The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1878-11-27

made his departure only half pleased.
Shortly after various and costly arti
cles for a superb feast were sent up to
the little room.
"We shall have our Thanksgiving
dinner, " said Mrs. CARL delighted. and
that night her dreams were those of the
gratified and self-satisfied.
Not so the young girl who lay by her
side; for Linnie was wretchedly sleep
lass and remorsefully miserable, and all
night through the dusk of the chamber
her lily flower cleaned just as ghostly
white as her own troubled face.
Thanksgiving morning And the
merry bells poured ont their peals on
the sweet crisp air. Beautiful women
in furs and velvets and diamonds passed
by to the palaces of worship, or the
mansions of feasting. And yet every
where, even within the sound OF those
gleeful bells, thousands of hungry in
nocents shivered with cold, and thou
sands of homeless men and women could
saywith the persecutel one "The foxes
have holes, and the birds of the air
have nests, but the son of man hath not
where to lay his head"
1 wonder ii the world is ever as thank
ful for the good it has done as for the
good it has received
Linnie thought bitter things that
morning. All her life she had been
hampered and fettered, and now she was
the football of destiny that it seemed
impossible to avoid.
Much as she esteemed Mr.. Gilmour,
she shrunk from such soulless union
with him as she would have done from
any other thing that desecrates woman,
hood.
"Cursed be the social wants that sin against
the strength of youth
Cursed be the social lies that wrap us from
the living truth p
Over and over again Linnie quoted
this anathema from Locksley Hail."
marveling if ever she in the life to come
should be strong and brave enough to
"drug her memories"
The Thanksgiving feast, that she had
scarcely tasted, was over, and her rela.
tive, taking her SieSta in an easy chair,
when Mr.. Gilmour came. Linnie shiv-
cred as she saw him.
"My dear child, do you repent yet
of your promise ?" he asked her kindly.
" A promise is to me a sacred thing
she replied, evasively.
"Granted. But we're Erie Walford
still living ?"
" He has broken his vows to me-" was
the laconic response.
"Perhaps so. Perhaps he is living,
and is true. Perhaps he is on his way to
you even now"
She struggled to her feet. aud fixed
her startled eyes upon his face.
"You have something to tell me, she
cried. "What is it2"
For answer, the gentleman opened
the door and admitted Erie Warford.
81 have brought my grandson to call
upon you, Miss Linnie, he said.
But the girl heard nothing except her
lovers fond and passionate words, and
saw nothing but his dear face, so un-
changed and true.
"You forget yourself, Melinda" OBJ.
served Mrs. CARL, greatly shocked.
"You are mistaken" retorted Hr.
Gilmour "she forgot herself when she
allowed You to direct her judgment and
her heart. She would have gone to the
altar like lamb to the sacrifice after
you had convinced her it was her duty.
You would have sold her to me that you
might live in idleness and self indulg-
ence. Erie, don't be selfish I want to
have a word with the little one."
Linnie turned and put out both her
pretty hands, with little gesture of
coaxing depreciation.
"Forgive me, Child" he began, be-
fore she could speak; 81 was bitterly
disappointed when Erie refused to mar
ry rich woman whom had chosen for
him. Finally made conditions with
him. He was to stay there, looking to
my business, while was to come here
and see you. If you proved to be all he
represented 1 agreed to withdraw my
objections. The boy believed you so
true that no length of silent absence
could make you forget or accept another,
ehp But, my child, I never had
thought of allowing You to sacrifice
yourself, and am very fond and proud
of you, my children" E"
So they were all happy except Mrs.
CARL, who considered herself the most
vastly abused of all womankind.
"This is the happiest Thanksgiving
of my life," said Linnie's handsome
young lover, after they were all calm
again. Sand, by-the-way, I fancy this
lovely lily kept back it's blossom for my
return. 1t should have bloomed weeks
ago. Did it, too. with my love, whisper
Il wait p Was it a long waiting, dear ?"
every long-very ssorrowfully long" ;"
she returned; and tear, for past un-
rest and present bliss, dropped again
INTO the white heart of the winter lily.
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1t is understood that the ministers of