The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1878-10-10

fAf Af@aANtE Ia 1AAAff AfNAettN1 ~" 49,
tor AAdsmoselle, ber daughter, kept
books, read pfoois. set type, o. even
wrote edisoTisls for the Starry Hoa, Is !
matter Of no consequence. suffice i to
say, was tired. ln my dreams bah
bled of green helds. louged tor one
long summer Of freedom aud resl. Bat
where should ! goS Like Joanna Gay
worthy, wanted nature, not men and
women.
A length | belbought me oi distant
coasiu. Hiram GArdner bY uAme, who
I lives in a low, brown farmhouse away
Z up among the Green Moup,sins; aud
i forthwith wrote TO bin, asking Il he
wonld receive me A. boarder for three
months This letter was the answer;
Come right along, Cousin Winitred, be
wrote, and stay as long as you eau make
yourself coutented. Not bosrder,
though Thank God, am not so poor
as to feel obliged to take money from my
own kith and kin for few weeks board
and lodging. My wife aud Hope will be
glad TO sec you.
So, In furry OF delight, packed my
trunk, ielegrsphed to Cousin Hiram, aud
in two days time stood on the platform
OF the depot at Highland, watching the
receding train as II Numbered down the
valley.
AS for Aope-little Hope Gardner
what shall tell you about her2 | had
my own ideas about country girls; /
thought OF suRburn aud freckles, coarse
hands aud ungainly feet in that connec-
tion. But one glance at Hope, as she
stood In the pickering shadows OF the
great elm that overbung the low, wide,
roomy house overthrow all my preCon-
ceived opinions. Eyes that we're Of The
very tint OF the yiolets loved hair that,
guiltless OF crimping-pins, Tell ia great
golden waves below her waist, and there
coied itself up in profusion Of Tiny
curls brow so fair that you saw the net
work OF blue veins at the temples checks
softly tinted with wild rose bloom /;
face Of delicate oval, redeemed from
gentle iusipidily by the sweet firmncss of
the well.cut lips, aud by eyebrows aud
lashes many shades darker than the hair; ;
slight grish figure, clad in a simple,
graceful costume that would have passed
unchalenged anywhere. Such was the
picture that greeted my eyes as Cousin
liiram's pair OF handsome grays swept
round the corner, and Hope came for.
ward to meet me.
Before many weeks had passed | began
to discover the trail of the serpeut in my
newly found Eden. had thought my
Cousin Hiram one of the most favored Of
mortals; but Mordecai sat at the kings
gate and the soulof Haman was troubled.
1t was the old, old story-older than
the days Of the Montagues aud Capueis
almost as old as the days OF Adam aud
Eve. There had been first ambitious and
rivaIries, then harsh words and bitter re-
ordinations, hatred aud reyenges. Now
all had settled down into deep and
silent enmity. Hiram Gardner aud
Thomas Remington lived upon adjoining
farms; could have clasped hands across
the narrow aisle as they sat in their pews
on Sunday; met each other daily in the
streets, the post office, in the market
place. But they never spoke, never rec
ognized each other by glance or sign.
Yet they were both good meu-men who
should have loved each other. Perhaps
deep down in either heart there was a
regret for the past, longing for reconiil-
1 liatlon. Perhaps II either one had been
unfortunate OF Ia distress, the other
might have been willing TO be the first to
bury the haichet and smoke the calumet
of peace. But both were prosperous ,bolh
we're bonored; aud the demon oI pride
kept them spsrt, ruling their natures as
with rod.
| think my coming to Highland was a
! pleasure to Hope. Perhaps it brought
some element into ber quiet life that was
needed there. But after the first excite
meut OF my arrival had died away. aud
had insensbly glided from the position OF
guest into that of member OF the family, ]
began TO perceive that all wss not well
with her. There was at times look OF
I ,.fn .nA ton,,foa In har aVas There
were dropping curves about her sweet
| lips even when she smiled. There was a
nervous unrest about her rs she flew from
employment to employment as II TO es-
cape thought. noticed that wheu these
moods were upon her her mother watch
ed her furtiyely and her fathers brow
darkened strangely. Yet his manner
toward her was inexpressibly tender.
She was, indeed, the very apple OF his
eye-this Hope that bad been been born
TO him afier sll his other children bad
been laid under the sod.
I | shall not 60 to church to-day, said
Cousin Hiram. Isprained my wrist yes
( terdaY, aud u Is growing very pAinlui.
[ let us walk, then, Cousin Winiifed,
said Hope, her eyes Frightening. We can
! 90 aeross lots, and j. shortens the distance
By half.
The minister was reading the fret
hymn when low, qniek tread sounded
op The aisle. Even before bad time q
think | felt sudden shiVer in The arm
that lay sgainst mine, and sAw the hhnd
that held one-half Of the hymn book
tremble A remarkably fac looking
young man passed by aud took seat in
the pew jasi in front Of as, on the oihei
side Of the aisle. II ives Mr.. Remington
pew.
/ 1 snt Il