Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-12-09
REALITY.
BY CHARLES RRADE.

Miss Sophia Jackson, in the State of
Illinois, was beautiful girl, and had a
devoted lover, Ephraim Slade, o mer-
chants clerk. Their attachment was
sullenIy permitted by Miss Jackson's
parents, utnotencouraged; they thought
she might look higher.
Sophia said: "Why, lal he was hand
some aud good, and loved her, and was
not that enough?
They said: "No; to marry beauty, a
man ought to be rich"
"Well," said sophy, "he is on the
way to it; he is in merchants Office. ;"
"It is long road, for he is only a
clerk"
The above is a fair specimen Of the
dialogue, and conveys as faint an idea
OF it as specimens generally do.
All this did not prevent Ephraim and
Sophia from spending many happy hours
together.
But presently another figure came on
tho scene-Mr. Jonathan Clarke. He
took fancy to Miss Jackson, and told
her parents so, and that she was tho wife
for him, if she was disengaged. They
said: "Well, now, there's young
clerk after her, but the man was too
poor to marry ler."
Now, Mr.. Jonathan Clarke was a
wealthy speculator; so, on that informa-
tion, he felt superior, and conrted her
1riskly. She complained to Ephraim.
"The idea of encouraging that fat fool
to think of mel" she said. Sha called
him old, though he was but thirty; and
turned his person and sentiments into
ridicule, though, in the opinion of SEN
sible people, he was comely man, full
of good sense and sagacity.
Mr.. Clarke paid her compliments.
Miss Jackson laughed, and reported
them to Slade in way to make him
laugh, too. :-.-.., $3.50
MIR. Clarke asked her to marry him.
She said no; she was too young to think
of that. She told Ephrain she had
fatty refused him.
Mr.. Clarke made her presents. She
refused the first, and blushed, but was
prevailed on to accept. She accepted
the second and the third without first
refusing them.
She did not trouble Ephraim Slade
WALL bh1 ROA UApil Va Villas itOuhlis DIG was
afraid i5 might give him pain.
Clarke wooed her SO warmly that Eph-
rain got jealous and unhappy. He re-
monstrated. Sophia cried, and said it
was all her parents fault-foreing the
man upon her.
Clarke was there every day. Ehpraim
scolded. Sophia was cross. They
parted in anger. Sophia went home and
snubbed Clarke. Clarke laughed and
said: stake your time" He stuck
there four hours. She came round and
was very civil.
Matters progressed. Ephraim always
unhappy. Clarke always jolly. Parents
in the same mind.
Clarke urged her to name the day.
"Never !''
Urged her again.
"Next year"
Urged her again before theS parents.
They put in their word. "Sophy, don t
triae any longer. You are OVERRIDING
IT,"
"There, there, do what you want with
me-" said the girl; 81 am miserable ''
and ran out, crying,
Clarke and parents laughed, and
stayed behind, and settled the day.
When Sophy found they had settled
the day, she sent for Ephrain, and told
him with many tears "Oh!" said she,
"you little know what l have suffered
this six months
"My poor girll' said Ephraim. "Let
us elope and end it. )"
"What My parents would curse
me |"
ooh, they would forgive us in time l''
"Never. You don't know them. No,
my poor Ephraim, we are unfortunate.
We can never be happy together. We
must bow. I should die if this went
on much longer"
"You are tickle, faithless jade l'i
cried Ephraim, in agony.
"God forgive you, dearl" she said,
and wept silently.
Then he tried to comfort her. Then
che put her arm around his neck, and
assured him she yielded to constraint,
but her heart could never forget him
she was more unhappy than he, and al
ways should be.
They parted, with many tears on botk