Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-10-01
A True Lover.


with apples, nor with locks of hair :" he
did not know the meaning of 'serenade," ,"
nor did he ever in all his life write a
love verse. / do not know that he tho't
Sarah's eyebrows any more beautiful be-
cause they were dark and finely arched
than if they had been light and crooked
and thin and yet truer lover. more
chivalrous soul than John Slocum never
lived. All day in the field. ploughing,
or sowing, or reaping. his thought was
of the happiness of the fair, pale woman
at home, who sat in the ingle-nook mend
ing the family linen. or walked painful
ly about on crutches, attending the du-
ties allotted to her, and patiently bear
ing the tempers of Johns mother, in
whose house she had lived since she was
little child.
Sarah Stenhouse was twenty-five years
old, and ten years before. while yet the
bound servant of Mrs. Slocum, had met
the fate that had made her lame, and so
shaken the foundations of life that she
could never know rugged health again.
She had been wonderfully sunny ele-
ment in the Slocum family, and John,
who was five years older than she. had
nsver known since the first night she
came, when he cracked hickory nuts for
her by the kitchen fire, what it was not
to love her. In the harvest dances, no
one tripped so lightly over the old barn
floor as Sarah. She rippled over with
mirth, and was never so happy as when
making others SO. Not girl of her age
in all the county could spin as many
knots of yarn in day as she; and her
double and twisted" was finer and even
er and more in demand at the stores
where such home produts were "dicker-
ed" than any other offered. whoever
got Sarah Stenhouse for a wife, - the old
women said, "would get price," and
more than one young man had asked her
before her fifteenth birthday if she would
marry him when she should be of age
and free to leave Mrs. Slocum. But Sa-
rah always said, "There's time enough
for thinking of that when am of age, 7"
and Notwithstanding Ma'am Slocum's
uneven temper and occasional injustice,
she had no idea of going away when she
was free of her bondage. She knew well
how good home she had, take it all in
oil. ~.d sLS loved tL~ cl~~-.--- &c IL
had been mother and brother.
The summer Sarah was fifteen years
old yielded noble harvest, and great
rejoicing was had among the farmers
Thanks were given in the churches, mer.
ry-making held at the farm-houses, and
finally harvest home" was had at the
Slocum barn, because it was the largest
in the township. When the gaiety was
at its height Sarah received the hurt
that made her lifelong invalid. Fol
many weeks she lay lowering between
life and death, and finally life overcamt
death by such small odds that for long
time it seemed but poor boon. Th'
neighbor people said: "Now, of course
} Sarah'll have to 60 on the county. Ma'an
SlOcum's queer anyhow, but at best i
couldn't be expected that a widow wo
man like her should be burdened with
helpless thing like Sarah" But whel
q the matter was broached to the widow
she answered, tartly enough, but wit
tears in her eyes, "Do you take me fo
r a heather ? Sarah's my daughter fror
this out. There wasn't such girl i
: the county as she, and I'd look wel
putting her in the poor-house because j
> has seemed good to the Lord to lay hi
hand heavy upon her. Go alongl Hi
hands heavy enough on the child with
! out any of my help. Folks are might
ready with that sort of assistance.
n So Sarah stayed at the farm-hous,
! and learned every day to know bette
. and to love the sweet heart that lay b.
meath the rough exterior of her adopte
b mother. and had never-failing patienC
with her frettings and seedlings an
), manifold queer ways. When some OIL
spoke to Sarah of it she said: "Wh
shouldn't l be patient with her quet
e ways; wasn't it one of her queer wa,
to keep me, and love me, and make n
her child when l could be but little be
ter than clog and burden 2"
So the two grew together, great tel
- derness fostered in the woman's hear
~ and gratitude in the girls. John VI
always good son, but from the date
Sarah's misfortune he seemed to develc
> new excellence. He neglected no du
: about the farm. but at the same time
. made his presence felt in hundred ne
!. ways in the house. "He's as deft as
" woman" his mother said, "and som
= times l seem scarcely to miss Saraf
r help. / don't know how he finds tir
to do it, but John just takes the heft
the work off me-" And so he did, al
this is the way he showed his love. VII
m the women arose in the morning. the f
al was made and the kettle singing wo
!. enough for the day was at the door I