Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1872-12-20
MARA; OR, THE GIRL WITHOUT
REFERENCES.
(Continned.)

tneh uaily anu halsey VOOA ah carly OppOT-
tunity of apprising Butts that he had better
show himself reserved in talking about Miss
Child. This was not cautious. Butts who
could no more comprehend threat than he
could joke, discoursed more than ever
about the girl, her advertisements, and her
water-colors and it soon became limited
from one end of Sandbeach to the other, that
the designing adventures certain others
said "the mink" or "the creature'0 had
formed an improper connection with the
most bearded of the four Oxonians who
were staying at No. 3 on the Parade.
1t is curious symptom, by the way, that
alacrity with which moral people jump at
the idea Of an improper connection. One
would really think that certain moralizers
did nothing but muse upon improprietics
from the rising of the sun till the return of
the same next day.
There was, in truth, no improperly be-
tween Mara and Halsey. A day or two
after the little episode at Buttss, he accos-
ted her on the beach and breaking through
the conventionalities which are very well be-
tween people who do not know each other,
and do not much care to do, but which are
absurd when hearts arc already more than
half united, he told her frankly that he had
heard she was seeking employment, and of.
fered to assist and serve her by every means
in his power. She thanked him. but proba-
bly, both felt in that moment, that, if he ever
placed her beyond reach of want and care,
it would not be by procuring her situa-
ton as governeSs, as a dressmaker, or even
as an artist
From that time their love was not thing
which either sought to conceal from the 9TH
err; and soon he fell into the habit of meeting
her every day on the beach. He deserted
his books, took long rambles with her by the
seaside returned, said good-by to her at her
door, and passed all his evening in recount
ing her praises to US. We smoked, nodded,
and listened. Then he introduced us all
three to her. She blushed on first presenta-
ton; but we soon became good friends, for
there was no affectation in her nature. She
was artless, gentle, and, when amused, would
laugh so nnocently and sweetly, that we re-
GREETED her habitual mood should be one OF
pensiveness, and rather sad pensiveness. At
her request, we often joined her and Halsey
in their walks on the beach and one day
the good idea occurred to one amongst us to
charter sail-boat and 60 a series of coast
ing trips and plcnics to places Of interest in
the neighborhood. She was not afraid of the
sea, and liked these expeditions but the first
time we set out on a sunny morning with our
boat fresh painted and sails new bleached
when we men in our jerseys and straw hats
marched down to the beach carrying ham.
per between US, and installed Mara on
throne-like pile OF scarlet rugs in the stern
when, above all, on putting out, Merry broke
out into one of Tom Dibdin's songs, in the
chorus Of which her pure, bright voice was
soon heard to join; then there was a pretty
TODD indeed in Sandbeach. 1t so happened
that for that very day, and under plea of {
prior engagement, we had refused an invita-
ton to II croquet-party where Miss Ada anC
Miss Ida Wilkins were to shine and the fia
thereon went forth from one end of the towr
to the other, that "the mink" had formed al
improper connection, not with one amongst
us only, but with all four. God bless us al
in this island for the charity we bear ou
neighbors'
A few annoying consequences now begal
to crop up. There is certainly not an inhab
tied country, save this one, where man.
by which | mean a male,-even when HI
has attained to Butts's age and virtuous in
sensibility could bear to speak otherwis
than with gallantry of a woman SO lovel,
and defenceless as Mara? But Butts, VIII,
kept no galantry in stock, except for Mrs
Butts-who probably exacted it as tribut
without leaving it to his option-and 70
such lady-customers as subscribed to hi
rooms, bought stationery Of him, and ha'
references, -Butts babbled about Mara as
he were one 6sh-iag and she another. Tn
Rev. Joel Grones, the pastor of the Jumpe
Chapel, taking his cue from Butts, warne
our landlady, who jumped under his guild
ance on the road to salvation, that our con
duct was becoming stumbling block and a
occasion for offence The Anglican rector
who had called on us on our arrival, and il
troduced us to some of the local tea.table
looked severely at us over his prayer-boO
when he walked up his church one Sunday
and during the whole service, seemed to }
celebrating whether he should write to tn
dean of our college, or demonstrate with I
after the sermon in the vestry He too
the third course Of coming to No. on III
Parade whilst we were at dinner, and dwell
ing apologetically on the shock our behaviC
was causing to all sensitive Sandbeacher
1t is to be noted that we had never done
thing which ought by rights to have shocke
a soul not predisposed to cry shocking
We were strangers to the town, aud qui
old enough to take care of ourselves. If
shocked people to see us go out sailing vii
an unchaperoned young lady, all they had
do was to shut their eyes, aud not talk of Il
grievous sight But no; the morals of Il
Sandbsachers demanded that our own mo
ais should be impugned that we should