Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-02-23
WOODSTOCK, W., THURSDAY, FEB. %, 1871.


" yet induce her to reconsider
d 'lt would he of no use to try sal
y David, for you might as well atteml
IS to move the sun as to move Sal|ie Deal
" lug when once she gets set upon any
thing she fancies to be her duty
c very unreasonable, truly said Nh
!, B., but there was q touch of sarcasm i
d his tone. 'Aud you could not think @
c yielding, yourself?'
Never, sir; never.
t 'Well, you shall have the Jersey al
v the same, for | suppose you won't sci
/. your place.
] Not /, sir; nor buy rope to hau!
, myself with, either
f Mr.. Burch laughed, and as he walked
r away he said to himself Il guess tht
heifer will console him for his loss
| David did not, indeed, buy a rope to
hang himself; but he slipped his neck
into the matrimonial moose in the course
of a few months, and moved into his new
house precisely as he had planned to dc
the only difference being that Jennie
Burns was his bride, instead of Sallie
Dearing.
Sallie was not left entirely without
consolation for, if she had lost a lover,
she had gained friend, and that friend
was no less parsonage than Mr.. Burch.
She was much surprised, one day, on
opening the front door in answer to the
summons Of the great brass knocker, to
behold him standing on the step, and
his horse paving at the gate-about as
much surprised as you would be if the
statue of Washington, which adorns the
square, should dismount from its ram
pant steed and pay you visit,
He extended his hand smilingly, and
inquired for her father and mother, upon
which Sally invited him in. He said
he had been trying to obtain some of
the old English strawberry plants. He
had the Hovey Seeding and the Bart
lett, and in fact almost every other vari-
ETY.; but the old English had become
very rare, and he was told that Mr..
Dearing had it.
Upon which Mr.. Dearing said that he
had, and that Mr.. Burch was welcome
to some. And then they fell into a long
conversation about horticulture in gen
eral. So he stayed an hour Or more,
and though he addressed but few words
to Sallie, his hazel eyes were upon her
even while he talked to her father. And
so, upon one preteXt Or another, he con-
tinued to come, until at last he came
without any pretext at all.
The old people valued his society on
their own account not a little, but more
because, as they said, the companionship
of a gentleman like Mr.. Burch was such
an advantage to young girl like their
daughter. AS for Salie, she regarded |
him as dear brother, or at least she
thought she did, until her old friend,
Mrs. Burdock-the same who was scan
dalized by the ''pink ribbons s'-destroycd
the illusion.
1t was one afternoon early in June,
when Mr.. Dearing slept in his arm chair,
his wife darned his stockings, and Salie
sat stitching away upon some pretty
piece of nonsense-which, truth to tell,
she was much addicted to doing-that
Mrs. Burdock stalked in like some gaunt
and grizzly Fate. After discoursing a
short time about the lateness Of the sea-
son, the prospect for crops, Mr.. Blacks
"rheumatiz,' aud Mr.. Browns broken
leg, she came at last to the subject up
permost in her mind, and which had
been the real motive of her call.
so, Mr.. Burch is going to be mar
ried,' she remarked, looking keenly at
Salie. That young woman gave little
start, which caused her to prick her
finger and stain her work with blood,
and, let us hope that she derived mo.
mentary satisfaction from the fancy that
the cambria was Mrs. Burdock, and the
needle a dagger. She did not, how
ever, look up, nor make any reply,
but her mother said, in the most COM
monpace way in the world:
rs he? Who is the lady?'
That l hain't found out, but he's
fxin up his house with the beauitulest
new things! | made an arraut there and
saw 'em myself. 1t must be the Queen
of Shelby at least and Mrs. Burdock
cackled at her own wit. Hes been
down to Boston three times in one week
only think of it = she added.
What followed Sallie did not hear
she felt confused and bewildered, and
was thankful when she could steal away
to her chamber. Then she reproached
herself for feeling distressed at the news.
What is it to me- thought she, whether
he is married or not? He has been the
kindest and dearest of friends, and
hoped things might continue as they
were, but | had no right to expect it.
Well, whatever happens, | shall always
reverence him as the noblest man in the
world-nobody can deprive me of that
comfort ,
Like many other young ladies, Sallie
was a little given to superlatives, as may
be seen.
The next day Mr. Burch called, smil
inc, as handsome as ever. He confirm
ed the truth of Mrs. Burdock's state
meut with regard to reftting his house,
and paid Sallie the compliment of asking
the benefit of her taste in completing the