Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-04-11

| WAS very kl'Iu w iic W'iNh was
boy, and certainly deserves more at.
tention than | have had time to be-
stow. She is old and inGrm, too, and
yet in four years not one of my family
have been to see her.
"Why, it is such a lonely. out,of'
the-way country.place," returned hs
wife, "that really to go there seems
quite an undertaking Yet | don't
wish to neglect the old lady. She
wrote last year th9t she would like to
see the girls, now that they are grown; /;
and Alice's mother, yor krow, was
her favorile niece. am sure she
would be gratihed at visit from us.
Indeed, now that We speak OF it, !
and the girls may as well run up to
Copley Farm for day or two. What
do you say, girls 2"
"Let us go, aunt, by all means J!
was Alice'S quick reply. Il should
like to see my mothers aunt ; and you
know it is lovely in the country at
this season.
Isabel shrugged her fair shoulders,
but prudcntly said nothing ; and on
the following day the three ladies
were at the quiet, old-fashioned little
farmhouse, some twenty miles from
the city.
1t must necessarily be brief visit,
for Charlie was expected home Mrs.
Sutton had not said q word, except TO
her daughter, about expecting Mr.
Warrlnglon-anG SO, after a day and
night at the old farmhouse, they
were prepared to return to the city.
ut seems u pity to leave the poor
old lady SO soon" sad Mrs. Sutton.
"ohe is so inhrm, and that house keep
er Of hers is not, l suspect, over attei-
tive to her comfort. Then she seems
SO fond otyeu, Alice, and enjoyed So
much Of your reading to her. 1 wish
that one Of you girls coald remain
longer | am sure it would be a com.
fort TO ,he poor Old lady.
Alice needed no persuasion. She
was a kind-hearted, amiabIe girl, and
her sympathles had been enlisted for
this lonely, iniirm old lady, her moth
ers aunt, who seemed so forgotten
and alone in the world. Her own
mother had been Of very delicate
health, and the young girl, accustom-
ed to attend upon her, had learned
many little ways OF ndrsing and COM
torting the sick, and making dainty
little dishes to tempt feeble appe-
titc. Then she could read to Aunt
Curtis in the sweet, low voice that
had been such comfort to her moth.
er, and she felt also, what the old lady
said, that "lhe very sight OF a bright
young tace in the silent house was as
cheering as ray CT sunshine on a
cloudy day."
So Alice remained ut Copley Farm,
while her aunt and cousin, rejoicing at
the success OF their innocent little
scheme, returned to the city to well
come Charlie ard his friend.
1t was disappointment to find that
Charlie had arrived wiihou, lis friend
Mr.. Warrington. That gentleman it
appeared, had had a previous engage
ment to spend few days with a rela-
tive, whom they found awaiting them
upon the steamers arrival but he
would make his appearance in a week
or so, and meantime Mrs. Sutton
wrote to Alice that she could remain
at Cupley until Charlie and Isabel
went up for her.
Alice had no Objection. She was
greatly enjoying her visit to the farm.
1t was the first of October, when the
country is most beautiful, with lin
gering of summer glory mingling with
the deepening lines Of autumn.
She was an impassionsd lover OF
nature, and yet, city-bred, had never
before seen nature in this glorious
revelation of a1tumnal beauty, and it
dawned upon her ike the reading of
some new aud beautiful poem.
Strange that .here are people con,
tent to live IN the city, when the coun-.
try is so beautiful !" she thought, one
evening, as, standing knee deep in
ferns, beneath u canopy OF crimson
and gold foliage, she gazed i'll dreamy
delight over the lovely scene before
her.
A rustling in a neighboring thicket
startled her. There was u sudden
shot, whirriug past of II brood of
partridges, and the next ,Gomeut a
dog rushed forth, deliberately follow
| cd he, n ,,o,+lo,,o,, l., n ,r,,, bo ,;,u