The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-04-07

in others, may be, when the brain didn't
huld tho tllvr.
1t wss that same summer when Ma.
belle DevcreUx 6r>t cstne to the Island.
tier father was F.ench gentleman. whu
lived great mnny year, in this country.
l,ein' oui .! health, he thought to tiy the
sra air Tor awhile. I'm aU old woman.
aud I've seen many fresh face i'll my
tiine but never another that was 6t to set
uloug-ide Mahelle Devereux'. There was
picture ia Psrsuu Ellet's parlor, over
the mantle. piece, that came from over the
sea- NJ MsdoDua he called it.-apd I've
heard tell that it was copied after the
greatest picture of the greatest painter
that ever lived. But that's neither here
nor there.--only when rst set my eyes
on Mabelc, sittin' ore Sunday in Deacon
Prices pew-Mis. Price was aunt to Ma.
bellies mother-I leaned over the forward
pew before thought what was doin',
aud whispered to 'Buah Por,er's wife,
Look there! There's Parson Elet's
picture stepped out O. the frame'
'Mabelle was as good as she was pret-
ty. / used to tell them that all the
young men on the coast just stood aiar
off and worshpred her. The girls dotted
on her too-she seemed too different from
all the rest to be the least bit jcalous Of
Old Mr.. Devereux was nasterly pleased
with the Island, and I heard him :alkin'
with Parson Ellct once, at olam bake,
about the hospitality Of the inhabitants,
and their remarkable sympathy with su
invalids sufferin's,' and its beiu' really
rare. my dear sir, TO find such delicate
feelin among the common people Com.
mon people, indeed | ached TO speak
right up there. and say You fool SO you
think it's for yoas that twenty boats are
ready morniu', noon, or night, with two
or three stout young fellows to each one,
to row or sail you where you like1' But
bit my lips, and held still. which was
better for US both.
'All little children aud brute beasts
loved Mabelle at first sight, and it was
40 wonder that poor Jock took to her, too
She used 10 spend most all the pleasant
days out doors with her father, for Mr.
Drvereux, when he did not choose TO 70
OUT on the water, would have great
chair carried down to the shore, aud eli
there in the sun Mahelle would rumbt
up and doSu the b h, ar club ahou,
auonI the rocks, canning around every
little while to scc il her father wanted
any thing. Jook got by degrees 20 iol
lowin' her for Ill the world as ne used rc
hi- mo her, before shc died.
Some girl wanldu't have wanted 'h,
great fouli,h fellow arouud,or wruId even
have hpcn nfrsi1 "f him, may ne, but il
WASN'T 20 with Mabtllr Sne used tt
speak 70 him in her quiet, gentle way
and he minded her voice like liiit
child. 1t was wonderful how macy
things she made him do for her thsi 40.
body else would "a thought Of trying tc
make him understand used to won.
der >onetiu O. if he'd h,d somebod :
like her WHEN hc was little fellow aud
first lost his mind. il he might'ut par,l }
have 60, it back again, after all.
One afternoon | started TO 90 d7wr
by the fish house that Tom Porier'd lett
there dryiu', and I'd promised him to sc,
to. went toward where Mr.. Devereuz
was si'tin' in bis chair, aud Mabelle
stundiu' by him. There were three ol
four sprncelo lookin' young men talkin
with them, that had come over that day
iu yacht from Portland, and halflJiu
10 the sun, was Jock. couldn't hear
what the young men were sayiu' but
saw they looked at Jock, and laughed
and in minute one Of them stepped uF
to bin aud gave his chiu pull, sayin
somethin' that set them oil of again.
was close by them. and sharp word wa.
on the end ofmy tongue, when something
seemed to stop me, and looked at Ma
helle. o, ma'sm. I'd never seen her like
tina; s, tall and 80 terrible ! Her whole
body tremblcd, her eyes flashed, and I
red spot burned in ber cheek, aud ther
went out in an instant and left her face
like ashes. She didn't seem to walh
toward Jock-she went hs the wind goes
She put her hand on his shoulder, and ht
gased up into her face. III never forge
that sight. The same pitifnl, dazed looL
that knew so well, come over my pool
boys face once more--his hand wen
1lowl y up to his forehead. It. comm I,
he said COMM p she answered in ,
low voice that rung like bel.-'Yes,ml
poor brother Yes, q thousand times
Comm in Gods time .Mabelle Why
Mabellc said Mr.. DeveTeux, but she
did not seem to hear. Turnin half about
she raw me. Go now with Mis-. Dawson
Jock . she said in her old voice, and b,
came TO me in n moment. We waIkeC
on Il few steps, and looked around, sut
saw the young men staDdin still will
their eyes on the ground, and Mr.. Dew
ereux leanin' on M,helie'- arm. anC
walkin' slowly up the hill. Tom Porter
and Ben Britton we're masterly disan
poipI,d ihst the Portland chaps wen
home next morniu' instead of stsSiD' fo
a week. Thin, NJ they'll given OUT the,
would. The boys hud allow Il to make ,
gnud biz our Of them ior odd jobs, bu
Mshelle aud | kept our own counsel
'Mahelle aud her father went nome il
November, and litilc while after. Mis-
D D'@'nn Piiee lold me tha; they he'd gon,
to France
The fall OF 1910 was hard one fn
folk a. tot their Twin bv the sea On,
gale hea, clo,e upon another. aud NOR,
than Que hoat from the Island went tt
pieces Winter came. at last. and it wa
comfort to have the msckercl schooner
all in. and settle down iirle Comfort
leastwise TO some. more than to me, fo
z hedee was away somewhere 10 Tho
north seas, and many gusty night
used to lay ond never shut my eyes til
duyhrcak,
christmas Eve came. All day tn,
leland had been choked 10 cold mist
Away 10 the northeast the grcv bank o
iog broke little as the sun went down
and showed a pile of cloud black as mid