Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-15
A True Lover.


A True Lover.
" He made love neither with roses, nor 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 thought Sarah's eye
brows any more beautiful because 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 So
cum 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 mending
the family linen, or walked painfully about
on crutches attending to the duties allotted
to her, and patiently bearing 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 a won
derfully sunny element in the Slocum family,
and John who was five years older than she,
had never known since the first night she
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, aud was never
sohappy as when making others so. Not a girl
of her age in all the county could spin as
many knots of yarn in a day as she; and
her "double and twisted was finer and
evener and more in demand at the stores
where such home products were "dickered"
than any other offered "Whoever got Sa-
rah Stenhouse for wife," the old women
said, "would get prize;" and more than
one young man had asked her before her fif.
teenth birthday if she would marry him
when she should be of age and free to leave
Mrs. Slocum. But Sarah always said,
"There's time enough for thinking of that
when | am of age" and notwithstanding
Ma'am Slocum's uneven temper and occa-
sional injustice, she had no idea of going
away when she was free of her bondage.
She knew well how good a home she had,
take it all in all, and she loved the Slocums
as if they had been mother and brother.
The summer Sarah was fifteen years old
yielded a noble harvest, and great rejoicing
was had among the farmers. Thanks were
given in the churches, merry-making held at
the farm-houses, and finally a "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.
For many weeks she lay lowering between
life and death, and finally life overcame
death by such small odds that for long
time it seemed but poor boon. The neigh
Dor people said "Now, of course, Sarah'll
have to go on the county. Na'am Slocums
Iat ln't ba
pected that widow woman like her should
be burdened with helpless thing like
Sarah" But when the matter was broached
to the widow she answered, tartly enough,
but with tears in her eyes, "Do you take
me for heather? Sarahs my daughter
from this out. There wasn't such girl in
the county as she, and I'd look well putting
her in the poor-house because it has seemed
good to the Lord TO lay his hand heavy on
her. Go along his hands heavy enough on
the child without any of my help. Folks are
mighty ready with that sort of assistance"
SO Sarah stayed at the farmhouse, and
learned every day to know better and to love
the sweet heart that lay beneath the rough
exterior of her adopted mother, and had
uever-failng patience with her frettings and
seedlings and manifold queer ways. When
some one spoke to Sarah of ii she said
"Why shouldn't be patient with her queer
ways wasn't it one of her queer ways to
keep me, and love me, and make me her
child when | could be but little better than
a clog and burden 2"
So the two grew together, great tender
ness fostered in the woman's heart and graf
tude in the girls. John was always good
son, but from the date of Sarah's misfortune
he seemed to develop new excellence. lie
neglected no duty about the farm, but at the
same time he made his presence felt in a
hundred new ways in the house. " He's as
deft as woman" his mother said, sand
sometimes | seem scarcely to miss Sarah's
help. | don't know how he finds time to do
it, but John Just takes the heft of the work
off from me-" And so he did, and this is
the way he showed his love. When the
women arose in the morning, the fire was
made and the kettle singing wood enough
for the day was at the door; the cows were
MIXED, and the table lifted out to its place
ready to be set for breakfast. And so ten
years had passed, and Sarah's health slowly
came back to her, but the crutches could
never be laid aside. Mrs. Slocum thought,
and not wrongly, that there wasn't such
another pair as her children TO be found in
the parish. John at thirty was a splendid
man, and Sarah at twenty-five, albeit her in
trinity had somewhat tempered mirthful-
ness, was a noble woman In Johns clear,
gray eyes there was wistful look that
seemed to be pleading for something-a look
that one seldom sees in any but the eyes of
women and children.
One night the meaning of the look was
expressed in words. There was no romance
about it, no moonlight walk in the lane with
his sweetheart when his simple declaration
of love was made. The three, Mrs. Slocum
and the young people, sat one autumn even
ing by the kitchen fire. All three were par
ing and stringing apples for drying, when
suddenly, as if the thought had never oc-
Cured to her before, Mrs. Slocum said (:
"John, Pm growing DID, and it seems to me
you ought to be thinking of getting married"
Well, mother" John answered simply,
81 have been thinking of it good while"
A faint glow stole up 10 Sarah's cheeks,
aud faded out again, leaving them paler than
before, but no one noticed it, and Mrs. Slo-
cum said
Been thinking of it, have you, John and
who is the girl, I'd like to know, that you
calculate TO bring home to take my place 2"
81 wasn't thinking of bringing any one TO
take your place, mother--no one could do
that and indeed, am not sure at all that
the woman | would marry would think Of
me-"
"Stuff and nonsense" said the old lady
rascibly "as if you were not good enough
for anybody Not take my place, eh |
know all about sons wives. She'll take you
fast enough, and be turning things upside
down, and Sarah and me out. It's that
Betty Smith, | suppose. She's smart enough,
I'll allow too smart. Why don't you speak,
John Is it Betty :"
"No, mother, it is"
"Umph Jane Carroll, I'll warrant
flashy, upstart thing So you've been taken
in with her boarding-School airs. A nice
housekeepers she'll make, strummng pianer
all day, and the wheel idlel"
"No, mother, it's not Jane"
"Well, who is it, then Can't you speak :
never knew but one girl I'd like you 10
marry, but | suppose you can't have her.
Why don't you speak :"
John laughed a little, quiet Mugh, and