Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-02-16


admiration for Nabby-an admiration not |
unminglcd with awe. lie thought her a |
most wonderful woman. She was Just as
beautiful to him now as in the old courtng |
days, before the brightness and quicknoss
Of the black eyes bad dogencrated into |
sharpness, before the smiling mouth had |
acquired its hard, firmly set expression,
before there were any wrinkles in the fore
head. People thought Nabby had done
well in marrying Josiah Gould-a pleasant,
good-natured young fellow that every one
liked; a young mechanic, not very rich
yet, 1t was true; but, with good trade,
and such wife as Nabby, there seemed
nothing to prevent his figuring as zone of
our first citizens"
Anybody can be somebody in this coun-
try if they are determined. But that was
exactly the difficulty with Josiah. lie new
er was determined about anything. He
fell into the habit of drinking, because he
lacked sufficient strength of will TO avoid
IL. Then Nabby's sharp words, and his
fuSn miserable sense of meanness and self
contempt, of utter Encouragement and
despair, drove him lower and lower, and he
!. sank down supinely in the Slough of De-
Spond without effort or hope.
BY a beautiful dispensation of Provi-
dence, whenever a poor, shilles', good
lor-nothing man is sent into our world,
some active, eo-ahead little woman is in
variably fastened to him TO tow him along
through, and keep his head above water.
c,,,' -
- - -.,'.,,. n.,,',,
49, ~
i"tIo n"ru'
N"onI was ""' ""'
''' ".'""E w ""'h' w o'N'' w "" "e' P''.
N'o"' ~ s'' VI, ~ ''io "uni' anu ''"'','
wen "'hols hcr heienporS. ihe '"c', st'u-
uaiiy reaiizeu' 'ho' III her husp"hu snc n"u
no he'P' no support, on'y ur"s anu pur-
deh' ana hhaiIy uisgrace' hau peen us
appointment eUlpi'terliS her Whole nature
10 nave huspanu 'ii"t no one resPecteu'
'hat even Tue poys arouhu to"n c"Ileu 0'
poulu, was ureauiul 10 NaDpy' ferhaPs
IL was haruly strange that she grew haru
ana pt'er'
Meantime NaDDy hau succeeueu III START
ing the hre' ana having cnamgeu her uresS
s"' uoW" " urS noi ieet ""''' ."o 'e", No'
tie boiled. But even the ruddy light and
warmth with which the kitchen fire now
sio"eu 'o"iu NV ie'iu oi' '''o u.r"' ''ioH' vi
'''e "'sn'' LUZ an" '"PP'" WIN 7"V9S
| linger-tip upon the window-pane," and the
wind howled and walled around the house
like the spirits of the lost pleading to be
once more taken back into human life and
warmth. Such a wind strs in even the
happiest hours vague sense OF loss, OF
change, of all that goes 10 make up the un-
satislactoriness OF lie. Dead sorrowscreep
| forth from their graves on such nights, and
stalk up and down the echoine chambers
of the heart.
Nabby could not help wondering where
Josiah was tonight, 1t was SO lonely sit
ting there with no one to speak TO, listening
to the moaning wind, the creaking of the
blinds, the loud ticking Of the clock.
"And Thanksgiving is coming" thought
~Ntbby. "A pretty Thanksgiving | shall
have"
The wind walled and walled, and Nabby
thought and thought. The fact of having
'frced her mind" to the squire had reicv-
ed her long l,cnt up Indignation, and now
! sne lclt iloTe sHl thdu angry Up pcloIe
her seemed to rise picture Of her life, the
youthful dreams and hopes, the changes
and disappointments, the love turned into
wrangling. She even thought of Josiah
with pity. For the first time she put her
self in his place." and realized how almost
impossible il was for one of his weak ma
ture TO resist, unaided, the temptation
which would cost a stronger will no effort.
"rm afraid I've been little too sharp
with JOSIAH thought she. I've sorter
took it for granted that was saint and he
sinner, and scolded him right along
down hill. 4 nice saint l am! As proud
and highs rung as Lucifer himself! Oh
deary' sighed Nabby; "a pretty mess I've
made of living! If we could go pack and