The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1876-05-18

Mrs. Robson assisting as in c3Nm2l
gratitude she must Tbis without pre
ducing the least effect upou The Brabmss
Il was The widow thai grew rcslive, cen
sclous OF the sbsnrdity of Mr BaieTkiaf
sudden snd os,sulsti0us regard for fowls
She knew The very moment when hi'
heart turned towards ber. bat whether
hers inclined similarly towards bin was
not for her 10 say until he askcd yet
coy little creature, she never gave him d
chance to put the question.
And, such Is hnmaa peryersity, The
more she seemed not to care for him The
more was Mr.. Butterkin resolved that
she should care for him. Before July
was ended be bad made up his mind to
propose, inwsrdly assured that his late
wife would sanction the proceeding not
If she were returned 20 flesh, Of course,
In that case be wouldn't ask l--but as a
shade she would not want to stand be-
tween him and her beloved Ruth. OF
Mr.. Ebbson's shade be scarcely thought,
doubling, perhaps, whether a man on
earth destitute Of moral substance conld
attain to the dignity Of a heavenly shade.
But there is rast difference between
proposing TO propose and proposing Mr.
Butierkin learned this 10 bis chaerin ai-
ter frequent aborliye attempts ~ give
his interviews with the widow seuti-
mental turn. At each advance Of his she
sped away as shyly as girl, and in the
secure retreat by her mothers couch was
as unapproacbable as If seated aloft in
the chair OF Cassiopea. In regard to
written declaration of love, Mr.. Butter
kin would as soon have thought Of at
tempting an essay on protoplasm. Au-
gust found him still waiting for an OPP
poriunity. He, usually so prompt aud
unhesitating the first seectman in the
townl The better he loved the widow
the more he dispised himself, ill one soit
twilight, when the zcphyrs were wbis-
pering tender thoughts to the leaves, be
rose with desperate resolve, aud strobe
boldly around to the door OF the l.. Mrs.
Edison sat just within the sitting-room,
but be was too crafty to enter.
II you'll kindly step this way mo-
ment, be 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.
came TO ask-that is | want to know
lin fact wanted to have serious talk
with you.
She believed in free will, he in foreor-
dination; but his "serious TALK would
not SAVIOR of theology she knew. She
nervously essayed to conGne it to poul-
try.
"Really, lMr. Butterkin, you take too
much trouble about those hens. They
Nothing ! do for you, Ruth, is a trou-
BILE.
They're fairly rheumatic from stand
ing in that barrel of water, but, still,
they're not cured Of setting.
As was saying, Ruth
Don't say anything moro about them,
Mr.. Butterkin, beg.
Pm not speaking about hens, Ruth.
Here Mr.. Butterkin wiped his mouth
with his handkerchief widower's gri-
my kerchief. came to talk about you.
Don't go. Your mother didn't call.
Why won't you marry me, Rath?
She gave him a dozen reasons on the
spot; but the fallacy of feminine logic
being proverbial, Mr.. Butterkin was not
the man to heed them. AT least, this
know: before the snow came the widow
EDISON had become Mrs. Buttcrkin, and
frosty evenings she and ker husband
might have been seen carefully sheltering
two late broods Of chickens, for IN the
end the Brahmas had their way Baaar