Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-12-18
PROVING HIS WORDS.

"Uncle Coleman, I'm going to marry Luz
cia Frothingham!"
"Eh? What?n
Uncle Coleman put down his newspaper,
pushed his spectacles up on his forehead,
and glared Mt his nephew.
Going to marry Lucia Frothinghamm he
cried, after gasping awhile in sheer dismay
you idiotw
Thanks" was the cool reply. 81 know
you do not admire the lady, bat where there
is a strong mutual love-
"Strong mutual fiddlestickm interrupted
Uncle Colman, contemptuouslY. you may
love her; she is pretty and fascinating, but
what she loves is yonr bank account, my
boy. | knew il would be so when your Aunt
Jennie left you cool hundred thousand.
But boys will be boys. Only for goodness
sake wait year or two before you saddle
yourself with a wife"
81 am twenty-onc, sir" with an immense
air of dignity
"And / am sixty-four! Now, Frank, dc
hear reason. Lucia rockingham is u fas-
cinating woman, touching the thirties, if not
already over the line-a finished flirt, and
as mercenary as she is pretty. l know her
and tell you her affection is centered upon
your Aunt Jennie's legacy, and the hall
million in perspective mt my bankers"
"Uncle Coleman" cried his nephew, hot
ly, 81 never thought of it, much less spoks
oft"
81 don't suppose you ever did. Having
always had an independent income, dom
think you ever counted on dead man:
shoes. But Miss rockingham was educated
in the hard school of genteel poverty, and q
rich husband is the prize for which she has
studied and toiled, fOr---well, say ten years
She was in society before you were done
playing with tops and marbles"
"Unclo Coleman, you are speaking of my
betrothed wife, remember"
HEMP
years aro of no consequence where there
is true love"
"Hemm
"And love Lucia as she loves me-"
mot bit of it,"
Tomorrow she goes 10 Saratoga and 1
you can spare me will go too"
"And the business in Hartford? should
advise you to attend to all matters belonging
TO your aunts estate rs soon as possible
Frank"
at may keep me in Hartford n month, ;
said Frank, disconsolately.
Coleman Burke looked with plying af.
lection at his young relative, such n boy vel
in many matters, though he had reached
"man's estate"
"a month that may settle your whole for
tune" he said. Remember men do not fall
heir TO hundred thousand dollars more
than once in lifetime"
81 suppose | must CO."
at will be best. Besides" added Uncle
Coleman, dryly, lit will be good test o
your lady-love's constancy!"
81 am not afraid of her forgetting me,
said Frank, loitily.
"You are actually engaged?"
Certainly! | bought diamond ring a
IS yesterday, and put it on her taper fin
ger last evening"
''IIem! Well. the fool-killer hasn't beer
here lately, that's certain, There, be OIL
and let me finish my paper in peace. You
VIII go 10 llarllOruE
"Yes."
But after his nephew left him, Coleman
Burke let his paper lie idly upon his lap
while he fell into II fit of musing often in
terruptod by impatient CALCULATIONS. HO wa
n man, ms he had SAID, past sixty, and ha'
been chidless widower for thirty years
while four little graves beside that of hi
wife recorded the heart history of his life.
When he had lived lonely and SINGER
mourner for many long ye"rs, his brothe
and wife died, leaving Frank, curly heade,
boy, TO the care of his Uncle Coleman. Al
the long-sealed fountains of love in the desc
lated heart opened TO pour our their affection
upon the child. lie was truly the very sun
light of the old mans existence. and thougl
his manner had been cynical, his heart ha