Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-08-19
THE OLD HOUSE.

The old house was slowly d1opping to
pieces about the young people. Yet, for
all that, they were as happy as though
it were palace building up about them.
Youth requires few conditions: it is as
suf1icit Mt to itself as Eden; it is only the
unsatisfactory middle years, to which
the loveliness of the virgin world has
become twice-told tale, that are in
sistent.
In truth, it should have been enough
to content any of us simply to be Rose
Marks-the rose no roster, the lily no
snowier, sunshine not more golden than
her hair, more dazzling than her smile;
a lovely little soul and body, enjoying
every moment of life, and making it
precious to every one within her infu-
ence. She never thought of grumbling
that the house was shabby and the food
scanty, but contented herself with bread
when there was no dainty, and when
the roof leaked, moved her bed to an
other room where it did not leak so
badly. Every timber in the old house
was dear to her, and she never asked for
better. No wonder everybody loved
Rose Marks in general, and her cousin,
Roger, loved her in especial; not her
cousin, that is, if you demand the literal
fact, but her step mothers nephew, yet
always called cousin, and always loved
like a brother. A brother9 Well, no,
not exactly. People are not so very apt
to think whether OF no their brothers
will like this ribbon or that flower, to
blush damask if their brothers catch
them gazing at themselves intently, to
pOut ut an jnattentiOn from their broth,
ers, or to have their hearts beat like
wildfre at a touch of the brothers hand.
These two children were all alone in
the house Low, for Mr.. Marks and his
wife had followed the elder children,
who had died when the great typhus
epidemic ragged some ten years ago; the
old servant, who had never forsaken
them, had gone her way too at last;
and Louis, one day taking tbe ancient
plate, had sold it for enough to insure
the house for term of five years, and
formally resigning all right and title in
it to Rose, had bade her and Roger
good bye. and had gone to seek his for
tune. So Rose kept the old house as
she could, and Roger paid her regular
board from his little salary as clerk of
the only store in the village. Rose
cried every time she took it; but as all
the rest she possessed happened to be
the COW and the garden and what the
grass sold for, there was nothing, of
course, TO do but take it. How many
times Rose had resolved to go out by
the day and do sewing since she had
been sixteen 81 could earn two hun
dred dollars year, easily, Roger" she
would s2y, rs she was mapping it out to
Roger in the evening, at the other side
of the table where he was studying.
"And what would become of me r.
Roger said.
Why-why, you could have much
better dinners, you know, Roger, at
Mrs. Deans -
"Hang Mrs. Deans l should have
no home, I should go to the bad. II
is missionary duty to stay as you are. ;"
"But, Roger" then r Sc said, grow
ing red and redder, "some day, you
know, you will be-married, and ther
you won't want me round"
"Sha'n't II"
"Your wife won't, at any rate; fol
you know I'm not even your sister, anC
your wife, when you marry -
"Can't you wait till I do2" thunderet
Roger, getting up and stalking out O.
the room. "You won't forget how tc
sew, will you ?" And Rose began to cry
and Roger strobe round the place til
bedtime like an unhappy ghost. FL,
marry Why was she harping on tina
string2 Did she want to marry herself
and have him first put himself out of tn,
way9 And therest he wrought himsel
into fury. Was there man in all tn,
world who would dare to think of sucl
sacrilege as marrying his little Rose
Never, never, should he have her | H
would stay here forever and guard her
he would make it impossiblel And the
he felt that he was a fool, and that h
knew better; he knew the modest littl
Rose, living her secluded life, never ha
the remotest sort of lover; he knev
now that she was lying all in white
wrapped in her innocent dreams an
thinking of nothing less, while he wa
maraudipg up and down the garde
paths. He was very much mistaken; sh
was hiding behind the window at tbs
moment, watching him between th
streaming courses Of her tears as h
went up and down and tortured himse
with angry thoughts and passionat
emotions. Why had fate fixed him 80
he was asking. Why was there L
chance for him Why would no opel
ing offer that he might enter and gain
promise of sufficient income to justii
him in telling Rose what he felt-a
the wild wishes and bitter longings
Now a moneyless clerk in villas
store, he had no right to bind her fo
tunes with his, 10 bring upon her, ey,
y she would, the weary cares and hea'