Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-06-06
VOL. 72.-3GS6. NO.. "a.

md cries to herself She is a nice. good
| 'lrL like II not TO see her made to cry
81 had a warm heart with all nv foolish.
ess, and liked it not either TO have made
her cry. so | hastened off to apply such
'alve of comfort as my wits might afford
found the poor old girl sitting ON bench
Vt the back of the smoke-house. weepinp
'ilently, and hulling awav at the meas. I
sat beside her, and shelled likewise: and as
| worked told love tale"
" An impromptu, grandie ?"
." suspect so. Gerty. II was some weav.
ing together of all the pretty romances of
ove and hope and patient waiting and do.
ing of duty, and all coming out right at
last, only on the other side. that had ever
neard or read. But it had its effect for by
the time that the peas were sheled the poor
little creature had frightened up. and. in
turn, told me in confidence the story of
brave Gretchens love. It seemed that
Gretchen had been engaged several wears IN
thrifty farmer in Ohio, who being a stout.
hearted Teuton, was patiently and plaoidlv
waiting until the termination of the auest of
| Obed Spriggs to make the rosy-cbeeked
trallein his wife. When Merope ended this
confession, grew very earnest and didaetic
and laid down the law TO her in plain terms.
assuring her that, if she any longer thus
stood selfshly in the way of her faithful
trends happiness she would never de.
serve 10 be united 10 her lover neither in
| this world nor the world to come. | fear
| ! put the case unwarrantably strong. for
| told her that, unless she at once set
about cutting and fitting Gretchen's wed.
ling outfit, and doing all in her power Ia
facilitate the union of these two wonder.
tully seli-sacriticing lovers, | was sure she
would never see days happiness while she
lived, even though Obed Spriggs should re-
tnrn to his allegiance forty times a day,
The implied possibility seemed to affect her.
"' What shall dol? she asked helpessly.
80 DO as you would be done by,' said l..
ana then talked OF self-forgetfulness and
iuty, and all that sort of thing. as earnestly
ina enthusiastically as any young, inex-
perienced tyro might. | suppose it was
Just what the poor ove-crazed creature
needed 1t seemed 10 stir the right chords
IN her mind, so out of tune. She took the
basket and pans to the house and in a mo.
nent returned aud said, Come into the
richard, child and followed her into the
ileasant rows Breaking cluster of blooms
rom the nearest tree she turned and stuck
10 III my curly head. They are love blooms
ne SAID, mournfully. Wear them, and NAV
'ou look fair in the eyes of yor lover as
lnce thought seemed in the eyes of mine.
Tretchle shall go home and be married. |
Vill i've IN the house and be her help. I
Wonder never thought il all ont so bafors
py,anu,oy 1ne spring VIII be here again and
maybe Obed VIII come
ohe hastened away poor Merope, and |
'ingereu IN the orchard crosses, thinking
Wer the lttle uncompleted romance that
,au ProoaoiY aided IN turning to the most
,eSitaole END. laughed little at my
ioral oenedlcton, aud, breaking off another
'eautltnl cluster OF buds, said to myself,
90 tnese are love blooms ~
nad never before heard apple blossoms
styieu' vi sudden, the memory of an
'lclueht that happened years ago in this
'e'y oIchard' When was but child OF ten
WE'VE years came to my mind as clearly
IS IL IL had CHANGED but an hour before.
hurlel had prepared strawberry feast for
party OF my young friends, who had been
invited to spend week with me at the
-iall' After tea, when we were playing at
'pmPs IN the orchard, out OF the hedge on
ne iurther side peered the dark face and
lashing eyes from under the slouched hat
ma gaudy ribbons OF wandering gypsy
ortuhe-teIler' We had heard there was
,ypsy camp IN the neighborhood; so, though
We were little startled, we stood our
ground ana mad our fortunes told 1t was
i sort ot Sibylllne performance, each for
dne oeihg told by means of couplet
vine was
When the love blooms whiten on every tree.
lhlne own true love shall come to thee
had forgotten the whole affar-at least |
had not thought of it for years but. as
aid, Merope's words recalled it all with sur
rising distinctness. | suppose must have
ecome unusually sentimental and i'm
ressible between the Joint rectations of
iretchie and Merope and the memory of the
ypsy's promise; for it was very certain that
vhen your grandpa, a charming young man
# two-and-twenty, came strolling up the
richard alleys, and met me, and bowed so
gracefully, and looked so irresistibly hand
,ome and fresh and noble"
Grandma, grandma so many adiectives"
Yes, Gerty, and captivating | fell as
hopelessly in love with him as ever Re
hekah did with Isaac"
Precisely" said |, who knew that grand
as name is Isaac and grandma's Rebekah
But | suppose you didn't enlighten grandpa
then and there. And am wondering how
IN earth he came to be proving around
private grounds in that sort of style. Smacks
of bush whacking grandie."
No, Gertv, | didn't enlighten him; and
lie was not bushwhacking," answered
Grandma in dead earnest. e" He was
rend of AIuriels husband. and he lived in
the neghborhood. He came on some er-
rand | don't know what"
"Oh, grandie to say that in the face of
he gypsy couplet and all verifying consum-
na,ionsr p
"Why, Gerty, he met me quite by chance"
The usual way-and followed up the