Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-02-28

the more that they we're not his own, but
another's, has left his friends at home TO
marvel why he tarried, and 70 look out wist.
fully and in vain for his figure against the
horizon, his step on the threshold.
What made AIS protracted absence a
greater wrong TO Gena was, that, unsettled
as their engagement was, il had been sus-
pected and talked about. The rumor had
even reached the ears of Miss Paulet. who
could not resist the amusement of softly
teasing her little friend on the DETECTION of
her lover. what a laggard this young
parson is showing himself, Gena. In truth,
the gown is more exacting than the sword
| would think again before | would be par.
soness to so ungallant parson."
Gcna said nothing she bit her lips, aud
reared her peerless, swan.like neck, and felt
hurt and aggrieved in the tenderest point,
though really she had not been missing Al
much, but had been doing very we'll without
him. Only now she seemed TO see that his
negligence and indifference gave her carte
blanche to throw herself utterly into the spir.
it of the hour, aud enter fully ON the new
experience of lite which the Paulets at Cliff.
ford Manor had brought to the Clifords at
Clifford Farm.
1t was an insidious, ensnaring life to
girl and it was life singularly deadening
and destructive to all higher impulses such
as Sir Francis and Clemency Paulet were
too well bred with nineteenth-eentury good.
breeding to condemn. They rather pitied,
with an assumption of superior wisdom, while
they classed all nobler impulses and strug.
giles as bursts Of youthful enthusiasm, and
waited with an All! told YOU how it
would be air Of secret triumph under an
assumption Of gentle melancholy, till what
these veritable, though unacknowledged dis.
cipes Of NJ. Renan are pleased to call en-
thusiasm should dry up and vanish away, or
passed with rebound into hardened world.
iuess--nay, even reckless wickeduess.
The Paulets were thoroughly satisfied, in
spite Of any word to the contrary, that the
world, and the Maker Of the world with all
its creatures could do very well without the
Paulets' service; that what was demanded
OF them was to serve and please themselves
under certain legal and conventional restric-
tons. The Paulets had no great temptation
to enjoy themselves in any low or gross fash.
ion; they had inherited the artistic nature,
which had been enhanced by cultivation, un.
I'll the love Of the beautiful was to them as
another gospel. In their exquisite refine.
ment they were even mildly benevolent be-
cause the pains and penalties of their fellow.
creatures offended their sense of harmony,
and disturbed that happy tranquility of
mood which was essential to the full appre.
citation of, aud consistent devotion to beauty
sensuous and intellectual in all its phases.
Gena had known little Of this life with
her father and uncle, but at Clifford Farm it
was such life subdued and chastened, curb
ed aud fettered. At Clifford Manor she
looked and listened in spelbound fascination
to the unlimited indulgence of every elegant
taste and dainty within. Sir Francis thought
nothing Of lavishing a hundred pounds on an
orchid, any more than thousands of pounds
on picture-and where would hive been
the harm if he had also cared to spend his
hundred Of pounds on brother man, aud
his thousands for the public good? lie
would shut himself up whole days painting
or, when the fancy took him. he would play
whole days on his organ. lie would set to
music his own words, and sing them aud
very graceful is not very original, WORKS
they were. Withal he was not in the least
effeminate, but would tramp from sunrise to
sunset, when the tramping fit was on him. as
he said after wild ducks among the reeds
and alders Of fenny corner of the Manor
or he would cast off his coat and set him.
self to fell a tree with his own f0resters AK,
and having succeeded in telling it, would have
the wood carried to his Toulouse, and carve
brackets and screens out Of it like an anna
teur Gibbons. And the pity of it was that
he might have done it all with so much ben.
eft spiritual and physical, and with an e..
joyment far keener as well as truer, if he
had not made his own satisfaction his sole
aim-if he had but first girded himself, and
fought the battle of truth and mercy
Clemency, too, could sketch, could sing,
could act splendidly in private theatrcas
aud though she was constitutionally indolent,
rarely counted time wasted, or stayed to
spare it in these directions. Her dress, while
1t was studlousIy simple, was indeed a study
II was the most beautiful dress, in arrange
ment of color and choice OF fabrics, which
VIVA hhA NNNl lNldElu'if hbh W say bNntlls
How could 1t be otherwise when Clemeucy,
III addition to her own fne taste aud that which
her father freely condescended to make of
avail to her, thought nothing of giving fifty
or eighty pounds for dress that, according
to Genas primitive calculation-ior which
she felt dreadluly shamelaced afterwards
have cost ten guineas Clemency's
ponies with their little carriage, her dogs,
her birds, were so many gems in their re.
spectve lines, and stood for as much un.
counted expenditure as her fathers posses.
sions.
Surprising nature ingenious, susceptible,
aud art-lovlng it may be, there is not more
subtle and dangerous element with which
that nature can come in contact than the
sitting sweetness, the crushing indulgence Of
such life as the Pauets led. A lie all
such as it was, from morning till
night; every day spent in dcvising aud fol-
lowing out some new pleasure, if new pleas
urcs wonld only present themselves At
first Gena joined IN it with pure, uncalculat-
ing enjoyment in time she was more
aud more drawn into il, and carried
away with it, though not without misgivings
Of conscience and sharp mental reminders
that such life might do very well for Glenn
ency Paulet, but it could not SUIT Gena Cliff !
ford, even though she was born in its privi-
lcges. But why need she stint herself in its |
wealth of beauty and its deliberately balanc- |
ed excitement lest she should miss them in /.
that future for which Al Woodruff had so
little consideration She could be as obliy- |
Ious as he, aud with better reason.
just after Sir Francis had decided on not I.
going to town for the season this year, but
had sent his daughter for a few weeks to her
sister, aud had himself taken a yacht voyage
10 Norway instead when both father and
laughter had returned, at the very time that
Gena was most engrossed with them--whle
secretly stung, and with an unconfessed crav-
ng to deaden the pain of the sting, there