Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-12-10
sitting up with Her.

She was expecting him Sunday night !;
the parlor curtains were down, the old folks
notified that it was healthy to GO to bed at
eight o'clock, and Johnny bribed with a
cent, to permit himself to be tucked away
at sundown. lie sneaked up the path, enc
eye on the dog, and the other watching for
the old man. who didn't like him any
too well, gave faint knock at the door,
and it was opened and he was escorted into
the parlor. lie said he couldn't stay but a
minute, though he didn't mean to 20 home
for hours. She wanted to know how his
mother was if his brother Bill's rhouma-
tism was any better and he went over and
sat down on the sofa so as not to strain his
voice. The conversation tagged and he
played with his hat and she nibbed at the
sofa tidy. lie finally said that it was a
beautiiu evening, and she replied that her
grandfather predicted snowstorm. He
said he guessed it wouldn't snow as the
moon wasn't crooked enough to hang pow
der horn on the end aud she said she didn't
believe it would either. This mutual un.
derstanding seemed to give each other cour.
age, aud he wanted to know if she had seen
Bill Jones lately. She hadn't she said, and
she didn't want to. Then they went to
talking about the donation visit which was
to be given Elder Berry, and he carelessly
dropped his hand on hers-his right hand
while his left arm sDeaked along the sofa
and got behind her shoulders, She pre-
tended not to notice it, and be looked down
at his boots, and wanted to know if she
thought mutton tallow rotted out boots
faster than lard and lampback. She
couldn't say, but she had an idea that il
did. He had Just commenced to lock fingers
with her, when she discovered something
allied the lamp. She rose up and turned
the light down half making the room look
dim. 1t took him five minutes to get hold
of her fingers again, and she pretended tc
want TO draw her hand away all the time
After long pause he lowered his voice tC
a whisper and said he didn't see what made
folks love each other. She bit her hand
kerehief and admitted her ignorance. He
said that he could name dozen young mer
who were going to get married right away
aud his left arm fell down and gave her q
/ hug. Then he went over and looked out oI
the window to make sure that it was or was
not going to snow, and, coming back, he
turned the light down a little more, and
then sat down and wanted to know if she
didn't want to rest herself by leaning hel
head on his shoulder.
All, me We have all been here, aud
who Of us cared a cent when the old clock
struck twelve, and we five miles from
home2 The old man was fast asleep, The
Watchdog gone a visiting aud the hand
some girl in the country didn't sec why w'
need to be in hurry.
Perhaps | shouldn't have written Of this
but as was going by Saunders the othel
day, thinking of the night | heard hin
whisper in her ear at spelling-school' thai
he'd love her very shadow as long as he
lived, he raised the window and called tC
her as she was pickngu chips in the yard
" Sue Saunders, come in here and find the
bars grease for my sore heel, or I'll breal
every bone iu your body"