Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1876-01-17

HudAtu anu uauciu ma pe- anu cdIln
less for prayer meetin's than l could
wish-still / dunno as he's much differ
ent to most young folks that way; |
used to be ruther clipper myself when
was gal"
"You're on the wrong track, mother,
entirely. How would you like the Dea-
cons Alice for darter %
ia. SUI p and Aunt Debby dropped
her knitting and stared at Uncle Silas
with wide-distended eyes for the space
of thirty seconds but nothing short of
paralysis could longer deprive that ex-
cel.ent woman of the use of her tongue.
''Deary me well. to be sure but
why not? Alice is good sensible gal
as well as a hansum one, and not bit
split with bein' an only darter as gals
is apt to be, aud then the Deacon's fore
handed and his medder jines ourn. Well,
father, considerin' everythin', John
might go further and fare wus.
80 | think, mother Lot that Alice
would be my choice-she's too still and
white but then it's not me that's going
to marry her; if John fancles her it's
all right shan't ask him to look at
her thrO' my glasses. No, no; let him
please himself and he'll please me-"
Polly tried to say something to keep
her silence from being observed; but if
her life had depended on the articula-
ton of dozen syllables she could not
have spoken them. Poor Polly ! she
had found out at last what allied her /;
she loved John with her whole warm
little heart, and now he would 90 and
marry Alice Brown and-a lump got
into Polly's throat just here and threat
ened to choke her, and before she knew
it sob escaped and Polly took refuge
in deceitful fit of coughing. which
like all falseness carried It's own pun
ishment with it-for it distracted Aunt
Debby's attention from her future daugh-
ter-in-law and concentrated it on PoIly's
self.
why, child, you've caught dreful
hard cold all to onct you must take a
tablespoonful of hoarhound balsam right
away. l never hear drier cough nor
that Of yOurn-it sounds just like Gym
thy Besom's the winter she took the
gallopin' consumption, and was dead
and buried all inside of six months. y
And Aunt Debby bustled about and got
out the big bottle from the chimney cup
board, and measured out dose Of the
hoarhound balsam. Polly knew that re-
monstranee would be worse than use
less, so she swallowed the bitter-sweet
mixture without protest Then she was
sent to bed with directions to 60 to sleep
right away, and with the comforting as
surance that if the cough did not sue
cumb to the balsam before morning John
should go for old DR.. Drugen first thing
after breakfast.
Polly mistake was one that is often
made by young girls who are too much
taken mp with the pleasant story of their
own lives to stop to think or ask ques-
tiOns of their hearts, We are none Of
US much gwen to introspecticn in our
salad days; = and when at last we do
take to sOul-problng it is usually too
late to benefit by our discoveries
POlly-the orphan child of a far.
away cOusin-had been adopted by Un-
Gle silas when very young, 50 she and
John had grown up together like broth
er and sister, and she had really never
, once thought of John as lover, or 3
possible husband, until his rather ab
rupt proposal had startled her into The
declaration that she did not love him
when the truth was she had been loving
him every day of her life without in the
: least suspecting it. Polly did not g
r of in gallOping consumption like Gym
? thia Bosom. nor did she pine away anc
{ die of broken heart-healthy people
: never do-she just lived on from day t.
{ day, as we all do and must In spite o
e disappointment and heartbreak Sh'
r did not even droop. but held up he
D head like brave little flower that vii
: not heed the rude winds. but smile
!, through all their bufeting. Perhap
: hope was not yet piucked up by th
? roots for hope is sturdy plant tha
6ourishes IN sterile soils. and will sns
G tain life for long time on very scan
: nourishment.
1t was December now, and the younI
t folks Of Sleepy Hollow we're met j
; Uncle SiIas Briggs woods for skatiB
frolie on the woodland pond. Wbe
the merriment was at its height. an
a the skaters flying IN every direction, e'
e cry ear was startled by the loud eracl
It ing Of the frozen surface then came
crash-a heavy cry-and iu few M
d ments later John Briggs lay at Polly
is feet. deadl
= At least 50 it seemed 70 Polly; the
= the sun went down and night came in
q moment, and there lay Polly in sWoo
on the dead mans breast But Job
u was not dead. or even much hurt. onl
% chilled TO insensibility, and consciou