Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-02-05
depended upon her own hands and brain fol

with pleasure,
" You dear. delightful girl"
With condition, though l must be
invisible"
"And why, pray ~
Well, I'm not morose bit-not even
cross-I've only bitten my own nose off !;
and | want the privilege of moping be-
hind the scenes little while
Laughter came from the window, ending
in breathless, " You are a queer being.
I'm glad you have bitten off your nose, since
it leaves you so respectable profile ~
" But, Molly, it hurts to do such things
1t is far easier to say, Will cut it off and
cast it from me- than to do
"Never mind your solemn enigmas. l
believe have gained a point. You will
come and spend New Years with me on con-
dition that you shall be invisible to my
frends.''
" Yes
Very good
Holiday glee reigned from attic to cellar.
Halls, kitchen, library, dining-ro and par
lOrs resounded with footsteps and merry
voices. In the parlors with blaze of light
which illuminated happy faces, and then
streamed out the easement into the shadOwy
street. as if yearning towards the desolate.
It was wild night without. There was
reckless clamoring Of the elements-clamor-
ing and bemoaning for | know not what.
Within, was old-fashioned merrment, born
of the holiday spirit There were music,
dance and jest, and spirited games. Pres
emily the guests resolved themselves into
seml-clrcle.
The gas was turned low, then the doors
rolled aside and revealed tableaux. 1t was
g Abdication. The white-haired Old Year,
in royal robes, was placing a crown upon the
head of the fair-haired child, New Year.
About the old mans feet were trophies of
his Onquests-mechanica instruments,
cruclble, a statue, sword, halffnished
picture, harp, charred stick, broken
vase, wedding garment, heaps of fruits
and flowers and trailing vines. The people
were silent an instant the tableau had told
too solemn story.
So the door closed and when they rolled
aside once more, a comic charade was given.
Then heads were put together in merry con-
sultatlon for the explaining word. This was
lollo wed by other and other ones.
A young man sat behind them all He
| looked absorbed-nOt in the scene, but in
some mental problem. During the tabIeau
he looked a li:tle bitterly at the broken vase
When the charades were enacted he never
smiled. At length some one touched his arm
He started from his abstraction. The doors
had been thrown wide open all was cleared
away the gas was turned on, conversation
resumed. The person who aroused him said :
" viii you have your fortune told next ?''
lie politely arose and assented, and pro
| ceeded to the next room. An old, old wo-
man stood by the fire She had a gray,
wrinkled face. The hair and shaggy brows
seemed hung with snow like trees on quiet
winter night Merry eyes peeped like a
mouse out of the massive face. When he
entered, she started, shrank back for an in
slant, and then approached and took his
hand in hers. He looked upon her half in
differently. She bent low over his hand in
silence. At last she poke
% You are not happy"
lie was interested.
No ; can you tell me why ,"
. 1t is an affair of the heart
- suppose all things that hurt one are
affairs of the heart
g 1t is your own fault that you are hurt"
He was wide awake now, and looked
sharply down on the hands that held his own.
Not SO, you are wrong 1t is the fault
OF others, who like to make cruel decisions.
Not cruel" certainly, only consider
ate. The person who hurts you strives to
obey reason rather .han impulse
. This person has neither reason nor i'm
pulse-she is simply perverse. E"
." You are unjust
- Why unjust? She shows no impulse.
gives no reasons, makes hard DECISIONS
'' Yet you liked her once-a very little
" No, | worship her even now
The was moments silence.
. Go on, Sibyl -
The woman ialtered.
- She loves you in return
No, she cast me from her.
'She loves you, but she fears your faults. "
50 Pray, what may those faults be ?''
The eyes looked up from the palm on
which they had rested. They looked pitt
fully up from under the shaggy brows into
the mans face.
E That is all ;"
- No tits not all. What are the faults ~
Why-wby-she Thinks
What p
- She thinks you are generous before you
are just. She thinks you are splendidly
g Indeed What next? This is inter-
esting J"
- She thinks you selfish, partly through
seli-love, partly through Indifference
thoughtlessness,
Z" To her %
" Oh no, no. You would put diamond
upon her finger, and inslance-neglect
to pay your laundress.
= And then p
- You remember your business and pleas
ure. You make large subscript ions and fine
speeches. You forget to give the cup of
cold water. ;"
= Go on
@ You have no deep tenderness for hu-
manity-no great love, like the love of
Christ" These words came slowly and with
adesperate effort.
" And that's my sentence Has she not
one redeeming thought for me p
g She thinks you have great slumbering
soul, that has never been awakened -
The man had fue face Now it Grim
soned over, and was full of emotion. He
stood silent. Suddenly be took the old wo-
mans hands (Which were small and white)
reverently between his own, and put them
TO his lips, saying:
" Now, L do not wonder she despises me
she, the selfish woman. Slbyl, you have
awakened me-
He hurriedly left the ROOM soon withdrew
from the wild merriment of the parlors.
went to his hotel, entered his room, and
locked the door. Then he sat down at the
table and put his face between his hands.
The clock struck one, two. Still he sat mo-
tlonleSs. L cannot tell you what he thought
Some OF the greatest battles are without
single witness. There was a look of great
humiliation on his face. He at length arose,
and opening his desk drew forth small
dust-covered volume. 1t opened at these
words:
- One thing know whereas was blind,
now | see''
Ills compressed lips seemed to assent His
eyes rested long time on the pages. Sud-
denly (tor he was a resolute many be made.a
great VOW. You could s, 1t in the lip and
eye in fact, the whole face and figure told