Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-08-26
Amos Hillary's Mistake.

Ruth, child, thee may as well get ready
Amos will be here directly" said Friend
Miller; and as Ruth ran gaiy out Of the
room, he added A." Mind that thee wraps up
carefully 1t is very cold"
Friend Elias Miller was a well-to.do
farmer in Ilillsdale Left an orphan at an
early age, he came into possession Of the
ancestral acres and the comfortable old
homestead that bad been 10 the family for
generations. He had married early, and bis
wife had a priceless treasure. Many chill
dren had been born to them, but only one
survived, Ruth, their dainty little darling
who tyrauized over them in a loving little
way, that her fond father thought perfection
Possessing frank, sweet nature, a culti-
waited mind, and unusual beauty, what won.
der was it that she was the idol Of her own
home, and the admiration Of large circle
Of frendsl
Meantime Amos Hillary had arrived in
his sleigh, and soon Ruth came tripping in.
Her dress of drab merino fell in graceful
folds about her person. Old lace shaded
the dainty white throat and half covered
the shapely hands. A knot Of pale blue
ribbon, in place Of breach, harmouized
well with the otherwise plain dress. Then
the big shawl was drawn close around the
sloping shoulders the little white head.gear
was tied over the brown curls, and with
merry good-byes, Amos and she took their
seats in the sleigh and Heb was put to his
speed
Ia a little while the speed was slack ened
and Zeb was allowed to take it more lei
surely. There were many things to be
talked over The quilting party at Enoch
Steele's, last Fithday the marriage Of
Henry Moore, who had married out Of the
meeting, and, being waited upon by some Of
the old Friends, had declared that it con.
cerned him only, and had behaved in such
an unciyil manuer they all left in disgust.
And so, chatting away they sped on, and
soon overlook several sleighs filed with
young folks, on their way to the house
warming.
Soon the house was reached, aud they
were warmly welcomed by Mr.. Nathan
Wynne, and his bright little wife, Mary,
who had long been Ruth's most intimate
friend; and when she had given her hand
to Nathan, just two short moaths ago, Ruth
had waited on her, while Amos was the best
man to Nathan,
No wonder people gossipcd and looked
meaningly at each other. When Ruth was
seen, one might be sure Amos was near.
And, though no words of love had passed
between them, yet it seemed to be an un-
derstood thing that these two belonged to
each other. In her heart Ruth cherished
the secret consciousness that she was be-
loved At his coming, her heart throbbed
tumutuously, and tell.tale color would
flush the fair face, and the large, dark eyes
grow luminous with loves light.
And Amos loved the gentle girl, and only
waited till circumstances justified him in
offering his hand to her who had been the
dream Of his boyhood, the only love Of his
manhood.
"Come, Ruth, I'll take thee up stairs
the girls are in my room, making themselves
pretty though, said the hostess, looking at
our heroine, 81 don't think thee needs any
thing at all to enhance thy beauty. Come
right in" And Ruth was ushered into
what had been temporarily converted into a
dressng-room. The pure, white walls were
unadorned, the windows were draped with
snowy muslin, which fell to the floor in soft,
graceful folds. The high, old-fashioned bed
stead looked like great snow-driii, with
its white counterpane, curtains and ruflled
linen. The floor was covered with home
made carpet, woven in bright stripes, and
gave a CHEEKY look to the room. Two or
three huge logs in the big fireplace snapped
and sparkIed away, as if they, too, had en-.
tered into the fun and merrment of the
thing. The polished surface of the small
mirror reflected many blooming faces, many
admiring glances. The girls stood laugh.
ing and chatting all about the room, shal,.
ing out their dresses, smoothing their rib.
bons, and taking last glance at the mirror
to make sure they were all right, and would
stand the scrutiny of numberiess eyes In the
lower rooms. Then down the wide stairs
they futtered like company of doves, and
into the best room or parlor.
"Come, Ruth, want to introduce thee
to Alice Raynor," said the hostess, ap-
preaching our heroine. "She is my cousin.
thee knows, and one of the prettiest girls in
Philadelphia, it's said. She has been prom
Using to visit me for years, and when she
heard | was about to be married, wrote,
saying she would pay the long-talked. .oi
visit when | should be comfortably stu.
ated in my own house. She came last
night, and | hope will make long stay"
MARY, let me look and admire first
How very, very pretty she is !"
"Yes, and beside her great beauty, she
has the reputation of being sad airt. She
told me she was heartily tired Of fashion
and friyolity, and had come into the country
to be natural, and to do just as she pleased
Visiting, parties, balls and beaux had be-
come a bore, especially the latter, and she
shrugged her shoulders significantly when
she said it. | hope she won't turn the
heads of all our beaux with her bewitchine
face.n
Truly, Alice was pretty sight, as she
stood in the soft light talking earnestly to
Amos Hillary. She was a blonde Of the
purest type. A great mass Of golden haiI
adorned the small queenly head, and fell
in shining waves and ringlets to the slender
waist Eyes of the deepest blue, shaded
by long, golden lashes, saucy little nose
"tip tilted, like the petal of flower" a
charming little mouth and beautifully
moulded chin, combined to form very
lovely face.
What is it, Ruth. that sends that thrill tc
your hearth Is it the earnest gaze Amos
bends upon his gay companion What is
it they are discussing so warmly2
Drawing little nearer, Ruth discovers
that the comparative merits of city and
country life is the engrossing subject.
Amos grows very earnest over it, and de-
nounces the artificial life Of the city while
the girl, more for the sake Of argument than