The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-03-21

rigid policy. l was the unhappy medium
by which this policy was carried out, out
| contrived to do my duty and to speak
my harsh words with sufficient grace to
ward off all ill.feeiDg
At the hour of my arrival at Middle
Bass, fat, low Lying island, Thurman
was out walking. gained hint Of the
direction he had taken, and [ followed
him. | came, after half an hour, TO the
gateway Of Reinhart farm, and as it was
one Of those in which my principals had
an interest, it occurred to me to stop for
moment TO find out how matters we're
going there. l walked down long lane
between two fields Of ripening fruit,
thinking far more, admit, of the beauty
of the day aud the delicious warmth Of
the air than did fprofit and loss. All
was as quiet and sunny as the heart could
wish, and sweet fragrance filed the air
almost to repletion AT the distance Of
quarter Of a mile lay the sparkling wa
ters of the placid lake, and at the edge Of
the land there stood thin line of tall
old oaks, the giant branches Of which,
half naked and half dressed in a gloomy
verdure, reached upward toward the sky
like human arms Reinhart's house was
old, and it was painted red. 1t was
surrounded by low willows and its yard
and its high-pitched roof were in shade.
AS turned out Of the grape.feld |
saw, sitting side by side, upon bench
beneath the rugged bole Of one Of these
trees, Thurman and sweet.faced girl Of
eighteen. She was bareheaded, and her
golden hair was plated and bound up in
a tight knot behind. Her dress was Of a
dark brown stuff, and from beneath her
skirts there projected two pretty feet,
crossed and composed She was knitting
a blue sock, and she was listening at the
same time, with her head cast down, and
inclined slightly upon one side, to what
my friend was saying and he was saying
it most earnestly, though by no means se-
cretly.
l recognized at once the daughter Of
Reinhart. for l had seen her three years
before, and she was then most lovable
child. She was now woman,apd have
never seen more innocent face than
that which she raised when l first made
my presence known. Thurman showed
no signs of discontinue, but he welcomed
me warmly. Seibel that was the girls
name-led US about the place, showing
US all the sights "These are the old.
country wooden paniers that we gather
grapes in, These are the pipes that the
wine runs into. This is the wine press
ah, do so long tosee it run again l
press the grapes myself sometimes. Did
you ever hear the stream Of red wine flow
into the empty pipes it makes such lit
tie roar!" and she laughed and showed
her white teeth.
When we we're about to go, Thurman
put out his hand. Seibel put hers into it
fairly, and looked him in the face-not
with that abominable sham frankness that
knows its own name, but with natural
thoughtlessness.
The season was most charming, and |
did not hesitate to make up my mind to
spend a month on the island The great.
or number Of the summer visitors had
long since departed, and the long walks
and the shady groves we're almost entire
ly deserted. Now and then, in long
walk, one caught glimpse of a city
dress, or heard the ring of city laugh,
but it was not often the glorious SUM-
light, now doubly yellow, poured down
upon the silent fields and the white roads,
and everything paused for the grapes to
ripen. Thurman went every day to
Re:nhart's house, and l frequently went
with him. Finally Reinhart himself,
urged by the good wife whose anxious
face | had more than once seen peering
cautiously through her vine covered win.
dows upon the group upon the bench,
came and put the question in a good
natured, roundabout way:-
"Isn't your friend lonely sort of fel.
low to be hanging round our Seibel so
, much What do you think ~
an speak to him." said l.
, l did SO. Thurman replied quietly
/, Il am going to marry her."
, What !"
ut is true"
; But your heart, your spirit, your en-.
r tire nature, must be antagonistic to love
You arc fresh from one Of those defeats
| that drive men mad, or out of the world
: 1t is impossible for you to stimulate O
new passion.
That is very true"
"Then explain"
"Listen | admit that there is ruiz
somewhere. l observe myself from with
| out myself, and see that am i'll, that
, am purposeless, that am full of sor
row and regret. l go through o slight
| calculation, and perceive that / mus
I recover myself in order to be of any fur.
S ther use in the world. You admi. that
/. Very WE'LL Then, instead of taking
5 usual measures-by usual measures |
! mean the slow processes of time and trav
e ell take hero'c measure | fore,
upon my attention an object whose nature
is such that my distracted spirit aud out
ragged senslblities must soon assimiat,
o with it. find in Seibel creature o
: absolute purity, elevated moral sense
hiucut ulsIOoi'iuu' dnu uuuutstlOuluE
q trust am as certain that my hear
d will entertain her at some time in tn,
future as | am that we now talk togeth
er. do not say that the memory of m,
g real position does not agitate me at time
If even before her face, but | am resolved
d to hold her to my breast until her mature
does its healing, purifying work, and thel
Is | shall hold her forever"
}. This was his idea and faithfully did h.
h labor to carry it into execution. |
o touched mo to the q lick to see him e
}. up, pale and languid, from some new re
$. alization of his pain, and seek in tn
c grape fields this fair.haired, simple heart
el ed child, and walk beside her hour afte
y hour, bending his in nelligence with a
:. iron will upon the things that gave he
d interest and qualification. Eeiuhart an
,e his wife took my word for it that the
"A naoI hoya M Caor onl CO Nhu.,,a. lo,,r