National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-05-08

"It is too heavy for you," sai'
Cyrus, coming to her relief, with hi
ready thoughtfulness, and taking tn
tray himself.
"Hell mako q good husband, O,
will" said the deacon, while the younl
mans back was turned. "She'll be
lucky gall that gifts him and, between
us, I amt noways partial to that ther'
Aggy Price. Highly tightly NOW
Jennie, why didnr you set your cap TO
him, and You right here at hand
Twould hev bin a. easy as lynn r.
"Would it ?" laughed Jane, out o.
the depth OF her silent misery.
OF course Jane should have left of
loving Cyrus after this but she didn't
and naturally he was as blind as Others
of his sex, and never guessed what Al
ache it gave plain Jane Hutton wher
he dressed up in his Sunday best, witt
the neck-tie she had made him on hit
birthday, and rode off to pay his cour,
to Agnes Price, five miles across the
country. She was always awake wher
he let himself in at midnight, and went
tiptoeing to his room, and she lay won
dering how it must seem to be loved
by man after your own heart. Her
life seemed to promise to be all No
vember weather.
But though The Numbers were SO
isolated, they had their merry-makings.
There was q quilting at Mrs. Deacon
Crocket's in Number Two, or a husking
at Farmer Dusenbury's in Wheatfield,
or a haying.bee at Deacon Smiley's,
with dancing in the well-swept barn,
hung with lanterns in the evening; and
there were camp. meeting days, and now
and then there was wedding and no
distance was too far to travel, and Cyrus
always harnessed old Dapple, and took
Jane along with him, as Agnes would
be going with her brothers or, some
times, il the road led that way, he
woull call for Miss Agnes, and Jane
would sit on the back seat of the wagon
and only guess at what was going on
before her in the twilight, hugging her
pain in loneliness of heart. Nobody
knew but Jane was just as happy as the
others who danced "chorus iigs" and
"college hornpipes -; nobody ever
would have known. Sometimes there
was preacher on the circuit, who went
about from one Number to another
holding meetings, and Cyrus and his
mother and Jane put ON their best, and
went the rounds too; and Cyrus and
Agnes helped at the singing, and lin
gered after the benediction. One week
the preacher staid at Ferriston Farm,
and asked Jane to marry him; and
though Mrs. Ferriston was sorry to part
with her, yet she advised Jane to think
OF it seriously, and went so far as to
get Cyrus to talk with her about it.
This was the last straw that broke the
camel's back. Jane was sick in bed till
the preacher left The Numbers.
"Dear sakes I" said Mrs. Ferriston,
If it's going to keel Jane over like
this every time she has a beau, the
fewer the better. Girls didn't used to
take it to heart So"
"On the WHOLE" remarked Cyrus,
"I'm glad she didn't take to him. It's
selfish, but how could've get ON without
her just yet?"
"I suppose you'll be bringin' wife
home one of these days. It's pity
you couldn't hev taken q likin' to Jane
yourself, and she right handy in the
house, and KNOWN all our ins and outs,
and no fault to find"
"Choose the one that you love best
Suit yourself, you'll suit the rest,'"
sang Cyrus. "Jane wouldn't have me,
either" !
"That's for you to say" returned his
thinking that the girl was un-
born who would refuse her Cyrus.
Well, at one time they had Miss
Agnes Price up at Number One to make
a visit, and at first words weren't big
enough to express her satisfaction.
But she used to laugh at James old
fashioned way of dressing her hair and
cutting her gowns and when Jane and
Cyrus got talking upon their favorite
themes, she would put on her bonnet
and be off for walk, and Cyrus would
follow without delay.
She wasn't happy unless Cyrus was
praising her dress or herself, unless
here were young folks invited over
rom the other Numbers and from
Wheatfeld for frolic, or they were
going abroad to some merry-making !;
and when nobody was present but them
selves, she would amuse herself taking
off the folks who spoke in the last revi-
val meeting, showing how Elder Prosy
It Wheatfield, conscious in the midst Of
! long prayer that the candles on the
lesk needed snuffing, CROPPED for them
With his eyes shut, snuffed them out |
his thumb and finger. and
hrew the red-hot ends into brothers
lew hat on the deacon seat then she
would follow this episode with singing
9 Coronation gutturally like Deacon
Crockett, and nasally like old Mrs. Qua.
,er, and relate how Deacon Crocket al
vays omitted the blessing when they
,od pudd;po o,1 will, g., ! NJ