The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-10-01

novels by the thousand; but is it not,
after all more true to God and hu-
man nature to believe in this view
than to think He made men or women
to be the sport Of passion and circum-
stance, even to their destruction?
'Tenty Scran' was too healty to break
her heart,-and too unselfsh; SO she
gradually recovered her bright bloom,
and went to her work, and took care
Of Aunt Why, as energetically and
gayly as ever. Hannah-Ann Hall
married lawyer from Meriden,
and moved away, quite consoled
for Ned, within three years; but
"Tenty favored no lovers, though one
or two approached her. There are
some women who are like the aloe
their life admits of but one passion. It
comes late and lasts long, but
never Is repeated; the bloom dies out
of its resplendence an ordor, but no
second Towering replaces it. She was
one of these. But what one man lost
in her love, a thousand of her fellow
creatures gained. 'Tenty was the
Deer6eld blessing, though she never
knew it herself: All the sick wanted
her; all the children pulled at her
gown, and smiled at her from their
plays; her heart and her hands were
so full; no regret found place to nestle
there, and silence brooded dove-ike
over that sorrowful time gone by.
After a while, some ten years after
Ned Parker's death, Miss Why took
to her bed again,-this time never to
rise. Slow consumption had fastened
on her, and she knew we'll what was
before her, for so had her mother
died but no saint was ever more pa
tient than she. 'Tenty was the best
Of nurses; and had even learned to
speak Of her aunt's death without a
tremor in her voice, the last triumph
Of her unsel6shness; for Miss 'Viny
could bear no agitation, and yet need
ed to speak of the event she neither
dreaded nor desired.
"'Tenty," said she, one day, ''I feel
a sight easier to leave you than if
you'd married Ned Parker"
"Why, Aunty?" said Content, a
light blush only testifying her surprise
at this address.
! because he was selfish feller he
always was. I believe some women
are better off to marry, though I can't
say but what believe a single state
is as good; but woman that gets a
real lazy, selfish feller gets pretty
near the worst thing there is. I seem
ed kind of hard, 'Tenty, them days,
but I had feelin' enough"
"f don't doubt but what you had,
Aunt Why; only one can't see fa1
ahead, you know, when it rains. I'm
sure I've been as happy as clam
these last six years, and I don't calcu-
late to resk that by gettin' married,
never. Besides, I've learned what
you used to call" the grass's lesson,
pretty we'll"
Here Parson Goodyear interrupted
the conversation, and it never was re.
sumed for the week after, Miss Why
died, and Content was left alone in
her little house, "to battle with the
world" as people say. But no con-
flict ensued, since it takes two to make
a quarrel, and 'Tenty was on good
terms with the Deerfeld world. Sc
she lived on, peaceful and peace-mak'
ing, till forty found her as comely
and as happy as ever, source Of per
petual wonder to the neighbors, who
said of her, "She has got the dread
fullest faculty of gettin' along I eve1
see," and thereby solved the problem
for all except one, and that other ont
'Tenty's opposite in ever trait, Mis-
Mehitable Hall, Hannah-Ann's olde:
sister, an old maid of the straitest sect
and one who was nowise sustained
, under the infections of life by tn
consciousness of enough money to sup
port her, and friends to care for he
approaching age.
Il 1t was Miss Hitty Halls delight t.
be miserable: rather an Irish expires
, sion, but the only one that suits he
, case. One bright October afternoon
, she came over to see Content, bring
, ing her blue knitting, sure symptom
of a visitation. Tenty welcomed he
, with her usual cordial homeliness
gave her the easiest chair she had
and commenced hospitalities.
8 "Do lay off your things, Miss Hall
, and set awhile; I haven't seen you 70
quite SPELL"
RI "Well, I don't really know ho,
: to-" replied Miss Hitty. II don
t know but what everything will 60 t.
/ rack while I'm away. My help i
I dreadful poor,-I can't calculate 70
= her noway. I shouldn't wonder
t she was settin' in the keepin' room
8 this minute, looking at my bes
D books"
Q "Oh, I guess not, Miss Hitty. Nov
/ do let me take off your bunnet, an
0 make yourself easy. Bridget can
= do much harm, and you're such
{, Istranger."
II "Well, I don't know but what
O. will there! Don't put yourself ou
n for me, 'Tenty,-1'll set right here
r. Dear me! what clever house thi
l. is! Ant you lonesome? I do thin
; it's dreadful to be left all alone in thi