Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-07-12

'NNiN HhNhhii Aut ItlhWlTNs IN
view is lovely, but, to the New Highlander
not perfect. His eyes turn Involuntary +
the low horizon where the sky stoops down t.
meet the level land and he yearns not with
out slight pang of home-sckness. for tn,
irregular, picturesque line Of mountain tops
behind which, Eat home" the sun goes down
This is Wilmington, and Mollic is estab
lished here as Miss Mary s. Brown, assistant
teacher in the Minerva Institute for young
ladies. These five years have brought many
changes to her, as years are wont to do. So
many things she never thought possible have
entered into her life Sorrow and she are nc
longer strangers Two years after Dick went
west, she lost her mother Molie had never
realized that her mother could die. She knew
death comes to all, but had always regarded
it as far off, impossible calamity She was
wholly unprepared for the time when the will.
ling feet, the helping hands, should lie weak
and helpless, waited on by others, at last for
The darkened room the sohencd footsteps, the
hoping when the heart knows too well all
hope is vain, the listening, with no power to
help, to the feeble gasping breath and then the
awful silence-the solemn, rigid whiteness on
the dear face that had never refused to smile
on her before
Then there was the funeral People said
Rev. Mr.. Thomas excelled himselG-that it
was powerful discourse. Perhaps it was.
Mollie was only conscious Of throng Of PEG.
pie crowding into the privacy Of her home,
staring at the face which was alike Indifferent
10 friend or stranger Of dreary pomp and
parade Of a long flow of words that did not
penetrate her griei-bewildered senses, Of the
going out for the last time over the familiar
threshold. Life never looks quite the same
again after such experience as this
Then came the unwontcd burden Of house.
hold responsibility, the trying to male the
darkened home cheerful for her fathers sake
But, as is often the case with a couple who
have climbed the hill together" when one
is taken, the other soon follows, and they
sleep together at tho foot" At twenty.
three, Molle found herself alone in a world
with very little money, whoe one might
almost think it the one thing needful.-
Squire Brown was too easy and good uatured.
too willing to sign friends note, to leave
much property After sojourning with vari-
Gus relatives until tired of dependence, she
had obtained this situation in the " Minerva
Institute" She has known the various expe.
riences expressed by the poet
What households, though not alien. set not mine,
What bowers Of rest divine
10 what temptations in lone Wilderness.
What famine Of the heart what pain and los,
The bearing Of what cross
This little room in the fourth story off
Minerva Institute" is the truest bower of
rest she has found, because it is her own |
Here she escapes the miseries Of dependence
here, for little while each day, at least, she
is her own mistress, free to think her own
thoughts, to live her own life. These hard
years have marked one or two faint lines /
across her forehead, have sunken slightly the /
rounded contour Of her cheeks, have given |
rather a sad droop to her mouth, when at
rest, as now. And yet it is an attractive
face face with character in it. Her ex.
preston now is not confident eager, expect.
ant it is peaceful and yet bright and strong.
1t is the face one would like in their friend, |
their wife.
As she sits here she is thinking Of talk
she and Einor had only last vacation. Her
vacations are generally spent in Chicago,
with Elinor. One night, when John Senior
was safely down at the store for even the
best Of husbands may be dispensed with some.
tines, and John Junior was snugly tucked
away in his crib, sitting in that twilight so
conducive Of condolences, they had been dis
cussing a variety Of topics, and finally, mat.
rimony. In fact, this was topic pretty sure
to come up between Einor aud any unmar-
ried friend. She was so happy with her John,
that she could not rest easy until all her
friends were equally blessed
She had been saying to Mollie, " do not
understand you, at all. 1t is sin aud shame
for you, Of all people, to be vowed to single
blessedness Such good wife as you would
make some fortunate man And then You
are so alone in the world Why couldn't you
be trihe more civil to Mr.. King, for instance |
He is splendid man-great friend of Johns,
and it would have been such q suitable match |
every way"
81 did not love him. You see | anu very
old-fashioned in my ideas" Then, in a soft |
ened voice that tremblrd little in the dark.
ness, " The truth is, Einor, | never cared
enough for any man to marry him, but one.
Once | might have had the love Of true and
good heart, but | trihed it away. did not
know, until it was too late. But daresay
shall contrive to get through the world, some.
how. People generally do, | notice It's
only little while, at longest, and then-why
then it doesn't matter much whether we have
been happy here or not"
Mollie had not seen Dick all these five
years. She heard Of him occasionally through
Craggvilc correspondents At first, as hay
ing hard struggle, a hand to hand encount-
er with destiny that would have defeated any
one less resolute than Dick lately, as pros
pering in every way, as becoming one of the
leading men in the territory How strange
ly II had all turned out Once it seemed
certain that she and Dick would marry and
settle down in Craggville, to walk in the
peaceful, unadventurous steps Of all their
ancestors. Now be was out in the Rocky
mountains, and she here in Delaware, their
lives driited hopeessy apart A verse she
had come across in 4" Hymns of the Ages"
had turned her thoughts back to the old days:
How few who from their youthful day,
Look what their life may be
Painting the visions OF tho way
In eol0rs soft, and bright, and free.
How few who to such paths have brought
The hopes and dreams of early thought
= Y For God through ways they have not known,
VIII lead his own.
KNOCK al the door interrupts her reverie.
To Mollie's Come in," enters Dinahs come
ly black visage with, " Please, Miss, there's
a gentleman in the parlor to see you"
That Mr.. Body | suppose" says Mol
lie to herself with sigh. To Dinah, Very
well, Dinah, will be down presently
Mr.. Body was missionary recently ar
rived from India, in puruit of a successor to
the second Mrs. BoOdy To facilitate such
praiseworthy designs, he had been introduced
to the whole senior class, had become, in a
measure, domesticated at the institute. From
the first moment of seeing Miss Brown, how.
ever, he had felt strong leading Of the spirit
in her direction. This leading had manifest
ed itself in desires for frequent conversations
with Sister Brown on her spiritual condition
in prolonged detention of Sister Browns
hand on all occasions Of arrival and depart
ure, and in various other ways equally dis.
agreeable to the recipient This offering oil
love that was not love, seemed to Mollie a
cruel mockery to the iates. At least, she
might have had neace when that was all she