Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1871-02-15

But, sitting IN the ola " pest foom' III
the dark, while the ladies were getting
ready, and trying to devise a way by
which he might get an opportunity tospeak
with Miss Dunton alone, il occurred to
him that she was at that time in the sit
ting-room waiting for his sister. To step
out to where she was and present the case
in few words, would not be difficult, and
it might all be settled before his sister
came down stairs. The Fates were against
him, however. For just as he was about
to act upon his thought, he heard Amanda
Holiness abundant dresses sweeping down
the stairway. He could not help hearing
the conversation that followed
"You see, Janet, got up this trip to-
night TO keep John from spending the
evening in the kitchen. lie hasn't bit Of
dignity, and would spend the evening
romping with the children and talking to
Huldah il he took it into his head"
"Well," said Janet, Zone can overlook
everything in man Of your brothers
culture. But what a queer way your
country servants have of pushing them
selves. Wouldn't make them know their
placesm
And all this was said with the kitchen
door open, and with the intention of
wounding Huldah.
Johns castles tumbled, The erudite
wife alongside the silver tea-urn faded out
of sight rapidly. If knowledge could not
give touch of humane regard for the feel
ing of poor girl toiline dutifully and self
denyingly to support her family, of what
account was it
Two minutes before he was about to give
his life to Janet Dunton. Now there was
gulf wider than the world between them.
He slipped out Of the best room by the
outside door and came in through the
kitchen. The neighbours sleigh that was
to call for them was already at the door
and John begged them to excuse him.
He had set his heart on helping Huldah
make mince-pies, as he used to help his
mother when boy. His sister was in
despair, but she did not say much. She
told John that it was time he was getting
over his queer freaks. And the sleigh
drove Off
For an hour afterwards John romped
with his sisters children and told stories
to the boys and talked to his father
When man has barely escaped going over
precipice he does not like to think too
much about it. John did not.
At last the little children went to bed
The old gentleman grew sleepy, and retired
The boys went into the sitting-room and
went to sleep, one on the lounge and one
on the floor Huldah was Just ready to
begin her pies. She was deeply hurt, but
John succeeded in making her more cheer
full. He rolled up his sleeves and went to
rolling out the pastry. He thought he
had never seen a sweeter picture than the
young girl in clean dress and apron, with
her sleeves rolled above her elbows. There
was q statuesque perfection in her we'll
rounded arms. The heat of the fire had
flushed her face little, and she was laugh.
ing merrily at Johns awkward blunders in
pie-making. John was delighted, he hardly
knew why. In fixing pie-crust his fingers
touched hers, and he started as if he had
touched galvanic battery. He looked at
Huldah, and saw a half-painful expression
on her flushed face.
For the first time it occurred to him
that Huldah Manners had excited in him q
feeling thousand times deeper than any
thing he had felt toward Janet, who
seemed to be now in another world. Fol
the first time he realized that he had been
more in love with Huldah than with
Janet all the time. Why not marry her
And then he remembered what the Gov.
ernor had said about marrying woman's
heart and not her head.
He put on his hat and walked out out
out into the darkness, the drizzling rain
and the slush of melting snow, fighting ;
fierce battle. All his pride and all hi:
cowardly vanity were on one side, all the
irresistible torrents of his love on the
other. He walked away into the darl
wood-pasture, trying to cool his brow
trying to think, and would you believe it ?
trying to pray, for it was great struggle
and in any great struggle a true sou
always finds something very like prayer il
his heart.
The feeling Of love may exist without
attracting the attention of its possessor
1t had never occurred to John that h,
could love or marry Huldah. Thus tn,
passion had grown all the more powerful
for not being observed, and now the unseeI
fire had at a flash appeared as an all-con
suming one.
Turning back he stood without the win
dow, in the shadow, and looking through
the glass at the trim young girl at worl
with her pies. In the modest, restful fac
he read the story of heart that ha,
carried great burdens patiently and nobly
What glorious picture she was of warmth
and light, framed in darkness. To hi
! heart, at that moment, all the light an,
warmth of the world centred in Huldah
All the world besides was loneliness AM
darkness and drizzle and slush. His fea
of his sister and of his friends seemed has
, and cowardly. And the more he locke
at this vision Of the night, this revelation
of peace and love and Light, the more b
was determined to possess it. You wi
call him precipitate. But when all man
nobility is on one side and all his mcannes
on the other, why hesitate Beside.
/ John Harlow had done more thinking
that half-hour than most men do in
3 month.
The vision had vanished from the wiz
5 down and be went in and sat down. Sb
t had by this time, put in the last pie, an
was sitting with her head on her hant
The candle flickered and went out, an