Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-01-19


"What do you think, Harry" cxclalm-
cd the young lady in the course of the
meal.
"Think ?" replied Mapleson, with his
mouth full "why l think that if there
were many men of fortune who knew that
l had a sister who could make such ancho-
Wy toast as this, they would soon carry her
off from me-"
"Young men of fortune do not marry
their cooks the new bonnet is much more
likely TO rid you of me. But what / was
going to say was, we have got goose"
at isn't you, pussy, and it is not me-"
quoted the brother turning to the cat.
"Ob, what grammarl'
"The verb to get takes an accusatlye,
Susan. But about the goose. How did you
steal it?"
"No how; it came together with its glib
lets, and half-a-dozen of sherry"
"Whatl Mr.. Anonymous again ?"
Eyes"
"He is very good" said Harry, serious,
expression coming over his face. "But
there is one thing that do wish he would
send--his name. 1 hate mystery"
"But you like goose" added the sister.
"Well, yes; frankly, 1 do-sherry like
wise. He says that he is an old friend of
our parents; but if he is ashamed to ac-
knowledge us now, I'd sooner be without
his charity. However, it is ungracious to
say so and after swallowing a twenty
pound note it would be absurd to strain at
goose and giblets. We will eat the bird
on the day set apart for that purpose by
the church. Shall we invite our fellow
lodger?'
"Mr. Nicholson? oh, cortainlyr'
When the tea things were cleared away,
and the lamp lit, Susan Mapleson set to
work upon her brothers buttons and socks,
and while she sewed and darned, he read a
novel aloud TO her-equitable division Of
laborI
Just as he had finished chapter the
hall-door closed, and observing that Mr..
Nicholson had come in, and that it would
be good plan to give him his invitation at
once, Harry Mapleson rose and went out,
returning presently, followed by the fel-
low-lodger, an elderly man with a slight
stoop, who placed his hat and umbrella on
a chair, and came forward to greet Susan,
who took off her thimble to shake hands
with him.
"Have you been to the British Museum
to-day?" she ask ed.
"Yes, my dear; yes, as usual; am
leech applied by the publishers to old
books"
"A leech? No bee.'
"Well, that is perhaps prettier way of
putting it, and more complimentary both
to myself and the venerable authors l
draw from; they are flowery enough some-
times too. But the bee skips from bud to
blossom in gay coquettish manner, which
would never draw the honey out of black
letter volume, let alone medieval manu-
script. l fear that eech is more literal.'
but then, what term would you have
left to apply TO pubishers?" asked Harry.
"Nay, nay" said the old man "I can
not complain. They pay mo vory-weIl,
there is not much competition in my musty
line"
A tyro in physiognony might have pro-
nOunced Mr.. Nicholson to be intellectual
and benevolent, but it would have taken
an adept in the art to decipher the express
sion which habitually spread over his fea-
lures. There was weary, hopeless, hunt
ed look, which told of great suffering, eli
ther mental or physical-probably the for
mer, for the deep lines about his mouth
and eyes were of that character which is
worn by sustained rather than spasmodic
action of the muscles. He was man with
a terrible because secret sorrow. do
not say that you would have gathered all
this on the present occasion, for when he
was in the society Of the Maplesons, he was
different being. He was a lonely man
most workers have two lives, profession
al and a natural one, but until quite lately
he had been n student and nothing else
studying for his livelihood studying for
companionship, even at meal-tmes study
ing to find an opiate. But since he had
formed an acquaintanceship which soon
ripened into friendship with the young
brother and sister, life had acquired new
interest for him, and that little parlor was
an ark on the salt waste of his existence.
He promised to dine with them on Mi
chaemas day; and then Susan gave him
his greatest treat-some of Mendlesohn's
music. He would sit and listen till the wa
ter came into his eyes; and this was not
such very curious phenomenon, for
though the girl was not any very brilliant
performer, treating her instrument like
musical trapeze, and going through all
sorts of wonderful gymnastic ieats upon it,
she played with rare feeling and express
sion, sending the notes into the heart as it
were. At half past ten the party broke.
Harry Mapleson considered that as his sis
ter rose early to look after domestic mat
ters, and get breakfast for him, (ior even a
very small establishment requires consd-
cradle attention when you have got only
the third part of a servant to edo" for you,) }
she ought TO be early at the other end of
the day too so he invariably yawned and
went up to his room at the top of the house
before eleven. But when he got there he
made no preparations for going to bed, but
put writing materials on table, and draw.
ing from his pocket the paper which he had
received from one of the heads of the de-
partments before leaving the office, he sat
down TO work. 1t was three o'clock before
his task was accomplished.
"A slice of luck this" he said to himself
on turning in at last "just as was won
dering how would meet those payments
l had overlooked, without cutting Off some
little expense, which would show Susan
that was hard up, got this extra job of
work which will set me straight. What a
manager that girl is 1 am afraid she stints
herself in dress and that, though, which
must not be; 1t shall not he, mother, II
can help it," And thinking OF her who
was gone, he fell asleep.
Susan's bedroom communicated with
the parlor, and when her brother and Mr.
Nicholson went up stairs, she passed into
1t, returning again soon with quantity of
millinery materials from which she pro-
ceeded to concoct one Of those articles of
feminine adornment which fathers and hus-