Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-06-28

spring-like in its greenness by way OF con-
trast. A little way off a similar group Is
shaded with the prevailing yellow--iiyery
of the delicate naples, or possibly adopted
from the shining, wide-leaved cat-briers.
over yonder the vegetation is in uni
form Of ruddy gold, as though every thing
threabouts had become retainer of the or
ange clad sassafras. On the left oaks and
dog-woods vie with each other in their lead
of tho prevailing fashion, and every bush
and tree is robed in dark, heavy purple,
while to the right they have donned tho
conspicuous crimson of the deeper-toned
naples. The general landscape is wonder
fully parti-colored but that there is close
affinity OF colorng in hundred local CEN
tres is beautifully obvious. Within GER
tain limit each tree must glow and ripcn
into a radiance after its kind; and yet II 3
a perpetual struggle of character with cir
cumstances. All things have their limitA-
tions, and even the autumn leaves fol Nv
the fashions of their neigbborhood, tHted
through and through by their surround
ings.
Our household in the happy valley, like
Alleghanies, but thrust little outside of
the more generous family sympathies-had
also drifted away from the weighty and dig
nified proprieties of central social posi-
tion. "Imprudent' was word good deal
too often in the mouths of the gossips, AM
it was becoming pretty evident that thers
was great need of a firm and wise hand at
the helm. The children were nine years
old, and the mother as social, as light
hearted as ever, wishing and hoping for no
change and just as bewitching as she had
been for all these years to her waiting
crowd Of admirers. Her nature and her
surroundings were in league together,
bringing her life Of exuberant enjoyment
yet in the midst of it all she was as simple
hearted, as innocent, and as free from guile
as her own little children.
But now there came sad change. The
dear old man slept peacefully with his ia-
thers; and whether Allie cried too much
for her lost grandfather, whether she and
her sister remained altogether too constant
ly in the house, afraid now to wander un-
protected through the darling old woods on
the breezy hill-sides and along winding
pleasant paths to the heights, where they
could find wide lookout into the world,
or whether some mantle of care had de-
scended ulon her poor little shoulders, il
is certain that in few months the roses in
her cheeks were changed TO lilies. A heavy
veil grew and thickened over her brown
eyes, till at last Allie was blind. But this
mot al ail foil Il har mi, a
also. Bright, thoughtful little Allie be-
came like one living always in a mist.
Sometimes the clouds lifted little, Nab
or her mother caught glimpses of the intel
lisent child they knew ofold, but the shad-
ows always settled back again heavier than
before.
"Her granther has jest sperited away the
best half of her 10 go in company with
himseP That's my belafe istirely," said
Irish Norah, in ready explanation.
"Smitten of God because l haze been too
happy-oh, too happy and thoughtlessp' y
murmured the poor mother. Daily and
nightly, the unhappy woman was shrouded
in ever-deepeniDg agony and hopelessness
80 holy Father" she prayed, increasingly
''if it be possible let this cup pass from
her! Let Thy heavy hand fall on me but
spare my child. Far be ii from God to Wis
it the sins of the mother upon her inno-
cent head y
All the cold criticism, the unsympathetiC
remonstrance, at her fancied lack of moth
erly dignity and devotion that from time
TO time had fallen upon her ears, smote her
nc Nvh ha ha1 pnig |, lie
deserved. Had she allowed this tender
child to bear burdens which she herself
should have carried? Had her own thought
lessness, perhaps, wrought some cruel spell
of su fering-all the more terrible that il
was only fancied? What weight of censure
had possibly been exaggerated in the sens
tive little heart always loving and loyal to
| her, until it must needs break for her
Looks and tones of the child, little needed
at the time, but telling of reticent and
wounded sympathy, came back to her now
with quickened sell.reproach.
In her grief and desperation she even
tried to effect compromise with Deity.
'Just Heaven" she pleaded helplessly, al
| it must be, let her dear eyes remain forev-
er closed to all the beauty and the bright
ness Of the world; but give back again to
my chld-oh, please give back the holy
light of understanding Oh, do not shut
away her innocent soul in darkness and
night, God of love and mercy!
So the mother prayed, but fearful Pow
er wrought on relentlessly at this bit OF the
mysterious web of dependent events. The
a.. In1
wan and hollow-eyed, even more than her
sisters. Every word spoken in the house
hold had pitiful yearning in il which
would have melted though the shallow ten
dcrness of all human love.
Allie would sit for hours, speaking to no
one, cooling nursery rhymes, and slipping
a iavorite sot of plump, shining beads
backward and forward over the string,
kissing them, whispering TO them in conf
dcnce a thousand impossible fancies. But
at every sunset her dazed powers seemed TO
rally. When Nab came and sat down by
her, as they had been accustomed to sit In
the twilight, sometimes at the doorstep, OF
under the gnarled old oak in the yard
then Allie would relate to her sister many
had seemed TO pass unnoticed,
"Mrs. Windslip was here, Mabby'
Ii alto herl She is always picking through
in TO the inside of our hearts with some
thing sharp, and pushing it about just to
see how much ii hurts us" she said one
evening. al should think God would send
her to State-prison."
"oh, Mrs. Windsllp don't mean any
thing wrong, Allie"
"Don't she2 Well, grandpapa said IT,
ger don't mean any thing wrong when he
tears little kid in two for his supper. Il
l could see again, Nab, know could find
her claws somewhere; ] feel them every
time she comes. And when Mrs. Keef said
she would put blisters on my feet there was
bad snarl in her voice, like old Growers
| xul.a hau ,haf III, n1