Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-07-09

orics travel back and take up their stitches
am snre now that il was this converse.
ton about the ride that made me take tc
heart piece Of gossip Of Martha Hays
She came to my house one day for no other
reason, | am sure, but the pleasure Of tell.
ing 1t to mo; for bit Of scandal was tc
Martha meat and drink, aud pretty good
lodging besides. Generally paid no man
nor Of heed to what she said, for her talk
was no more worth mindipg than the tinklt
Of COW bell. But my conscience wasn't
easy under brother Burroughs words, and
| had been questioningw myself whether
| had been careful to keep my lamp trimmed
and burning in the last few months. Sc
when Martha told me thatiho whole church
(she never used small measurcs) was talking
about Mary Mincey, and how she had
strivon to make Richard Gardiner wait on
her, even making point Of going out oI
evening meeting, in the face Of the whole
congregation. before it was time to close, 10
order 20 obligo Richard to 90 home with
her--so, when Martha told me this, was
not sngry as might have been at another
TINY But | did feel hurt that they should
bri6lslp against nc the fact Of my some
tines loming early out Of meeting for they
knew the reason as well as | did, and that
il was a great cross to me, as had ex-
planned in class on several occasions.
The reason was this; The family which
gave me the most work and the best pay
lived long mile from our church. They
were excellent people, but had peculiar no
tions, and one was that the house must be
locked up at nine o'clock at night, whatever
might happen; so when | was engaged
there, working by tho week, was obliged
TO leave evening meeting before it closed ,
and just as surely as | rose from my scat
on the womens' side Of the church, Richard
Gardiner rose from his on the mems side,
and, following me out, walked with me to
the house. had never objected to his
going, as it seemed natural enough, intimate
as we were, but | did not need his pro-
lection for there was not the slightest dan
ger and | was not afraid
As for giving up the place. that was not
to be thought Of My regular wages, when
| went out to work, were seventy.fve cents
a day, or three dollars n week, but did a
good deal Of fine work for the Brewer
family, and they payed me extra for it,
sometimes as high as six dollars a week.
This was an object to me as you may know,
with house on my hands aud Aunty Carr's
family TO look after. | could not give up
tho place, but could prevent Richard from
going there with me. And this | resolved
to do, not so much on account Of the gossip,
for this would die away after while, but
for my own sake. For Martha's words
would have given forms to the shadows of
ideas that had lately been troubling me,
and | saw at once that the truth Of the mat
ter had been that had allowed myself to
be too much influenced by Richard Some
how he carried you along with him when he
talked, until you didn't know exactly where
you stood lie was a good young man.
morally good, | mean,-upright and honor
able lle would not knowingly do wrong,
or lead others to do it, but he was high
spirited aud worldly-minded. could see
now how worldly our talk had generally
been, and how he had caused me to look on
the things Of time as if they were to be
compared with the things Of eternity.
Who was Richard Gardiner ? The only
child of Paul Gardiner, who had kept the
largest store in Trego His father had died
a couple of years before this time, and had
left Richard his business, so that he was
better off than most of the young men. 1t
was Methodist family, and Richard had
been piousy brought up, and attended all
the meetings, except class, as regular as
Edmund and |. He had the deepest re-
spect for religion, and | believe had hon
estly tried to secure it for himself, but, up
to this time, he had not found saving grace,
though he had been several times up to the
anxious bench and twice, | know, had been
under deep conviction. Harvest after har-
vest had been gathered into our church, but
Richard was always left outside And so
good as he was too Sometimes | used to
think if he had only been worse, there had
been better chance for his getting through
and expressing an assured hope. He and
Edmund were intimate friends, and were so
like brothers to me that | never felt the
want of brother, though | often wished
for sister In any trouble appealed to
one or the ether indiiIerently, and consulted
them about my plans, and they were always
thoughtful for me. There seemed to be an
agreement between them, that If one could
not attend to me, the other would. Rich
ard always went with me when left meet
ing early, because Edmund was needed to
lead in the prayers and the singing.
1t happened that was engaged to 90 to
the Brewers the Monday after had heard
Martha's story, and on my way out stop
ped at Richards store to get sewing silk
aud linings. ! had little note for him
tucked under my glove, for there would be
people 10 the store TO prevent my saying
what had on my mind So wrote few
lines, just asking him as favor not to 90
home with me from the Tuesday uight
prayer-meeting, and that had good reason
| could not tell him then He had just
got in a lot Of spring goods, and he showed
me case Of beautiful ribbons You talk
now, my dear, about the wonderful tints
in greens, as if there had never been any
like them, but they had just such sixty
years ago in dress goods and ribbons
lovely changeable greens, with browns and
yellows and whites all blending into one
another.
81 have picked out a ribbon for your
bosnet, Mary said Richard ; as he took
a roll out Of the case " thought Of you
the moment | saw it"
lie unrolled it and tossed it out of his
hand, and it huttered to the heap of dark
cambric he had been cutting off for me,
which furnished back ground to bring
out the green tint-just the color of your
sage lavender.
1t is lovely, Richard" | said, " but
too gay"
"Why, it is rot gay at ALL" he said,
" it is very pale in color, and this delicate
green will suit your pink cheeks"
He whispered this as he bent over to
gather up the ribbon, which he let float
slowly out of his hand into stronger light,
where it looked as if moonshine were run
ming up and down it,
| shook my head. 1t is entirely too
bright" | said, rather regreliully, | am
afraid.
Then he gathered some Of it up in heap
and threw it softly down right into the sun.
light that fell on the counter aud there It
showed pale, pearl gray, with just the
slightest suspicion of green and it looked