The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1871-02-21


! bad meant to bc sarcastic In the cx-
treme, bat Steven only threw back hi,
head aud laughed
"a don't take your wonl- st heart
sylvie, because tile trail Of Miss Althea Is
over them al. She has been telling you
that ] proposed to Mis-, Primrose, aud she
rejected me, purposing to giving her life
TO the making Of butter"
II know better, Olivia would never
refuse YOU"
"Ah, that puts me In hope again: If
you think other women would be willing
to take NE, with the Frazer farm thrown
Ia, You cannot altogether have cast me
ont of your own synagogue,
Nv lips began to trcmble. could not
command them long enough to ,peal, the
word. which came in a torrent.
The grayish dayli5ht, my calico gown.
aud Stevens thick boots-all these com
mon things nipped any romance there
might be about the subject Of our talk,
aud woye d spell OF silence about me. fl
he had so much a. offered to touch my
hand Ou even my dress, | could perhaps
have prohed hi, seeming earelessness,
and then by some lucky eireumlocution,
diyined whether he was choosing me for
a housekeeper, a. the Frazers choose their
wite., or a, that other part Of himself
without which his life would ever after
be tame aud incomplete.
The clock struck great many times as
sat motionless under his eyes, inwardIy
torn with warnings for that one word of
love which never came.
"lou have nothing to say to me Just
now" he asked. at last.
| shook my head. He made one step
forward, and it seemed to me that he half
put out his arms, then turned on his heel
and went away,
You'd better stop here to tea on your
way home,' called my mother from the
pantry window, but she got no answer
that was audible to me.
What did care for the Frazer farm, or
doing better than my sisters? What |
hungered and thirsted for was love IN
such measure as should bring Steven to
my side, and make him blind to the exis-
tence of all other woman, though | was
the verest milestone about his neck. !
would have taken him Just as cheerfully.
and worked for him all my days if he had
been helpless cripple. He knew that
! loved him, he must often have read the
dreadful fact in every line of my face
when he had given me one OF his unex
pected up looks.
Steven and i had fallen into danger
Gus habit of watching each other very
early in life. lie was my balance By
which to weigh other men. When W,
went away to school and colleg8 ! gay'
him up for lost Then his father died
and, he came home to spend his life OF
the old farm. Many people called it
sacrifice, but he professed never to hay
had any other intention. "a little learn
ing" did not prove a dangerous thing,
when applied to crops.
IT was rather pleasant thought, afte
all when came to digest it, that 'I hav
every quality which he desired in wife /,
but if | had lacked in one or two of th
useful ones, would he have enough in hi
heart to supply their place? There wa
the rub
Mother looked in and found me sittin
as Steven had left me. started up wit
blush worthy of Uncle shuabel
"There are the early apples to sort,
she said suggestiyely.
ITO be sure" said |, land I'm tn
woman 10 sort them 80 thoroughly tn,
there won't be one left for seed
II was just like her to send me and n
perturbation TO have 1t out together i
some shady corner si the yard.
did my duty vigorously by the al
pies, but kept up terrible thinkiu
withal-how Steven Frazer had wake
home with me from singing school abou
month before thi, time in the most d
licious moonlight, without 80 much a. O
fcring hi- arm, or pau-ing a moment II
der the apple tree to lengthen his GOO
bye. Ifhe had such a thing as a weddiI
on his mind, then was the time Of all OF
crs TO mention IL.
! And week later, when there WIS J
, moon. but one could see the Pleiades
o "GHuer like a swsrm Of hrefies tangled in
yer braid,
He had taken me in his beach wag,
to party at q distant farm house, goi
in the afternoon and returning in t
; most perfect Of mellow evenings.
- He had seemed 50 much more conscio
Of nv existence than usual on that aft
noon, that hope dawned in my heart u
= he would speak that night if he e'
meant to do 80.
We were drlFlhg through beit oi
orous wood, talking with "fashes
= silence" when we overlook a won
driving a laggard horse and working
passage witha whip.
: She spoke to Steven, and proved TO
one Of his neighbors, going 10 watch W
:. q SICK sister.
"I'H take you there in half the time
youll &c. in with u, aud send your
u" back with your team" said steven,
most eagerly.
The woman tcould il be that she :
realh woman, 50 to dash my cup
.. happines. from MY ljpsJ accepted the
fer readily.
- Her sister might Lzve tseeu sift As t