Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-04-11
WOODSTOCK, W., WEDNESDAY, APRIL H. 1872.

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fired had l known that a lady was
near
The dog bounded back with dead
partridge, which he dropped at his
masters feet.
Alice took it up gently.
"Poor little thing! 1t was cruel
to kill it!" she said, it!ingly, as she
lifted her brown eyes, softened with
tender compassion, to the face OF the
stranger.
He smiIed--a curious smile, in
which appeared both interest and
"Then l am sorry that l should
have killed it, and, in penance, will
not fire another shot to-day"
IL have no right to require that
sacrifice OF you,' she answered, shyly,
as she turned away
But he again addressed her:
sit appears that our pathways lie
in Tie same direction. If You are 60
ing to Mrs. Curtis, will you permit me
to accompany you? The lady is an
old friend Of mine, and | was on my
way to see her. l. was for her that |
intended these birds
Il am staying at my Aunt Curtis"
she answered, "and, in consideration
OF the motive, forgive your shooting
these poor birds"
They walked, in the lingering suu-
set, slowly along the lonely wood.path
that led to the old farmhouse, pausing
q moment on the brow ofthe eminence
that overlooked it, as it lay like a
brown birds hest, embowered in trees
in the meadows below.
"Time has forgotten this little
nook" remarked the gentleman. ''lt
is as unchanged now as Iremember it
fifteen years ago.
"You do not reside in this nelghbor
hood, then a.
"No. My home is i'll the Sunny
South but, when hoy, used to be
q frequent visitor to this neighborhood,
Perhaps | ought'o introduce myself.
| am Philip Warrington, Of B,
and nephew Of DR.. Gray"
DR.. Gray was her Aunt Curtis ply
sician, and resided on the next farm
but it was the name Of her mpanion
that COW attracted Alice's attention.
She had become familiar with it from
Charles letters, and she said, impul-
sively:
"You have just returned from Eu'
rope D.? Then you are my Cousin
Charlie Suttou's friend, of whom he SO
often wrote 2"
1t seemed a p easant mutual discov-
cry and the two were no longer
strangers.
Aunt Curtis was delighted to see
phil He had grown so wonderful
ly, she sald-quite big boy.
And she related many remembered
bold boyish adventures Of his, in the
old time, that seemed SO long past to
him, SO short to her. Finally she IN
sisted that, as he had had 4 long walk,
he should 'stay to supper ) and he,
apparently nothing loth accepted the
There is no place on earth Except
ing perhaps on shipboard) where two
young persons thrown together are so
apt to fall mutually in love as in a
quiet house in the country. Certainly,
i'll this instance, the being "thrown
together was not entirely accidental,
since Mr.. Philip Warrington, in his
interest in the old lady, every day
found something to bring him to Cop
ley.
Now it was to bring her a new pa
per, OF mess, ge from the doctor {;
then to read to her some very interest
ing extracts from new book and
then again to offer larkS OF partridges,
forgettul Of the cruelty OF shooting
them. .....
And III the soft, rich and dreamy
October evenings, be and Alice, stroll
ing in the oid-fashoned garden, or
down the lane, rich in autumnal flow
ers, or seated on the meadow stile, be-
beneath the golden mares, spent such
hours of happiness as can come to us
but once in life time-with the first
dream OF dawning love.
And so it came to pass that Mrs.
Sutton, anxiously waiting at home,
and still taxing her ingenuity for ex-
cuses to keep her niece ''out OF the
way" suddenly heard something which
sent her flying up to Copley Farm by
A. ha payt 1ov's train /, n u,nol of