Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1870-11-30
THE VACANT CHAIR.

VAChNl Shat"s
The declining sun cast its horizontal
rays into the west window of neat par
lor in small New England cottage.
From that west window, the eye beheld
q pleasant and undulating country-now
an open field, now an orchard, and now
a clump of dark, green hemlocks, con-
trasting finely with the brown, withered
heritage of the pasturages. The south
view was even more extensive. Here
lay broad valley in which the white
houses were clustered along the margin
of small stream, that flowed over its
pebbly bed with many musical muir
muir in the summer season, but the
LIQUID surface of which was now covered
with skaters, whose flashing skate-steels,
as they whirled and flew like swallows
on the wing, caught the last rays of the
declining sun. Far, far away in the dis
lance, over the village roof tops, over
the threadbare woods, over the far dis
tant meadows, were seen the spires Of q
great city, dimly sketched on the hori-
ION, so vague and vapory, indeed, that
the eye of the stranger might have con-
founded them with the lower stratum of
mist that foated over them.
But we are forgetting that our bust
ness just now lies with the interior of
Maple Cottage. The small, snug parlor
we have mentioned, was furnished cheap
ly but tastetully. Neat white curtains
were looped beside the windows. A
plain sofa, a few cane-seated chairs-a
small mirror, an engraving of General
Washington, a secretary and bookcase,
composed all the furniture. Yet every
thing was neat, and well arranged.
A cheerful coal fire was burning
in the CRATE. The table in the cen
tire of the room was loaded with the
plentiful cheer BETTING Thanksgiving
Day. At the head of the table, sat pale
dark-eyed man, with deep lines marking
his thoughtful countenance, and snow
white hair parted from his forehead, and
waving over his shoulders. Opposite
him sat a very handsome woman, whose
soft, brown hair was beginning to be
streaked with threads of silver, showing
that she had sometime since passed the
heyday of her youth. On one side of
the square table was beautiful girl OF
nineteen or twenty, fair and blooming as
rose in June, with the warm hue OF
health on her cheeks, and the bright
blood burning in her dewey lips OPP.
posite to her was placed 0dcant chair,
And now one word of the tenants Of
Maple Cottage. That white-haired mar
presiding at the table, is Miles Milford
the lady opposite, his wife; the beau
tiful girl, guest, Rose Darling, neigh
boris daughter; she has come by invi
tation to enliven the Thanksgiving din
ner. But who shall fill that vacan
chair ? No guest is expected-yet th,
plate and knife and fork, and napkin
and water glass, are duly set. With {
certain sect, 1t is customary when
member of family dies, ever after t.
retain his place at the table-his seat b,
the freside. 1t is fondly believed tina
his spiritual presence fills these vacan
cies, obedient to the attraction of Low,
that the grave cannot cover up. As th,
beautiful eyes of Rose Darling, glanc,
towards that vacant chair, they fill will
tears. Is it true, then, that there ha
been death in the Milford family? M
not death-separation
Miles Milford was carpenter b,
trade. He had served his apprentice
ship, wrought for himself, and Marie,
his wife in that city, the spires of whicl
can be seen from the dining-room table
He had led hard life. His early youtl
was cursed and saddened by the intern
perance of his father-early orphanag
and poverty accompanied his first step
in youth But he made his way, man
ried, made a good living. One chill
only-a boy-blessed the union of Mile
and his wife. He was a fine, health
little fellow, and was dearly beloved
though not idolized or petted by his pa
rents And now we come to sad cor
fession. Whether it was weakness, pei
versity, or the fruit of a fatal legacy {
blood transmitted by the erring pa
rent, but, at that very period of life whe
his father had abandoned himself to ba
habits, Miles Milford became addicte
to drink. He did not become an habi
ual sot-but at times he drank deepl,
and was incapable of taking care of hin
self. This was the shadow on his hear
stone-this wrung the heart of his wifi,
and agonized his boy-his boy who ha
met him in the streets and led him HON
when the father did not know him.
Suddenly, Miles Milford, when on til
brink OF utter ruin, when poor and i
debt, when friends were forsaking hin
and reputation was furnished, brob
from his evil course with sudde
wrench. The shadow fled from TIL
heart-stone, sunbeams played there
its stead. Frugal, industrious, emerge
ic, Miles soon freed myself from his il
debtedness, and in few years he ha
amassed several hundred dollars.
He had from early boyhood cherishe
q longing desire for country life d
sire, which his occasional visits TO I'll
rural districts ripened into passion
Since toll was to be his lot in life, agr
cultural labor seemed the most attra,
tive. His bow. now eighteen years