The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1878-03-28
YArnKaYA AsD onLpnEs-. wrll.,.



10 the days when sll The world vas 70,
inAntiC, and no one was ashamed oi Il
two gentlemen Of Engl conceived the
prepostcroas bot fashionable idea that
beeause they were irieRds, their sou aud
dsnghler, then Infants 10 their crsdlcsi
must love each other when they grew "a
be man aud woman. Consequently, each
made . will, add matters wers 50 nrAng-
ed that II either of The young people de.
elIned the hAbd Of the other, thai young
person would be pennIless aud bis or her
estate 20 to the other young person who
was willing. After some years, the gen.
tlemAn whose child was = daughter lefl
Esgland for America, while the other re-
manned in England, 30 that the ocean
rolled between the romantic friends.
The English resident was named I'd.
mund Harrington. The American, Charles
SeAbright. Both were rich, sud both
brought their children up carefully AS
they grew older they permitted them 10
correspond with each other, bu, csch dc.
tested the task so, that the letters were
actually written by the el,iers themselves
Once At the age o. fourteen, when news
was received that Harold Harrington had
isllsn from tree and broke his leg, FL.
sic Sesbright was desired 10 reply that
she felt great regret, and send her best
love and wishes for bic speedy recovery
but the girl, who could never listen 10 the
boys name with anything like patience
refused 10 write one word OF this amisble
spis:lc.
wish be had broken bis neck, SO that
! might never bear any more about bin,
sbe said with stamp of her slippered
foot; and ! won't write tibs.
So again mamma wrote the letter, hay.
ing first locked Elsie mp in dark pantry
by way Of punishment.
And am sorry to lnd child of mine
so unfeeling, she said. A broken leg
causes great pain, aud may make one
lame for life.
A nice thing for me that would be If ]
am TO marry him, said Elsie.
Indeed, II she bad been as sympathetic
IS her mother desired her to be, Elsie
would have had opportunity enough to
exercise these feelings, for her young be-
trothed was always 10 some pickle, and
bad nearly drowned and shot himself a
dozen times, to say nothing OF ordinary
tumbles.
1t was tit for tat, at all events, for when
Elsie bad the measles, Master Harold re-
ceived the news with contemptuous iu-
difference amounting to heartlessness,
and had indeed said that he did not care
lie hated girls, and this one worst OF
them all.
So, with the ocean between them, the
young people grew to maturity and the
year approached 10 which they were to
meet.
But meanwhile all sorts of things hap
pened. Elsie lost both her father and her
mother, and away in England Mr.. Har-
rington died suddenly of apoplexy. So
the two men who had looked forward for
so many years TO meeting when their
children were married, never met again
But for those obstinate wills the whole
matter would have been dropped, for the
last thing the young people desired was
TO meet each other. But the young man
was OF age, and the young lady also, and
the property must be settled, and could
not until the match was either on or off /.
The old lawyers, in whose hands the
affair rested, knew the feelings Of the
wards, but they judged that meeting
might mend matters. At least 1t was
necessary that they should meet. So
Harold, as in duty bound, was to cross
the ocean to meet his betrothed aud give
her an opportunity TO refuse him.
The news of his arrival brought into
full activity those feelings OF repugnsnce
that Elsie had conceived for Harold in
her childhood. Yet there was enough OF
worldly wisdom 10 her head to teach her
how much better IL was to be rich than to
be poor. II he refused her, her fortune
aud his would be her own by law. She
would force him to refuse her, aud then
she would return him his, aud all would
be ss 1t should. But how could she do
this?
The girl sat for while in deep revery,
and then arose and clapped her hands to-
gether. A thought had entered her mind.
There was in the house a sexmstress "a
vulgar girl, as plain as II was possible to
be, and with as much conceit as any
young beauty was ever blessed with.
Her rough manners and ways OF speech
bad become proverbiAl amongst her own
class, the other servants spoke OF her gen
orally as Crusty Betsy. And this girl
bad OF late been occupied 10 the room OF
her mistress over some new dresses.
Straight 10 this department Elsie few,
and locking the door, sat down opposite
Betsy, aud said:
| have something for you to do, and
III pay you we'll for IT,
jus, name IL then, sAid Betsy.
When ! was little girl, Betsy, said
Elsie, poor papa promised that should
marry . young gentleman who lives 10
England, when was grown, and that i
| did not should lose my fortune. Now
the time has come ADD be il coming, and
! can't marry him, Betsy, aud | want
him 10 refuse. DO you understand
| understand, said Betsy, and Il were
you I'D hutI him off quick enough, and