National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-01-30


his love; and under that gentle balm
Mary Garston fingered two years, rest
ing from her labors in peace and happi
0 ness, mes while the young Oxonion KEEP
school and house for her, and tended
her like nurse, servant, and son, il
one.
Naturally, now she was gone, urged
him to give up this wretched life, and
begin better in England. with my aid.
He thanked me, and declined. He liked
teaching. The school had increased,
and was o blessing to those outlying
farms and cabins, whose young fry
would otherwise have grown up mere
heathens and savages. If he gave il
up, no other would take it, the pay was
80 poor, and the situation so lonely.
Besides, he was now bent on the Inde-
pendent ministry, and found this a
capital place for perfecting his studies
in quiet, and practising their lessons in
freedom. These were his Arguments,
and combated them with ease. Then
he turned on me, and told met have
grown to care for girl in the village
yonder, Malva Keith. She is not a lady,
and I am not a gentleman-after my
fathers pattern, at least. This state of
life suits her better than any other /;
therefore, if marry her, it and no 9th
er shall suit me-"
I had used reason against arguments,
and turned them into smoke. To use
reason against love would have been
folly; and was not fool. We shook
hands heartily, bade each other "God-
speed" and parted the best of friends,
never to meet again in this world. The
rest of Hugh's story I give from his
letters and Malva's lips.
She was practiced coquette, honest
enough in her way, and beautiful be-
yond measure, with the full, upright
figure, 1.-the, round limbs, and rich col.
oring of prairie Hebe-well aware of
her beauty, too, both from the glass
and the moro audible homage of at
least score of rough and ready admir-
ers, trappers, timber.fellers, railway
employees, loafers, and the like, who
all We'd in paying court to the flower of
White Waters. Hugh came in among
these like star from another system;
and straightway Malva cast off her suit
ors, and hauled down the flag of free
dom to lay it at the schoolmaster' feet
So far, so we'll but, unfortunately,
surrender was easier than subjection to
this young lady. Hugh lived nearly
three miles off, and was at. his work all
day. Malva lived just outside the vii
lage-her father was timber con-
tractor, and a well-to-do man of the
roughest class-and the house was
always full of those of her swains, as
did not care for work, and found making
1orya ,>1oooo,,k and NTo1v |
was too partial to this incense to re-
linquish it at once, and for the sake of
grave, stern young man, who had
other work than hanging on her apron
strings all day. The end of all this
was that Hugh grew anxious, then
Jealous, then angry took to reproving
instead of worshiping, and so irritated
Malva's pride all of which eliminated
in desperate quarrel respecting GER
tain Miles Pearson, whose over.familiar
worship of the flower of White Waters
had for some time been arousing Mas
ter Hugh's wrath. I fear that latter
gentleman had inherited his fathers
pride at any rate, he bore himself so
sternly on this occasion, that Malva,
who was on the point of yielding and
asking pardon, suddenly nailed her
colors to the mast, and said she "wasn't
going to be bullied. Miles was as good
as some folk, and better. He didn't
get riley and tyrannical and for her
part she preferred Americans to half
bred foreigners" &C., &C., blue eyes
flashing and pomegranate cheeks afame.
Hugh looked her full in the face, and
answered her, very white and cold
"That is your choice, then? Very
we'll. The half-bred foreigner will re-
sign you until such time as you change
your mind, and ask him to come back.
Good-morning, Miss Keith"
And so walked back to his school,
stead. {
The weather was cold enough then
but the real heavy snow did not set in {
much before January. It had been t
falling off and on for several days, and s
was SO deep in places that Hugh's |
school benches had grown very empty, {
many from the more distant clearings {
not being able to come. Still, the mas.
Ter was great favorite with children,
and these in Iowa and Minnesota are '
tough and hardy little race so, on the t
5th of January, 1877, though the sky c
was an ominous color, and the barome- /
;er falling fast, about nine boys end 1
girls arrived as usual, and, after good i
at the fire, began their studies. s
One of them, Seth Halkett, broughta s
oit of news. t
4" Miles Pearson's gwine to splice d
With old Keith's gal. Guess therell be t.
grand fixings down to her place. Air n
7ou gwine to the marryin', teacher ?"
"You shut up, Seth," cried his sis b
er, q sharp girl of twelve, who, with
,recocious womanhood, had got hold of
1ugh's feelings in that quarter. "He's 4
4lways talkin' when he knows nuthin', r
eacher; an he aren't done one fgger of il
lis reck'nin' yet" |,
Seth stuck his hands defantly in the s
agged bands of his corduroys, and v
Darn the reck 'nin';" but h
Iugh spoke to him mildly, and bade a
he girl mind her own work. It was e
lot with children that his sternness o
anne out. G
And the snow went on falling. a
It soon grew too dark for studying. "
The flakes froze as they fell in solid "
cap on the window.sill, and blotted 81
ut the light. One of the boys looked t
ut at the front door, and got his nose Z
rost-bitten; and murmur rose that q
hey would be obliged to stay in school
Il night. Hugh went to the back door, Il
7hich was at the lee of the house, and r.
onfirmed the foreboding. The road ej
'as impossible for children already, ii
nd the snow falling in two cross cur 81
ents, which made a sort of frozen h
'hirlwind in the air. There could be fc
O going home that evening: and he b