Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1873-04-17
LOVE ON A LOG.

Miss Becky Newton"
"Well, sir"
"Will you marry me ?"
mo, l WON'T
VERY well; then don't, that's all. "
Mr.. Fred Eckerson drew away hi
chair, and putting his feet on the piaz
za, unfolded newspaper. Miss
Becky Newton bit her lip and wen
on with her sewing. She wondered
if that was going to be the last of it
She had felt this proposal coming foI
nearly month, but the scene she hat
anticipated was not at all like this
She had intended to refuse him, but i
was to be done gracefully. She was
to remain firm, notwithstanding his
most eager entreaties. She was tc
have told him that though respecting
his manly worth and upright character
she could never be more than an ap
preciative and earnest friend. She haC
intended to shed a few tears, perhaps
as he knelt in an agony ofsupplicatior
at her feet. But instead, he had ask
ed her the simple question, without
any rhetorical embellishments, and on
being answered, had plunged at once
into his newspaper, as though he had
merely inquired the time of day. She
could have cried with vexation.
"You will never have a better
chance" he continued after pause, as
he deliberately turned over the sheet
to find the latest telegraph reports.
"a better chance for what ? she
asked, shortly.
"a better chance to marry young,
good-looking man, whose gallantry to
the sex is only exceeded by his bray
cry in their defense Fred was quot.
inc from his newspaper, but Miss
Newton did not know it.
"And whose egotism is only exceed
ed by his impudence," retorted the
lady, sarcastically,
"Before long continued Fred,
you'll be out Of the market. Youl
chances, you know, are getting slim
mer every day.
"Sir!"
1T won't be a great while before
you are ineligible. You will grow old
and wrinkled, and
"Such rudness to a lady, sir, is mon
strous,' exclaimed Miss Newton, ris
ing hastily, and flushing to the tenn
pies.
I'll give YOU a final opportunity
Miss Becky. Will you mar"
"Not if you were the King Of Eng
land, interrupted Mss Newton, throw
inc down her work. II am not ac
customed to such insults, SIR
And so saying, she passed into the
: house and slammed the door behinC
her.
"She is never so handsome as wher
she is in a rage" thought Fred t(
himself after she had gone, as he
slowly folded up his paper and replac
ed it in his pocket. 81 was a fool tC
goad her So shall never win hel
in that way. But III have her." he
exclaimed, aloud. ''By Heaven, II
have her, cost what it may!"
Very different was the Fred Ecker
son of the present, pacing nervously
up and down the piazza, from the
Fred Eckerson of a few moments ago
receiving his dismissal from the wo
man he loved, with such calm anG
imperturbable exterior. For he loved
Becky Newton with all his heart. The
real difficulty i'll the way, as he more
than half suspected, was not so much
with himself as in his pocket. Becky
Newton had an insuperable object to
an empty wallet. The daughter of 6
wealthy Louisiana planter, reared il
luxury, and the recipient of a weekly
allowance of pin money sufficient tc
pay Fred's whole bills for a month
she had no immediate idea of chang
ing her situation for one of less com
fort and dependence. Besides, i
had been intimated to her that a neigh
boring planter of unusually aristocratic
lineage had looked upon her with
covetous eyes. To be sure, he wa;
old and ugly, but he was rich, and ir
her present mercenary state Of mind
Miss Becky Newton did not desire tC