Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-04-14
and on his arm the most beautiful of

women.
Tall, fair, with a stainless snowy skin,
and hair of living gold, Hope DORIS
Greek features were indeed the very
outlines of ancient sculpture, with the
inspired expression of lofty intellect
beaming from her great cool gray eyes
and calm lips; and her simple statuesque
dress of lusterless white silk, utterly
without ornament, fell about her like
the draperies of Praxiteles,
Madge's heart sunk. How she de-
spised her French fripperies, her puffed
and creped hair, her iewels-herself! |!
What was her girlish, laughing, rosy
beauty beside this goddess from Olym-
pus, with knotted hair and flowing gar
ments, stately as Juno and lovely as
Venus, and, Oh climax of fate lean
ing on Mr.. Schenck's arm with gentle
condescension, and answering what he
said with a serene and lofty smile
How she hated in her heart, too, the
dapper youth who approached her, card
in hand, for the promised galop How
he dwarfed beside her old lovers manly
aspect and noble manner Poor Madge
As she rose to do her duty, she met Mr..
Schenck's eye. He bowed courteously,
but coolly, and, to her rage and disgust,
she felt the color steal upward to her
bright locks, and she had a wild impulse
to drag the luckless youth at her side
out of the door, and bury him and her.
self at once in the first snow drift. But
who ever heard of impulses at party ?
The galop was properly danced, and her
already filled card of engagements gone
through with; but in all the long eve
ming MIR. Schenck never approached her,
and she went home in state of mind
that alarmed Polly and disgusted her.
self.
81 am tired and cross, dear" she
said at last. Don't talk to me. I'll be
good tomorrow, but 1 might bite you
tonight; I feel like it."
So Polly kissed her with dumb amaze
ment in her pleasant eyes, and went
meekly off to bed.
This scene, however, was by no
means the last. She met Mr.. Schenck
at the best houses in Boston, and al
ways with Miss Dorr. While she her.
self danced and chartered with the young
people, she saw these two the center of
attention to distinguished men and
women. She perceived the consideration
and, honor in which Mr.. Schenck was
neld, ana CIc difference paid to Miss
Dorr; and when the gentleman sora-
rated himself from his compeers to adj
dress few courteous words to her occa-
sionally, she felt it to be an effort of po-
itenes, and wondered bitterly how she
could have been such fool-how she
could have been so blind.
Poor Madge 1t was well for her that
Aunt Phemy bided her time in the
sunny chamber at home; better still that
she had put her tiny old finger into the
wheel of Madge's fortunes and given it
an impetus her way; for the day came
before long when Mr.. Schenck could
maintain his assumed role no longer,
when Madge found out that Miss Hope
Dorr was his own cousin, and when Aunt
Phemy received from Boston the follow
ing note:
"OH, YOU DEAREST AUNTY II know
you will open your eyes SO wide you
can't half shut them again, and you will
say all sorts of bitter-sweet things to
your dear, bad, weak minded girl; but,
aunty, can't help it. I know I said L
never, never would, but 1 don't mind
that. I've fallen awfully, desperately in
love, and some time 1 am going to be
married-oh, Aunty Fee to Mr..
Schenck. There Your own
"MADGE."
And Aunt Phemy both laughed and
cried; but Jack turned somersault
when, six months after, he read the mar
riage notice in New York paper. And
Madge found letter waiting for her on
her treturn from the bridal tour, in
which was copied, in big round hand,
the last two lines of "Highland Nora, "
and the significant and emphasized
phrase beneath them "I I never WILL"
I am afraid be never was invited to
The Birches.