Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-02-28

me every time the mischievous nose of that
shaggy pony came pointing up the hill.
don't think | was to blame. | did struggle
against ii manfuly for a time. l told my
self over and over again that il was a ride
ulous piece of folly, and the consequence
| of that romantic view from the Water. Cure;
that IL WAS merely temporary thing, and
would wear away when ! had completed
my work and gone back TO town. But the
moment l thought of going away 1 was
seized with a pang of absolute suffering,
and found that ii was all up with me.
The beautiful girl in the wicker wagon had
decided my destiny. | loved her. was
not fellow TO do things by the halves.
Whatever did put my whole soul into
1t. That's the reason the firm sent me up
there to the Smiths. "Irll be a capital
thing, Hodge" they said, "if you work IL
right. They own all the land about there,
aud one thing III work ON to another, you
know, ii you are on the qu UiUe.'
They were pretty well contented when
got as far Us the Water-Cure. so you can
imagine how deeplva fellow like me would
plunge into love. | thought of her night
and day, mixed her mp with my romantic
dreams and with my every day work.
After she got in the habit of driving up
there used to see her so often that we be-
gan to nod and smile at one another in the
pleasant fashion of the country Ii took
me good while to get used to her smile.
| used to have to go away by myself to
choke down Il kind of spasmodic joy. One
I
ed for them in vain, saw the pony's nose
appear over the summit of the hill. fear
ed there was something wrong, for his nos
trils were dilated and his head was bob
bling up and down and no sooner had he
reached level ground than he began to dash
madly ahead at break-neck speed right to-
ward the verge of the rock. She was stand
ing up, with IA face pale as death, but hold
ing the reins in her hands, and calling out
"Whisker - in the sweetest terror-strick-
en- voice you ever heard. If he'd been
hit like the one he was named after he'd
have stopped Immediately; but he wasn't,
and he went straight ahead, throwing out
his legs, and snoring like little bull.
If hadn't been there they would have
been killed. Fancy, then, what mixture
of joy and fright | was in. Rushing over
stumps and rocks, l dashed madly on,
reaching them just in time, and grasping
the pony with grip of iron. lie kick ed
and plunged, ard turning short almost
dragged me with him over the cliff. But
in spite of a severe wrench in my arm and
sharp pain in my knee, held on TO the
little beast till he came to his senses. Then.
like all his tribe, he felt remorse for the
way he had acted aud stood there whinny-
ing and shivering till the ladies' got out of
the carriage, and | had tied him to sap
ling. She came up to me to thank me, and
told me Whisker had got frightened at an
ugly stump he had never seen before, and
that, oh suppose hadn't been there, and
suppose had not been so strong and brave
and here her voice seemed to grow faint,
and a mist came over my eyes, and if it
hadn't been for the sapling I should have
tumhled down. What "A pity for fellow
to lose a moment like that / call il "A reg
ular spite. There she was, talking so pret-
ty, and holding out her little white hand
to me- and | couldn't even hear her, nor
have one little hug of her hand. toppled
over, like an IDIOT in a faint. | suppose ii
was little owing to my arm and knee;
both were badly Sprained, and the pain was
fearful. But half Of it was the Effect of her
voice. was such n fool about her that it
robbed me of all strength Of will and pur-
pose.
When ! came to myself | was lying in
big bed with splendid canopy over it,
and somebody was bandaging up my head.
"Hallo!' said ~ thought it was my
leg or my arm"
'You must have been thrown against
rock, sir" said the gentleman. "You've
narrowly escaped lracturing the skull. It's
a severe scalp wound AS ii j., and will re-
quire great care"
"Hum ~ said I. "Who~e house it this ?
May know your name?"
"My name is DR.. Smith," he said "but
the house doesn't belong to me. It's own
er is under great debt Of gratitude TO you,
and | must thank you in his name for saw
ing the life of his only daughter"
"What is his name? p | inquired.
"Mr. smith," said the doctor-"Mr.
John Smith. He is away travelling just
now"
"rhen you are the young ladys broth
er?' | asked, eagerly, for he was II deuced-
ly handsome fellow.
"No, nc" he replied, hastily; "mine Is |
a distant branch of the family. But You |
must keep quiet now. You seem to have |
a good constitution, and may pull through |
soon, If you allow yourself perfect rest. |
hnr yiSa e.. L.,
quences."
"But, DOCTOR" demonstrated, ~ wish | |
could have palmer quarters. Look at that |
pink thing up there, and all these mirrors
around us. I'm afraid I'm robbing the la
dies"
"All the bed-chamberS are alike" said
the doctor. "rhe canopies are all lined
with colored silks, and there are the same
number of mirrors in every room"
81 wish the Smith Hotel was built r. I
"That is to be all blue and gold" said
the doctor.
"Then Mr.. John Smith is nabob ?" said
; but the doctor refused to answer any
more questions and / went into troub-
led sleep from which did not soon awake.
1t was an uneasy sleep. peoped with
and dwaris. Some of them had
horses heads; others took the fantastic
shapes Of rocks and stumps of trees. l
Dattled with all of them, until overwhelm-
I'd with numbers, | sank back exhausted
md then came the pleasant part of my
lream. ShadOwy shapes of women came
% me, hovered about me, laid their soft,
'ool hands on my forehead. | heard their
'oices without knowing what they sad 1t
vas like strange tongue, low aud music
Il, sweet and unknown.