Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-08-23
MISS u.RsTO.N-s RO.u.s.vCR.

ALL"
Nellie did not answer, but stood ponder
ing the intelligence her aunt had just COM
municated, namely, that she, Miss Fanny
Weston, was engaged to be married to Col
onel Hamilton, and moreover that Colonel
Hamilton was totally and irrecoverably
blind.
Amt and niece continued standing in
silence for some minutes. The former was
bright beautiful woman Of thirty-two or
thirty-three years of age the latter, tall +,
rather angular girl of eighteen, with keen
gray eyes and firm, determined lips, but
stlll with loving, honest expression that
made you feel she was one to go TO for sym
pathy or help.
No one had ever imagined that Miss
Weston would marry; there was no par
ticular reason that she should not do so,
though rs yet she had Lever possessed the
ghost of a love story, but had lived with
her mother in little quiet Devonshire viii
lage, always seeming TO her numerous
nephews and nieces to be grandmamma's
and their own peculiar property. Nellie
could hardly realize the fact of Aunt Fan
,i.ai,, not hor Io,.o uo,rh to,o hol
lon,i ard ;rtonsity no, o,,on mn, ,,;,,, Il,
younger aspirants TO the pleasures and
cares of matrimony.
Miss Weston broke the silence
"Well! Nellie, what do you think about
10 A,o Won ca ,,or,. ,,,o,, s,,rori..dou
Nellie wound her arm closer around her
,o,,nanion
at nm, on oloa 90 ,o.,, oIod ,r,,io
,,.,i,, -, =, ..,7 49,. -.
-,
..I ,,o,,,, l., ,,
co,ono, ra,,i,,on,,,a, ocos a,,,.,,,,a
,n,., ,oII ,,o,, 49,, a,,d ,,,a,, T., a., ~,
,,,o SEQ ,,,,,s, ,,..;,a y, .,, .,.,., A..
I'm, uon,oa 49,. III, ,iiara =, ,,.... asa,
No,,;o ,,.o.,aI, -, s 80, 80
.,n, r,a a,lo., a,,ua ~ Nv,
orlv con clio hoa Ioo,, ,,,,,i, - ,.a.,
.,,,,,,s ,,,.,., -, - ~.
si.,ors c,r NJ ~ a,,'a ,.,,
had Mi morr;ed ond Io,, moi. ho,,,o ,,,,a.
Aurt FANNY, ,,os ,or,, conc. a,,,;,t,, b.,
lived so ouie,v win bor ,no,hor ,I,a, a,,o
retained mncb or ber oirIbood,s hnovano,,
and freshness. while NelIie beinc Tho 6rsi-
born of nine brothers and sisters and
brought up in the very heart of the metrop-
oils, had gained certain amount of exper-
fence and old fashioned savoir-faiye. quite
loleign IL her companions education. Con-
sequently there was little real disparity in
their age; of the two, perhaps the niece
had the advantage, as regards worldly wis
dom, but ii was tempered with so much
tenderness and grace, that it was amusing
rather than offensive.
A visit to Chrome was one of the greatest
pleasures in Nellie's life; grandmamma's
wise old eyes having discovered that her
grand daughters brow relaxed much SOON
er and her laugh rang out much more free
ly when uuaccompanied by small brothers
or sisters, generally contrived that her Wis
its should be paid alone; nurses and ba-
bies. bows in knick erbockers. oirls in nina.
iores, all the invalids of the family. fire.
auently descended in large carriaaefulls on
the COSY old house. but Nellie always mazda
her appearance in solitary state.
Then what enchanting DAYS she spent
what rambles in the bowerv lanesi what
climbs about the billsl what scrambles
she and Amt FANNY had foes;l-b,n,i,o
among the rocks, what gorceous ,,ori.
ous wealth or color tbe snarLiiro 600 ,ho
sbiinmerinp sands the rich brown oI;r,
c,,ino and hrool;,,c, ;,,,, ,oo,,o.,, ,...a,,-.'
,Io,r'.,a ~ ,.,o,..,.,.- ~,
ho,o ond ,horo H. a,,,7,,.,, -, .,,s.' :.
,,a.,,,.o, M No,,,s,a,.1..e "
continued foos,. sho 80. t.,oa - 49,
the .unnv nio,uro l;,od !, no. hoo., in,
never-fadino briobtnoss
Aunt and neice were inst now standing
at a little gate that senarated Mrs Westop,s
grounds from n narrow Gootnaih runninc
over the cliffs TO he village and nassino
through a small wood belonping to Cbrome
Manor, Colonel Hamilton's residence.
as he coming this evening Auntie Yr in
quired Nellie.
"Yes. expect him every moment now
he will come this way, il is the shortest"
"Over the cliffs, Aunt Fanny? Is il safe Pr
"He says so, he is very sure footed and
used to rambling about. besides he cannot
bear the restraint of an attendant. he de-
,.lares it tidgets him beyond endurance
You see he has been so accustomed to
roam about the world, any restriction now
is very irksome. Is that five striking
how stupid of me to forget Guy told me
he could not be here before half past, as he
has to see Mr.. Marsh about the new eas
windows; the designs came down from
London this morning. We had better tel
grandmamma, or she will be making tea.
They returned towards the drawing-roon
but found they were too late to delay the