The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-05-20

the fence the undiscoufagr Brahmas
brooded above imaginary eggs Next
morning they broodcd ihcre still, and
there, had they been his own. might they
have continued TO brood, forgotten by
Mr. Butterkin, who, as his late wife often
said, complaininely, never charged his
mind with mems; bu; these especial
Brahmas possessed peculiar interest as
giving him audience with the charming
widow Accordingly, in the days that
followed. he lowered about the lucklcse
bipeds like bird of prey l!e bought
the latest treatise on hens. aud patiently
tried in succession all the experiments
therein suggested for subduiug the wills
of ob1uratc sitters, Mrs Ebboso assist
ing, as in common gratitude she must
This without producing the least effect
upon the Brahmas 1t was the widow
that grew restive, conscious OF the alb.
surdty of Mr.. Butterkin's sudden and
ostentatious regard for fowls She knew
the very moment when bis heait turned
toward her, but whether hers inclined
similarly toward him wasn't for her to
say till he asked yet, coy little woman.
she gave him no chance to put the ques.
ton
And, such is human peryersity, the
moro she seemed not to care for him, 50
much the more was Mr., Butterkin re.
solved that she should care lor him. Be.
fore July was ended he had fully made
up his mind to PROPOSE inwardly assured
that his late wife would sanction the pro-
ceeding, not if she were returned to flesh,
of courso--in that case he would not ask
it-but os shade she would not wish to
stand between him and Der beloved
Ruth. OF Mr.. Ebbosons shade be
scarcely thought, doubling, perhaps,
whether a man on earth destitute of
moral substance could at death attain
the dignity Of heavenly shadow. But
there is vast difference between pur.
posing to propose and proposing. Mr..
Butterkin learned this to bis ohagrin af.
ter repeated abortive attempts at giving
his frequent interviews with Mrs. Ebbe.
son sentimental turn. At each adj.
vance Of his she sped away as shyly as a
girl, and in the secure retreat by her
mothers couch was as unapproachable as
if seated aloft in the chair o Cassiopea.
In regard to a written declaration Of
love, Mr.. Butterkin would sooner have
attempted an essay on protoplasm
August found him still waiting for an
opportunity. lie, usually SO prompt and
unhesitating-the first sclectpan of the
town The better he loved the widow,
the more he dcSpised himself. till one
soft twilight, when the zephys were whs.
pering tender thoughts to The leaves, he
rose with desperate resolve, aud strobe
boldly round to the open door of the L.
Mrs. Ebbeson sat Just within the sitting.
room, but he was too crafty to enter
"lf you'll kindly step this way no.
ment, he said, I've another experiment
we might try on those hens
But having lured her to him, his next
words were wide Of the mark
II came to ask-that is, wanted 10
KNOWN fact, | wanted to have Il seri.
Gus talk with you
She believed IN free will, he in iore0r.
dination but his "serious talk" would
not savor OF theology, she knew. She
nervously essayed TO coninc II to poul'
try.
"Really, Mr.. Butte,kip. You take too
much trouble about those heus. The, 49,
"Nothing DO Ter you, Ruth. Is a
trouble"
They're fairly rheuma'c irom stand.
ing in that barrel Of water. and, tor ul
that, they're not cured Of setting"
"As | was saying, Ruth
Don't say any more about EN-. Mr..
Buttcrkin, beg"
I'm not speaking abou, hens, Ruth. "
Here Mr.. Butterk;D wirei his brow with
his handkerchief-a widowers grimy
handkerchief u came to talk about
you. Don't go. Your mother didn't call.
Why won't you marry ne, Ruth ?"
She gave him q dozen reasons on the
spot; but the fallacy OF feminine logic
being proverbial, Mr. Butterkin was not
the man to heed them. A, least this |
know: before the snow came the widow
EbbeAon had become Mrs. Butierkin, and
frosty evenings she and her husband
might have been seen carefully shelter.
two late broods Of chickens, for in the
end the Brabmas had their way -- Ba>ar