Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-04-29
The Minister'S Daughter.
ny EDNA DIAN PROCTOR.

even had hoped that the first pulpits Of Bos.
ton would be open TO him when he left the
seminary. But, alas for the vanity Of
human expectations, his sermons were only
dry statements Of the views Of Edwards and
Stuart; and, after preaching as candi-
date" in several large towns, only to be re-
jeoted, disappointed and done with ambi.
tiop, he dritted into the small remote par.
ish Of Marstou, where kiudliness and fre.
quent pastoral visits were more highly
priced than powerful discourses. His slen.
der salary was eked out by the productions
Of the garden and field belonging to the
parsonage, the tilling Of which occupied
his leisure hours and having, through his
failure dislike for the great world he
rarely left home, except now and then to
" exchange with some brother minister as
unknown and unexpeotant as himself.
Mrs. Hyde was an amiable, industrious
woman, never absent from the prayer-meet-
ing or the sewing circle, and untring in
her thrifty household cares. Their chill
dren were Bessie, grave, patient, gentle
girl of ten, with round, innocent face,
brown curls, and au appealing look in her
blue eyes that went straight to your heart !;
aud baby viii, a vehement little fellow,
just entering his second year, and who
went far to prove the theory Of some Scot
tish philosopher. that children inherit the
dormant rather than the active faculties Of
father and mother.
Such was the Hyde family when, at nine
years old, | went to Marston to spend the
summer with my aunt, who was their next
door neighbor and this was the way Bes-
sic and became acquainted.
had been three days at my aunt's, and
had gone through and through the rooms,
aud explored the garret, and examined over
and over again the few picture books among
the old volumes on the hanging shelves. 1
had found every nook of the garden, aud
counted aud fed the chickens, aud seen the
COWS MIXED, and frolicked with the two
gray kittens, until the cat, alarmed at our
familiarity, had carried them out to their
inaccessible nest in the barn and | was
beginning to be weary of the stiffness,
broken only by the ticking of tho tall clock
in the corner, and thinking rather sadly of
Ned aud Fanny at home, when my aunt
looked up from her work and said
"You feel lonesome don't you, Mary ?
Put on your bonnet and go out and pay
with Bessie Hyde. There she is, drawing
her little brother up and down the path"
Charmed at the prospect Of company,
and yet little afraid Of strangers, acted
upon her suggestion, and going cautiously
to the foot of the garden, looked through
the palings at Bessie. There she stood in
her dark giugham gown and Shaker bonnet,
her brown curls clustering in her neck, and
her cheeks. flushed with her efforts 10 please
Master Will, who sat as erect and proud in
his clumsy wagon as if be bad been heir to
all the Russias. She saw me, and now and
then looked timidly towards me; and |
know not how long we should thus have re-
garded each other had not great orange
spotted butterfly come huttering over the
walk aud alighted ou a currant bush close
beside the wagon The baby shouted with
delight and held out his hands to catch the
dazzling rover, when away it flew above my
head aud disappeared in the near orchard.
The child set up a scream Of vexation that
might have been heard throughout the vii
lage, and scorned all bis sisters attempts 10
console him. A device occurred to me.
The minister's garden had only few pale
flowers; but my aunt's was gay with vari-
Gus blooms. | ran to the beds and plucked
nosegay of the brightest roses, colum.
bines, scarlet geraniums, and hurrying
through the gate and along the path, laid
them down before the riotous boy He
looked up laughed in spite of his tears, and
then, gathering them in confused heap in
his arms, and doubtless thinking them so
many captured wings, be was soon the i'm
age Of content,
THANK you,' said Bessie, from under
her sun bonnet.
How loud he did scream" said |.
Twas the butterfly made him." an
swered Bessie And from that moment we
were frieqds. r.l
The next Monday morning | went with
Bessie to the village school aud found it SO
attractive that continued to accompany
her all the summer The Marston children
were rather rough in their way; but we
had rare iun during Tue noon recess, ana
'here was really 9p'y epe scnolar OF "hon'
we were airaid--lom stevens q ruue' inis,
chleVous ooy from 'ne 'svcrn ~ 'ne Gnu ., y,
the street. VINO delign.eu IN 'crmen,lng AL
weaker ana younger 'nan ninlseil: iieAnew
Bessie was lh mortar terror oi nun, ana 50
DC was Always teasing ner ou. "ueh JOIN
Farley iound out anything, ION was sure
70 get MS deserts 'onn rariey was tne
Deacon son. a 'as', nanasome a'nle'o poy
OF thirleen' iuli oi 'nir'n, anu uar'ng, anu
generosity 0'uoo tno iunuipR VI 'ue "ay-
mower 'nere eou'u no' nave oeen ivunu u. d
man more rig,a apo oAa..,pg III 'sm,'y us
c'P''ne 'nan MS worthy 'a'ner' nuu oopu
was FESTIVE uuuer sucn restrain p~ecauso ~
ne once run away 10 'hS hoS' ,ow", 70 sec u
uaye'pg c'tcus' 70 "n'on ae naa po'n ue-
nled admission anp pscause' one summer
SUNDAY morning ~ 'ne hlup,e Q, "r,
nyaes 'niru sermon y" ,no uo'','no @ o.
election looking 'o"aru 'ne uoor, ne saw
'ne uog sit''"g so'em"'y ~ ,'e 'eS''pu'o'
anu oe'1rc ne 'nousu'' snaPPeu ns hnsers'
50 'oat f'dV came OouSu.sg anu psrNing up
sne a,s'uUo0'uso ~ .Snor noso tuu ,So; ''ai hnS,