Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-08-09

the daytime by shutting out the sunlight and
covering his cage with the gaudy trappings
Of her sewing-table, but at night under
cover of his mistress presence, he comes
forth like a nightingale, aud,
In ceasoless voice tries the spring night over.
like a tune,
Beneath the yernal moon
Ills starchless song is something wonder
ful in its persistency. All these have
borne like martyr but the hanging of my
pictures was the last straw that broke the
camels back She declared that never had
she seen such hideous faces in such ugly
frames that she had always supposed a
painting was composed Of colors, but these
grim cold lines Of black and white so spoiled
her ideal Of some Of these writers that she
would not have seen them for twice the sum
they cost me that she could not sit in a
room where she was the focus Of 50 many
ugly eyes-aud mark YOU, Minerva, among
these eyes are those Of Margaret Fuller and
Elizabeth Barret Browning. She found fault
with Miss Bremer's nose, and insisted that
Miss Martineau so resembled our dreadful
Aunt Betsey it was like having her 10 live
with MS again. All this while | said not a
I word. but hung my pictures as ] thought
| best, taking down. Of course, all others from
/ the walls that ! knew would spoil the gen
eral effect. At last, Minerva. | came 10
| Uncle Joshua. Now | ask you in all can
dor, could | let him remain Was it pos
| sible between Hiram Powers and Tennyson
| 20 have his bald, bulky head, his protrud-
ing lips. and unctuous chuckle | took him
down and Kitty, who, veritably believe
had been waiting for the deed, and would
| have been disappointed if it had not been
| done-kitty burst out crying, and declared
| that il was an insult TO her and to him to
/ thus put his dear old face to the wall, and
/ that where he wasn't good enough TO remain,
she wasn't | demonstrated with her.
/ asked her 10 consider how ncongruous it
was TO place even the dearest personality in
such close contiguity TO distinction. People
would ask naturally who he was, expecting
10 hear of at least a respectable architect or
/ inventor but 10 be compelled 10 say that
he was my wifes Uncle Joshua was too
humiliating 1t was not TO he borne.
implored her 10 hang him in the drawing
ROOM in one of the spare chambers, in the
tmrrrt at the end Of the garden, any where
but in the library.
You know the result, Minerva she in
sisted upon his occupying what she called a
post Of honor. declined 10 give him the
space required. and you know the rest. 1t
is hard it is, in fact, the wrenching of half
my lie away but we mnst do the best We
cantor Of course you will remain with me. -
"IY"
"Why, you certainly have some bowels of
compassion. Minerva. ! must have some
body TO keep house"
a." And you think can do it 2 You iatter
me- Horace. See here, my brother if the
engineer Of an express train, by some in
scrutable decree of Providence, were sud
denly stricken dead, and | happened 10 be
travelling in the ladies car, do you think the
passengers would be contented TO have me
take the vacant place at the engine 2"
Horace drew down his lips contemptn-
ously. at is not a parallel case" he said.
There is just as much bran-work in
kitty's housekeeping, said Minerva, land
know as little about it as yonder spider
And, by-the-way, how he is getting on DO
you suppose I'd ever have the heart TO tell a
honse-mad to sweep all that wayP know
that our worthy friend is exhausting all his
ready material in that magnificent web
that he could not spin another one Just now
to save himself from starvation. Kitty is
happily ignorant of the merciful side in a
spiders case, and away would go the magic
weaving. I'll stay, of course, but we'll bt
hemmed in with cohwebs. And that witt
I
we'll get TO hating each other and the Who'll,
world through the powerful agency of dys
pepsia. Why, Horace. am at this moment
a mere wreck of anatomy. ! came here, a
| do always, TO be bolstered up by Kitty
. ingenious aud wonderful aids for the recu
peration of an exhausted vitality. Her in
| comparable loyeliness, her charm of manner
| her artless innocence and good common
r sense her bran bread, her Graham biscuits
clotted cream, and fragrant Mocha, her deli
cious grayies alone, TO one who outside thes
walls never dares look at such things, ar
prcelessly precious. | listen TO the child
} simple expounding of her domestic lore, bu
/ learn nothing. 1t can not be learned i
is an inspiration. | can appreciate, admire
| but remain outside the charmed circle
| Horace sighed heavily.
And yet" he said 'you have so clear al
intellect, so artistic an appreciation, so capa
= ble aud profound a judgment-the fact is
! Minerva" said the professor, with grimac
4 Of impotence, you must be the other sid
of kitty's medal"
I At that moment crash fell upon their ear,
like that of miniature earthquake. Some
? thing had fallen up stairs, chimney ha
tuInbled in, or, perhaps, the side of wall
Horace made one bound for the stairs, an
[
/ the third step Horace was already at tn
e top, and she heard his agonized cry OF IN
Il lie my love!
r This cry of love, in terror, accelerated tn
h footsteps of Minerva TO the scene of disaste
1t lay in the chamber of the young coupl'
where she had left Kitty in such dire distress
: But the bureau had been pushed asid
- At the top of the wall was a stout iron hool
from which dangled thick cord. The debr
8 of step-ladder was tumbled in a heap o
Il the floor, and Kitty lay insensiblein in her hu
/ bands arms.
o Horace looked at the cold white face
It his wife, aud the petrifed one Of his sister
5 =" DO you think it possible she could has
thus deliberately y-" whispered Minerva. q.
It Don't hush !" said Horace, hoarsel
d" To what fatal deed have driven this pos
d child 2"
t But Kitty stirred in his arms, faiI
IS color crept into her cheeks, her white lie
'e slowly lifted, and her tender brown eyes ia
,s timidly on the terror and love stricken on'
At of her husband 4 shy, tremulous JOY b
m gan 10 dawn in her face the two dimpl'
in her rounded cheeks deepened happily.
d " II didn't hurt me much, dear, she sal
1t nesting closer and closer ia llorace's war
embrace only bumped my head al
u. graled my arm
ii Then finding that lac only pressed Ia
closer and closer, and that Alnerva's face "
stony in its expression, Kitty began to
lie frightened.
a, Have hurt myself p she cried. =" Ila
"a | broken my nose, or put out my eye
re was trying 10 hang Uncle .Ioshua's picture
.e "Oh I" chorused Horace and Minerva, G
lie changing glance of unspeakable relief.
is g. got tired of being unhappy. | want
Of TO begin canning my fruit to-day, aud ju
r. made up my mind that dear old Unc
ne Joshua would be much more comfortable
a here, where | could bid him goodnight al
lt goodmemng, than in that distinguish
K company down stairs. The women are
Of so dreadfllly ugly, aud the men so grim al
, unsociabe. | know he'd rather be with IN
" I've been thinking that perhaps was wron
a and If Minerva will help me we'll just I
al the library to suit Horace, and take the lit
n. south parlor, with the bay-window, for Il 81
le ting-room. It's the prettiest room in Il
,r house, and always thought the library hs
a a cold light"
"You dear, dear little woman " sa
in Horace
er When Kitty made up her mind 10 a thin
D. it was Immediately put upon the tapis. 81
II slipped down out of her husbands arms, al
Nj went about the work directly. Horace ha
,e as much as he could do 10 help them in r
A moving kittys obnoxious treasures from h