The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-02-10


be supposed Augusta knew too.
So the years buddcd and bossomed
and brought forth fruit, until at last Sam
went down to Connecticut to take charge
Of a saw-mil for an uncle of his He
wrote to aunt Augusta and aunt Augusta
wrote to him and now and then he came
to Maine on business, always going to my
graudfathers before he went home, and
carrying himself toward Augusta like an
accepted lover.
Aiter few years he found himself
possessed Of twelve thousand dollars, and
Immediately went to work to spend it.
He went abroad to England and Rome
aud Egypt and Paris and Germany and
Sweieu and Russia and everywhere
hen he came home at last it was with
only fifty dollars in his pocket. SO next
he went out anung the copper LANES OF
Lake Superior aud in time was again
possessed Of twelve thousand dollars.
Now | will come home ami uarry Au.
gusta, aud settle down, said he TO himself
Bu. he didu't say it to any ybody else. 1t
uever occurred to him that it was uecrs
sary.
Meantime my Aunt Augusta had not
stood like u rose in a pot, waiting for the
gardener to come and pick it. She cast
out her roots aud threw up her branches
aud bloomed as though it was enough to
fulfil the laws OF being aud beauty for
their own sakcs.
Iu that simple neighborhood work was
supposed to bc the chief eud Of every body
So Aunt Augusta learned vcst.maki z,
and then she went to Coos where her
brother Nathan lived. and set up for her
self.
Coos was little crumb of town ia
those days; but it held up its head and
had its stores aud its mills. aud ITS shops.
aud its great white meeting-house on a
nil, with galleries Oh three sides aud
square pew aud high hox pulpit.
The first Sunday after Aunt Augusta
and went in the front pew with Uncle
Nathan aud his wife. She was fashiona-
bly, dressed in black Grape grown, IA
scarlet shawl and a white silk bonnet
with pink roses Inside. Her cheeks were
as piuk as her roses, and her eyes were
as black as her gown.
There was no need that Mr.. Keeler
should point her out to the young meu,
but he took pains to do it, Mr. Keeler,
the minister, was little ink man, as plain
aud gray as a dor.bug, and 30 afraid of
the pomps and vanites that he wouldn't
wear buttons on his coat No sooner had
his eyes fallen on Aunt Augusta, settling
herself in the front pew like variegated
tulip, than he dropped the subject he had
started upon for his sermon, and began to
preach against conformity to the world.
He was Il sincere. earnest man, and he
preached with all his might, emphasizing
and illustrating his words by pointing
with his blunt finger at the scarlet shawl
and pink roses. So if anybody had neg
lccted TO look at them before. they looked
then
Amvug ,L-~- "ho "D'o ovur'o". - '''''
ministerial torefuger was Abner Stanton,
the village blacksmith,
Abner Stantou's heart was good deal
like his iron-not easily meted-but
when it once had been hammered into
shape, there it was, fixed and steadiast.
And to-day Aunt Augustus eyes went
through it like red.hot arrows as he peer
ed around at her from oehind one uf the
pillars OF the gallery.
Tn, next day be came to get vest
made. The day after, be came to brig
the buttons for it aud the day after that
he thought, as he was going by, he wo I'D
call and see il she had every thing she
needed. aud how soon the vest would be
doue. 1t was not two days before he wa'
there again to bring letter.
i happened to see it at the post-oflit'
When J weut after my paper, aud SO
brought it along. l could as well as not,
said he.
The letter was from Sam Averill. l.tellin,
about the luck he had had in the mining
the weather, and the fact that he was well
Nothing more; pothiug about the hum
he was building in his fancy. aud the e.
ure that was always central in hi
thoughts.
Il hope said Uncle Nathan, you ar
not foolish enough to set your mind Oh
such rolling stone as Sam Averill. II
has no continuity to him.
If we are going to hunt for man tha
has no faults 10 this world. we'll huve
long road OF it, returned Aunt Augusta
bearing down the heavy pressing.iro
upon her seam as though she were tryiu
to crush the life out of something.
In less than week Abner Stanto
called again. He thought perhaps Mis-
Augusta didn't know the swamp pinE
were out, and SO he brought her hanC
iul, that he got on the way over fro'
Cowesett.
; Aunt Augusta had a weakness f
flowers-she and my mother are alib
about that-and she pu, cluster of tn
blossoms in her hair at once, aud auoiht
/ at her throat, while Abuer StaDton locke
| at her with admiration 10 every hair
e his head.
, If you were a sister Of mine. yC
r should always sit in rocking. chair al
wear swamp.pinks " said be.
: 'Abnpr Stanton is most excelle
d man. quoth Uncle Nathan, when he hi
5 gone his way, 'an esquire and head mi
in town. He's all wheat and no cha
G He'll make first rate of husband, al
d the girl who gets him will get prize
It Aunt Augusta made some fierce eli
n pings with her great tailor's shears, b
'. she said nothing, and presently went u
,r stairs TO answer Sam Averill's letter.
is The next day Abner Stanton called
a see Uncle Nathan on business, and 5
t sent her letter TO the office by him.
10 the months driited along one after anol
ID er like pictures in magic lantern. A
:, ner Stanton came often on one excuse
another, or on mono. He brought flow
is aud berries strung Oh grass, aud sw'