Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-05-19
How They Married.


NJ Ippm t. wrsn.
The snow had been falling steadily all day,
and in the evening it lay white as shroud
beneath the winter sky. The fences and
posts were covered with il. The shrubs of
the garden were very suggestive OF ghosts,
and even that grim old veteran, the great
elm. which kept untiring vigil night and
day, by the entrance Of Deacon Deane's house,
seemed to have been blanohed with terror at
the unmistakable evidences Of the swift ap-
proach Of king Winter, with his prime min
ister Jack Frost, and his inseparabe body
guard Of ice. snow, sleet and chill. The
wind swept in at every nook and Granny, and
howled its displeasurc when it was hindered
in its Investigations by contact with solid
walls of brick and wood, but soon recovering
it, good nature, whistled briskly around ad-
iacent angles, and took care for nothing and
nobody hut its own selfish self. 1t pinched
the cheeks OF whomsoeyer 1t would, and by
its unruly conduct actually brought tears to
the eyes Of good Deacon Deane, who fell into
a consideration of its behavior while return
ing from the village grocery, where he had
been assured three times, by three OF the
most influential men Of the village, that it
was a very cold and clustering night. Dea-
con Deane thought Of it as he went home,
and became so firmly convinced OF the truth
Of the statement that, when he had entered
his own domicile, and stood rubbing his
hands over the blazing fire, he informed his
wife in a much more decided tone than was
usual with the good deacon, that 1t was a
very cold, clustering night. And so 1t was
They were all right, and, strange to say, the
almanac for once agreed with them.
dwell thus long upon the condition OF
the atmosphere, at the time OF which write,
because the first point of Importance in this
| little narrative is, that 1t WAS very cold-so
very cold that Clifford Fame considered 1t
necessary to fold his own warm hand, like
| the wing of brooding mother-hen, over
Callie Deane's plump little fingers, as he led
her carefully over the icy pavement, and
| landed her on the broad stone at her fathers
door. A low murmur OF voices, soft ripple
| of laughter, a pressure OF the little plump
| fingers, and the door-stone cleaned white
| and cold and desolate in the starlight, while
Callie warmed her feet in rosy triumph, anc
| Clifford Fame sought room No j, At th'
gentlemens' boarding-house, and Thought Ia
| whole wide world as warm and bright a. hi
own glowing dreams.
The graduating class OF Ysrrow institute
had given reception Of which Callie Dean
had been the belle, as she was OF every othe
| gathering in her native town; and Clifford
Fame. the handsome the brilliant, the courtly
the magnet which irresistibly attracted th'
eyes of anxious mammas, had not disguisee
his admiration, but, after the farewells hae
been duly disposed of, wrapped Callies cloal
tendery about her, and departed in the di
rection of Deacon Deane's with smiling
face beside him.
IL was this last that made Helen Train 81
up in the dark, for at least an hour afte
her return from the reception, looking at th'
stars and thinking what a dark, cold worlt
it was. dwelling with dubious satisfaction OF
the shortness of human life, mentally quoting
every pessimistic verse she could remember
not forgetting Tennyson's
.'My nfe Is cold and dark and dresD,"
and on the subject of the vanity of earthly
hopes, concluding that it were all one tina
she should love bright particular star anC
think TO wed it.
Helen had stumbled along the icy stree
alone. With her own hands she had al
iusted her cloak. No one had cared whethe
her feet touched the best OF worst places
whether her hands were cold or warm. Nat
urally very reserved aud sensitive, she ha'
known the chill loneliness of the wall-flowe
all the evening. Having spent the most o
her time since childhood with books as al
most her sole companions, and therefore be
ing quite unaccustomed 10 the small tan
which is the circulating medium Of tn
drawing-room, she soon found that, thougl
with the merry company, she was not OF It..
She longed to be sought as other girl
were and felt as if every one in the room
were noticing how lonely she was yet, n
sooner was some one introduced than sh
nearly lost the power Of speech, and torture
her dizzy brain for ideas which would no
come, until the gentleman, thinking that hi
company was probably not agreeable, e1
cused himself, and left poor Helen in a
agony Of self-upbraiding.
She could easily have counted her word
that night Mr. Benevolent had asked he
how she did, and she, with host OF unn'
cessary bushes, had answered tho stereotype
aYery well, | thank you" lie had assure
her that the evening was unusually col
though otherwise very pleasant, and she ha
: assented as earnestly as II she had spent III
! sixteen years OF her earthly existence
proving the truth Of his assertion. The
the gentleman paused. looked anxious an
/, cleared his throat, and suddenly remembers
an important communication which he hs
> TO make TO friend in another part OF II
room, and went TO return no more.
She had answered Mr.. Philanthropie vii
/, an echo Of his own "Good evening" ~
when he remarked that Miss Thrush was
beautiful singer, in her effort 10 be agrcsabl
: had said, Yes, very" with an enthusiss
!, that might have rendered the singer vs
: proud and happy had she heard It. Al
this was almost the sum total OF Hslen's sol
!. communion with her kind, Tor one svenin
. She had an ample opportunity to wat
Clifford Fame from her corner, S he e
: changed wit and wisdom with Callie Dean
: !, and had no difficulty in perceiying that Il
hero of her dreams had found enehant'
y ground.
= Well, Callie was pretty. She know tn
! as well as Mr.. Fame did. The hair cluster,
+ in soft ringlets around her brow (ielcn d
not know that hot iron was the mother
those curls), her eyes were blue as a poet
dream, and never were words so spicy al
winning as when they flowed from her dir
A ple-guarded lips and Helen did not ey,
; have the comfort of rejecting that she was
e wolf in sleeps clothing, and that, II Cliffol
9 Fame chose her, he would have cause TO J
Q pent his choice. Callie was /. good as ST
A was pretty, and Helen WAS forced 10 confei
. that II she did wear ear-drops, and little us
! less odds and ends Of ribbon and lace, 81
$ also wore charity and generosity as ever
!, day garments, and repeated her Bible ver'
Y in the prayer-meeting as punctually an
/, fluently as Helen herself.
1 Helen sighed deeply as she knelt In tf
2 moonlight alone with her God, and ii
i trembling hope that she could not kill-thi
!. Clifford Fame would some day care for he
| lie would never be so priced by Callie, win
| with one glance OF her smiling eyes, coul
, win a dozen hearts. Aud then came IL
thought, even though Callie should spun
I him, would he come to her? But new
mind She would 80 to sleep now, and the