Centre Hall reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1868-1871, 1871-02-17
VOL. ".


break-wStcr against vanity; but il ISN'T
worth much against the sp,ing tide OF love,
as john Harlow soon found.
Fer toward the end Of the week he began
10 feel warmer feeling for Miss Janet. l
10 not think that John was seriously in
love with Miss nunton. Ii he had been,
be woald have found some means Of cont
muniea,iisg With her A thousand spies
with sleePlcSs ewes all round their heads
cannot keep man trom telling his hove
somehow, ifhe really have love 10 tell.
He observed often during the week that
lluldah was depressed. He could not
EXACTLY account for it, until he noticed
something IN his sisters behavior toward
her that awakened bis suspicion. As soon
as oppornmity offered he inquired Of
lIuldsh, affecting At the same time 20 know
something about il.
Il don't want 90 complain of your sister
20 YOU. Mr., Harlow
"Phew call me John, and as fer my
sister know her faults better than you
10. Go ON, please
"Well, its only that she told me that
Miss Dunton, wasn't used 10 eating az the
same table with srrragts, and when one of
the BOYS told your father, he was mad and
came 10 me, and said, HuIdah, YOU must
eat when the rest do. Ii YOU stay away
from the table on account OF these city
SbobS I'll make fuss ON the spot 50
10 avoid fuss have kept on going to the
table
John was greatly yexed with this. He
was a chivalrous fellow, and he knew how
such remark must wound n person who
had never learned that domestic service
bad anything degrading in ii. And the
result was Just the opposite Of what has
sister hoped. John paid more attention
to Huldah Manners because she was the
victim Of oppression.
But, sitting in the old best room y in
the dark, while the ladies were getting
ready, and trying TO devise u way by
which he might get an opportunity tospeak
with Miss nunton alone, il occurred 10
him that she was at that time in the sit
ting-room waiting for his sister. To step
out 10 where she was, and present the case
in few woris, would not be difficult, and
il might all be settled before his sister
came down stairs. The Fatcs were against
4 him. however. For Just as he was about
10 act upon his Thought, he heard Amanda
Holmes's abundant dresses sweeping down
the stairway. ne Nuulu loN hNlh ASaA t4A-
the conversations that followed:-
"You see, Janet, got mp this trip to-
night To keep John from spending the
evening in the kitchen. lie hasn't bit O!
dignity. and would spend the evening
romping with the children and talking 20
Huldah if be took il into his head
Well" said Janet, lone can overlook
everything in man Of your brother
cultarc. But what a queer way your
country servants have Of pushing them
selves. Wouldn't make them know their
places p
And all this was said with the kitchen
! door open. and with the intention Of
wounding Huldah.
Johns castles tumbled, The eruditc
wife alongside the silver tea-urn fadei out
of sight rapidly. If knowledge could not
give touch Of humane regard for the feel
ing Of n poor girl toilina dutifully and self
denyingly to support her family, Of what
account was il
/ Two minutes before he was about 10 give
his life to Janet Dunt0n Now there was
a 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 neighbor's 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, an he used 20 help his
mother when a boy. HIS sister was in
despair. but she did not say much. She
told John that il 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 a man has barely escaped going over
n precipicc he does not like to think too
much about il. John did not.
At last the little children went 10 bed .
The old gentleman grew sleepy, and retired. .
The bows went into the sitting room and I
went to sleep, one on the lounge and one /
on the floor IIuldah was Just ready TO I
begin her pies She was deeply hurt, but /
n John succeeded in making her more cheer /
T fll. He rolled up his sleeves and went to 1
rolling out the pastry. He thought be
had never seen n sweeter picture than the I
Young girl in clean dress and apron, with /
her sleeves rolled above her elbows. There 4
was a statuesque perfection in her we'll I
rounded arms. The heat Of the fire had /
flushed her face little, and she was laugh. /
/ ing merrily Mt Johns awkward blundcrs in .
pie-making. John was delighted, he hardly /
: knew why. In fixing pie-crust his fingers I
touched hers and he started rs If he had .
touched a galvanic battery. He looked at 4
Huldah and saw half-painful expression !
on her flushed face.
For the first time il occurred to him 4
that Huldah Manners had excited in him a
feeling a thousand times deeper than any
thing be had felt toward Janet, who /
seemed to be now in another world. For
the first time be realized that he had been 4
. more in love with Huldah than with 4
Janet all the time. Why not marry her 2
and then he remembered what the Gov
ernor had said about marrying woman's
heart and not her head.
] He put on bis hat and walked out, cut, F.
out, int the darkness, the drizzling rain,
and the slush Of melting snow, fighting
fierce battle. All his pride and all his
cowardly vanity were on one side, all the
irresistible torrents Of his love on the
other. He walked away into the dark
wood-pasture, trying 10 cool his brow, /
trying to think, and would you believe it q |
; trying 10 pray, for it was great struggle, /
AHu III bnl great SIuEEiS true soul
. always finds something very like prayer in
his heart.
The feeling Of love may exist without
attracting the attention Of its possessor.
II had never occurred to John that he
could love or marry Huldah. Thus the
passion had grown all the more powerful
for not being observed, and now the unseen
. fire had at flash appeared as an all-con-
. suming one.
r Turning back he stood without the win I
dow, in the shadow, and looking through
the glass at the trim young girl at work
with her pies. In the modest, restful face
, he read the story Of heart that had
, carried great burdens patiently and nobly.
What glorious picture she was Of warmth
and light. framed in darkness. To his
heart, at that moment, all the light and
} warmth of the world centred in Huldab !
All the world besides was loneliness and
darkness and drizzle and slush. His fear
OF his sister and of his friends seemed base
and cowardly. And the more he looked
at this vision of the night, this revelation
of peace and love and ght, the more he
was determined to possess it. You will
call him precipitate. But when all mans
nobility is on one side and all his meanness
on the other, why hesitate Besides.
Tol,1 HarIo..y hoH dana mona IN,