Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-02-22
PANSY'S LOVER,

PANSY'S LOVER.
Pansy was our youngest. There was
no special merit in that, and, of itself,
it was no reason why she should be the
pet of the family. But she was also the
prettiest. Nobody ever denied that
there was beauty in the Tremaines and
the Gordons. Mamma had been q very
rose among girls in her day, and at
fifty Judge Tremaine was stately,
handsome gentleman, whom all women
admired and fell in love with much
oftener than would have been conven-
lent under other circumstances.
Why all this hereditary beauty per-
- versely concentrated itself in Pansy, !
don't know. I suppose it was only a
part of the total depravity of things in
general. At any rate, Pansy aOaS love-
ly, and we all adored her.
The pretty creature knew it before
she could speak plain, and graciously
allowed herself to be set up on a throne,
and worshiped by troop of loving sub
iects.
When she grew to womanhood, and
all the young gentlemen we knew fell
into an orderly procession, and follow
ed her up and down to do her homage,
it was quite matter of course; but
when ono of them actually had the
audacity to propose, our indignation
and amazement were equal.
"The wretch p cried Della.
How dare he % sobbed Sue, in a
rage.
"He-he isn't a wretch ! And why
shouldn't he dare ?" cried Pansy.
"What ?"
"Good heavens r.
"The child is angry, as true as you
live p said Sue, in maze of slow in
credulit7.
Angry? Pansy's cheeks were as scar
let as pomegranates, her lovely eyes
swan in tears, and when she could
brush them wildly away, an outraged
soul looked forth upon the amazed
group.
"Why shouldn't man want to mar
ry a girl, andwhy shouldn't he ask her?
Do you suppose I'm never going to be
married?" and with this the sheet
ightnings of her eyes were drowned
out by a passionate rain of tears.
We were all of us on our knees in an
instant-the rest metaphorically, 1 lit.
orally.
"Don't, dear, don'tl 1t was only
that we grudged you to anybody, darl-
ing. That's all. ;"
Gas if grandma should long for the
brightest of the Pleads to do her knit.
ting by Such presumptionw cried
Della, who was the poet of the family.
Mamma leaned back in her rocking.
chair, and wiped her eyes disconsolate-
ly.
"Do you mean, Pansy, that you
would go away from us all with this
young Vandermeyer ?" she said, in @
pathetic voice.
But Pansy was notin pathetic mood
just then. The queen had come to he1
own, and the little heart was full of @
sweet triumph.
oh, no, mamma, not with him.
don't like him.; but there's somebody
else, and the delicious bushes chased
each other across the fair flower of 6
face. .a
"She says there's somebody else,
echoed Della, appealing to me.
Pansy," said Sue, severely, "dc
you mean to say that somebody else
has been proposing to you?
Pansy kindled again.
"Oh, Sue, be qui 1T AS if she was
to blame. Who is it, dear? Wont
you tell your own Kittykins ?"
Pansy resisted Not even the absurd
name which she had dubbed me in hel
babyhood unsealed her confidence.
Mamma wept softly. I implored
Della was tragic, Sue assumed the roll
of outraged friendship. Pansy held Out
ten minutes. Then she surrendered al
discretion.
"H you must know-but you needn't
blame hint Tom Gordon. There
and she fled from the room.
"Tom Gordonw
We looked at each other blankly.
"E tn, Brute!" said Della, raising
her eyes to the ceiling.
There was where it hurt. Tom Cor
don was our pet cousin, who had come
and gone among us all these years ir
the sweetest fashion of brotherly
intimacy. And now he could do us this
wrong.
"After all" sighed mamma, 'T sup
pose the child must be married some
time"
We pondered over the sorowful fact
IN silence-we girls. But mamma was
apt to think aloud. -
81 SUPP ose it might as well be Ton
as any one, she added. Then, after 6
pause, 81 always thought he might
marry one of you, but I never thought
'twould be Pansy."
"Of course it would be Pansy," spok,
up Sue, sharply, and then she turned
and went swiftly out of the room.
Dear Sue She was.twenty-fve, and
the prince had not yet come to wake
her out of the dream of maidenhood
twas rather hard. Papa was not rich
we had not been broughtup to any pro.
fession it was weary work, this ignoblt
waiting, and Sue had o high spirit
Does anybody know any more such
households of girls, who wait and wait
and see the swift years go blythe crue,
years which steal away bloom, and
eauty, and youth, and leave them only
the ashes of disappointment?
But that is not the point. / am tell
ing Pansy'e story