The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-12-26
ONE NEW YEAR in A THOUSAND.
BY HARRIET PRESCOTT sPoFFoRD.

.B
Betty Wilmarth- quaint,
piquant little beauty she was. They
used to call her changeling; for where
she found that Spanish face of hers no.
body knows. Yes, Betty Wilmarth was
Ca beauty, and somehow as fascinating as
beautiful; full of innocent caprices that
set you to wondering what would be the
next, and kept your interest alive; with
temper that struck sparks, but which
WAS in the next moment all sweetness
Impulsive, warm-hearted, a charming,
ywillful piece, setting her lovers by the
ears, and making all the other girls de-
woutly wish she would be married and
dome with it; for of course there was
mo chance for anybody else 50 long as
Betty Wilmarth was around.
But Betty Wilmarth was in no sort of
hurry to marry; one by one she flliped
off her lovers lightly as thistle-down.
Petted and caressed and INDUCED to
death, as people said, she declared she
wanted neither to be an old mans dar-
hing nor young mans slave; and old
1overs consoled themselves and new low
ers took their turn, and she was heart
whole and happy, singing her way
through life, and counting her 20 years
IN the sunshine as a child might count
O. row Of brilliant beads.
But one of these lovers was not to be
filliped off as lightly as the rest; and
shat WAS her mothers young step-cousin,
Will Maunder. He had come down to
Freneborough from his mountain home
I'm the deep forests, after the disastrous
fire that left him only bare rock for his
inheritance; and where, save for his
mother, and some old goodies, he had
never seen woman; and Betty had
struck him as a goddess might have
struck clown. Not that Will Maunder
was clown, by any means-his mother
n Lady who carried her ladyhood
into the woods, had attended to all that :;
and certain wild grace and rude cour-
Gesy accompanied his every action But
he was brawny, long-legged stalwart
fellow, for all that, and his fair face had
been sun-kissed with many freckle,
and his hair curled close to his head in
&ight rings but Betty knew nothing
about any Greek head with close curls
of the same description, and would
have liked it no better if she had; and
of all things, she despised freckles. She
had an ideal of the face and form and
mind and manners that were to win her
ON some distant day-a day distant
enough to borrow enchantment-a
slender knightly shape, perhaps, per-
discolored if crown
-&nclrcled them, so frayed the basnet where
"A sharp white line divided clean the hair
'@4ossy above, glossy below.
She would not have liked it at all if she
had SCENT so and, if she had but known
Mt, the massive limbs aud shoulders of
Viii Maunders were much more like
Ghe ancient knights she dreamed about
than possibly could be this obscure and
puny ideal she had set up
" The days of chivalry are over now
said Betty, with sigh.
Mighty disagreeable, cold, cheer
less, dangerous, and uncomfortable DAYS
you would have found them," said
VIII.
Cheerless or not, they're over"
What makes you say so, Betty?'
he asked, from where he sat at he1
feet.
Oh, because they are" she an.
swered, throwing up her pretty arms
and clasping them above her head as
she leaned it back among the honey
ssuckles, and looked as sweet as they,
sand made poor Wills heart beat with
looking at her. ooh, because thew
Are! Who would dare great advent
%Tres 10r anybody now-scale castles.
NH giants, enter the dens of wild
Beasts
~ would-for you, Betty"
Oh dear me! How tired / am of
nearing you say SO! They would, for
anybody. Now please don't, VIII
dear, any 2Aore! There are no castles
1aare; I don't want anything of wild
beasts; and you're giant yourself, YOU
know"
&I wish I wasn't, Betty. I'd change
with that little Hop-o'-my-thumb, Fred
,Sammis, if"
-"Oh, that shrimp! I do detest him
{hgsg such a-such spoon!"
81 taaought you didn't like slang,
BETTY" "
Il don't-from anybody else"
But if you use it yourself, you've
ns right
ooh dear me! if only those criticised
WHO were perfect themselves, what a