Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-12-29
The Leisure Hour.
THE DE.gCO.N"S COTRTSHIP.


The handsomest and the richest woman
in all the countryside was the widow Ad-
ans. The reigning toast and belle at six
teen, bride at eighteen, widow at twen-
ty, endowed with the largest and best farm
in the upper parish with outlying pasture
and woodlands, and thousands in bank
stock, little wonder that though her Grape
had not diminished one iota, and her rosy
cheeks and bright eyes were still shrouded
in the widows veil, that manly eyes and
manly hearts should be directed towards
her; less wonder that when sleighing
party from the "Port' should visit her or
bright moonlight evening, that the pretty
widow should look her best, and to be
toasted as never before, over her Thanks
giving cake, sweet cider and choice old ia
maica or that when the beaux and bellies
the next evening were congregated in the
schoolhouse on the "Green,' to practice
choir singing, which was just beginning to
supersede the od-lashioned 'deaconing
out" that the handsome widow and her
surroundings should become matter for
discussion.
Deacon CluiT at the "Pines," had holy
horror of this new style OF singing. Though
man only little past Ior'F' he heiu j." s'
cred disdaln any ihIrlhgehehl vi MS Sd
batical privileges. 1t made him person
of mark, to stand in the deacon's seat be-
fore the pulpit and read two lines of the
psalm, for those III the singing saiiery 10
turn into melouy' 90 Tue ueaeon' 'N"'
ming, had determined 10 20 oNei '" '"o
school house to stop the disorderly pro-
ceedings. SIX weeks wluower' u"re
not aver now stroi's'y o'noi io"so"S
the step Let no one iilier 'n"' 'i'e uei""''
Mrs. Cluff was forgotten on inc contrary
she was remembered every hour Ill 'no u'S'
He was lonesome, his house was al skies
and sevens, his chlldreh uhru'y' incn ne
was conscious OF s'ranso sc'9e Vi i'ee-
dom-the feminine Woriu WAS again open
to him 1t was Pheasant 10 gaze Ut 'he io'e'
| ly maidens OF the society," lie WAS hiSh !"
| the social scale +; last year overseer OF the
poor, this seiec'lhah oil 'he 'ow"' spoNe" u,
as being likely to be sent to the hlgh ana
mighty general court on the ioiiowins'
| With his standing IN thc church, surely ne
might aspire ~ the iairest anu iiches' vi
the land.
A huge hre OF green logs was sputterlhg
and sizzling in the wide stone hrePlace oil
the rude, half-hnlshed temple OF learning |;
the tallow candles stuck into square Dlocks'
whitfield from pine Suck, cast weird
light over the clumsy desks ana seats'
hacked and disiiSured by their various oc-
cupants, casting ghosliy shadows over the
time-stained and smoke-embrowned walls
Grouped around the smoking hre, ana
perched hither and thither upon the bench
es and desks, were some thirty lads ana
lasses, singers at the "Green," and few
friends come to assist In the requirement.
of sacred harmony.
Deacon Cluh was no artist lear ne
scarcely understood the lu'l meaning oi
the term-still, as he pusheu as'de tne
clumsy outer door ana s'oou III tpe i''le
vestibule, the picturesqueness oil the scene
arrested his steps, ana caused MN 10 s'anu
unobserved In the haii-opeh eh'raAce lc
the larger one.
merry laugh rang round the group as
the deacon pausedi curly-haired' piue'
eyed miss, perched upon the lront desk, eS'
claimed:
"Elbrldge Clifton expects TO marry th'
rich and handsome widow we visited las
night but the lady Is good HodIearin=
federalist, and would not LOOK Twice al