Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-12-25

sits all for the best" she answered /;
although I'm afraid that l was the
cause of it."
ssNo, no" responded John earnestly.
81 was going out any way"
And there flashed across his mind the
long columns of forgotten figures that
had worried him so, and which he had
promised Mr.. Lickpenny to care for on
the preceding evening. lie was won
dering what Mr.. Lickpenny would say,
when his visitor asked him 1T she could
not write to some of his relatives Tor
him.
81 have none to write to-" he an
swered sadly.
''Your friends, then," she hastily
added.
ssNor friends" said John.
She remembered the sad tone that
their conversation of the night before
had taken, and was turning away with
tears in her eyes, when John said:
"Would you kindly write little note
for me to Mr.. Lickpenny ?"
She gladly certified her willingness,
but had scarcely prepared the materials
when they were interrupted by knock
at the door, which, opening, disclosed
the figure of Mr.. Lickpenny, himself.
''Umph," said he, ''broke your leg,
did your"
AS he approached the bed he winked
so Familiarity at Miss Coy that that
young lady flushed, and John stared at
him in amazement.
Eyes, sir, replied John, when he had
recovered himself.
"Umph!" calculated Mr.. Lickpenny,
cit don't pay to go on love excursions
on winter nights, does it ?" He winked
again at Miss Coy, but she turned away
her head in confusion, and hurriedly put
away the ink and paper.
stWhat !" cried John, lifting himself
on his elbow and surveying his employ
er with mitigation.
'Ha! ha! ha !" laughed Mr.. Lickpen-
ny, ''caught at your age-who would
have thought it. Come, don't look so
innocent. When a man neglects his
business and goes off with young wo-
man, a thing he never was guilty OF
before, the case is very plain"
Miss Coy having replaced the writing
materials fastened from the room with
a burning face, and John, greatly dis
tressed, fell back on his pillow again.
'sWelL john" said Mr. Iickpenny,
when she had gone, chow did it happen,
and how in the devil am | TO get those
books balanced ?"
Never until this moment had John
considered Mr.. Lickpenny other than a
gentleman. To be sure during all his
service he had never seen him under
circumstances calling for precise deport-
ment, but instinctively he had clothed
him with all necessary attributes only to
to have them now torn off, and the true
character of the man displayed in all its
def0rmity. The scales fell from Johns
eyes, and his blood boiled at the insults
offered to innocent, kind-hearted Miss
Coy. He held his anger, however, and
answered as calmly as possible.
Mr.. Lickpenny," said John, you
have insulted very worthy young lady
without the least cause, and my aston
ishment at your ungentlemanlY remarks
is only exceeded by my disappointment.
l did think so lately as yesterday that
you were something different from
this.
''Ha. ha hal" laughed Mr. Lick
penny, cant stand raillery, hey? Why,
John you're worse than boy" ~
IF / was out of this bed, sir, you'd
find out the difference" cried John,
waxing wroth You can leave the room
the sooner the better. Get your con
founded books fixed mp as best You can.
I won't touch them again by q Jugfull, -
Mr.. Eickpenny suddenly became
crave, and began expcstqlating, but
John would not listen to him, and de-
maHded That he leave the room ia such
loud tones that the landlady appeared
asserting that She thought he had
called for her. There being no alterna-
tive. Mr. Lickpenny angriiy departed !;
but John, in his excitement having at
tempted to move his injured leg, imme-
dately tainted with the pain. Mrs.
Windle was a tail, muscular female,
who had never suffered from nervous
ness. She very coely raised bis head,
and calling to. Miss Coy, who hap
pened TO be passing, and Who she es-
pied through the half open door, she
soon, with her assistance, brought him
back TO consciousness. AS he was
slowly recovering, he thought he heard,
as if in the distance, the voice of Miss
Coy SAYING Poor fellow, he seems
to be quite alone ia the world )" but
when he opened his eyes they baheld no
one in the T00in save the laRdlady. r..
he lay for some time, until his mind
was quite clear, and then he sent the
landlatIy for Miss Coy, who hesitated,
but at last came in. When he saw her
all The. old diffdenee returned, and ii was
with difficulty that he told her of his
deep regret at 1.-THE insult she had suffered,
of his. self-disnissal from the employ
-
row at being unable to take her to the
oratories that evening, as he knew she
loved good music. III.
'sD0 not mention it, p" she said "you
have suffered too much for my sake. If
there is anything / can do for you, I
pray you let me do il. y 80, .....
.fNIiss Coy" said John, his. heart
speaking through his lips, ST have lived
alone, quite by myself, for a number Of
years and have few friends and no rela-
tives to take care of me can / ask you
to do so ~ s.. -
!. ooh, gladly" she SAID, Il can spend
considerable time with YOU. and will
read TO you or write for you as you
wish. +" ...-..'.-.......
81 mean t6rsaer, continued John, with
emphasis. ....-:...s... II.
She put her hands to her face and
burst into tears but hearing John bit
terly repenting his rudeness, she went
to him then and knelt beside the bed.
Tenderly he smoothed her hair and soft
ly fell his words upon her ear: eff / am
not too old, dear, it is indeed merry
Christmas to me-" And raising her
head and looking into his kind, sad eyes,
she answered ''We will grow old to-
gether, John" and laid her head on his
happy breast.
Five years have passed and again the
bells are ringing on the eve of the blessed
holiday. John Marrowprat, seated IN
his own house with a fair haired child
upon his knee, hears them with a calm