollon" in my
thoughts against the possibility of his low
ing me MS 1 desired to be loved. the fore
noon wore away, and the applos were sort
ed.
Mother racked her brains after dinner TO
keep me busy. One would have thought
her stop-mother of the most grinding
type but 1 thanked her in my heart.
"There comes steven again" she said, as
the sound of approaching wagon wheels
came in at the open window, "and brother
Shubael with him. You had better sot the
table now, Sylvie."
"Come in Steven, come in," said Uncle
Shubael in that high, raspng tone that
one gets living alone. "You can have a
little peace in this house, now Lucretia has
married off three of 'em; Sylyia's quiet
enough if you let her alone but if you 90
to stir her up too much, she's as peppery
as any of the lot.'
"Why, Sylvie," said mother, when we
sat down to the table, "where were your
wits2 You've put on white cups and gilt
saucers."
"Hor ribbons will always match, wheth-
er the dishes do or not, you may depend
ont" said Uncle Shubael.
1t promised to be the whitest of moon
lit evenings. when Uncle Shubael pushed
back his chair, and declared his intention
of going home without loss of time.
"I ALWAYS 20 TO bed early when there's n
moon," he said, "so's to be out of the way
of temptation. If ever man makes
fool of himself YOU may be sure that he
will do it by moonlight"
"And how is it with women 2" said moth
or.
"Humphi MOONLIGHT or sunlight IL oll
one TO them. reckon"
"Mrs. Poyscr said she would never deny
that women were fools-tho Almighty made
them to match the men," put in.
"Who's Mrs. Poyser? Does she live in
these parts?"
"No."
"Glad to hear that. There's enough sharp
tongued women about here now. without
anv more moving in"
"Old Candancc knew best " said mother.
"Sbo said. men was nat,allv foolish; but
thov 1vos n oroat deaI bottcr than nuffip,,,
"PIe,se convince Svlvie of that doc
trino ~ said Steven. "whilo 90 home with
Irrc1e Shubacl for safetv's sake."
Tbov wont o,vov toyotbor and noibipg
,vorId do lint mother must bavo ONT tbe
Snoctotor. and hear me read aloud fill bed
time while | was longing TO set ON the
door.to, and milo mn ogonv in fine moon-
Iirht
If c,no to mass oflor thnt dav that six
marital v,oel,s d,.,c,crod ont tI,o,r slow Icnotb
vithopt my, anna sooino stonhon Froy,t
Sonbio's two children came down with
tbo ,roo.1os AND beirg tho only, sir,,Io eis-
for uoo Of conrso dr,r,od c,r nrrso
Sho mentioned onco osI wos sitti,a in
tbo dorlorod room, hothirro Inn roynrod
hood ,I,,t c,,o,.o,, I,o1 .,o,,,s'od =, ~, lc,.
onI 1or, ,,ossa,,o rror, ,,o,,,o. L,t sha
hnd soid ,,o, i,,1s,, ;,s, tro,, a,d oo,,15
pot cnn,o down ~ him oh ,hoIIird cr,,
oI,,.o or ,,,orr;od sis,or ,,.;n' sioI' Lol,,T ,
Ca., ,';,-, ,,,,, :. -, 49, ~,
,an,. ,r ,''a,.'1a,,,,,..,
tstoid ,.i,l, ca,hio ,u hor otiIdroo ,yoro
~ -,