The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-04-11
MADGE'S COUSIN.


| ing up and down and siroking his gray
beard in pcrplcxity, 81 want TO talk to
ron about jack
ooh! please, not now. Papa Sci.
wyn!7 She called him Papa Selwyn
| HAT was nearly always.
"But, my dear, that is all nonsense
must talk about Jack sometime
Yesterday il was 'Ohl please don't
my heart is aching, and the day be.
fore, oh! please don't want TO gc
ont with Gerty.' Come, let us face
this affair." And sitting in the easy
chair behind her hassock, he drew vi
Oh his knee the hand that held the
broken flower and proceeded 10 lecture
his unmanageable charge on the end
less subject of Jack
This lecture on Jack was the same as
many others had been. II consisted oi
two parts. the first being devoted to
proving that she ought TO throw hel
own whims and pleasures aside, and a.
n duiiiul daughter obey her dying faith
er's request and marry her cousin; and
the second was a eulogium Oh the many
good qualities of Jack HIawkcsbury.
"Do, Mr.. Selwyn,' laughed Madge
after he had been making out that even
Jacks awkwardness came from an
overplus of good nature, "do throw
him at Gerty's head as you throw him
at mine, and shall make him over to
her, and they will be happy for life"
Gerty was Mr.. Selwyn's own daugh-
ter, and at the mention of her name O
strange expression crossed his face
which Madgc could not read.
"Throw him at Gcrty's head what
words YOU use. child" he exclaimed
lnnoyance for n moment escaping his
control. 81 wish you had half Ger
lrude's good sense. You fancy Jack
thinks OF her-is that il? lie is the soul
IF honor, and rs far as it depends on
him your fathers word will be kept
"Oh. Papa Selwyn, don't be vexed
with me; am so sorry!" and her face
was hidden on his large. rough hands
in burst of sorrow, quite childish in
its passing intensity.
"Cheer up, my darling girl" he said
"you made a mistake that's all
Why, one of these days you will forget
poor Papa Selwyn altogether, when
you fall in love with your cousin.'
Then | won'tw cried Madge, will
all the strength of her hot heart.
All her life. even so far back as hei
childhood, she had dreaded the fate
that bound her TO marry her cousin
When Jack IIawkesbury came on the
scene and stayed on visits at the house
she dislikcd and ridiculed him without
mercy. And now there was only one
month left before her twenty-iirst birth.
day and bethrothal. Often she told
Gertrude she wished he would 90 home
and stay there; and Gertrude would
only laugh, with deeper lingc ofcoloi
on her fair face.
The girls went ont little, an arrange
ment against which Madgc often rebel
led, believing it was in some way CON
ncctcd with the safe management o
the marriage with the cousin. Blu
there were two pleasures in prospect
now. an afternoons boating with ,jacl
and a friend of his and Gertrude. and {
party that the PonsoHby-,Ioncs were
going 10 give, TO which the Sclwyi
family were soon TO be invited. FRS
came boating An that ever mcmnra
bic day how many years would it TAX,
TO make Madgc forget ii. There wer,
four in the boat that passed, with tn,
measured beat and ripple of Jacks pail
OF scllls, along ny lhe ready shallow
and green wooded banks Of the uppe
Thames. The two girls shared th,
cushioned seat at the stern, their whit,
wooden shawls guarding them from tn
chill Of the autumn wind. Gcrtrud
was watching the shores and the run
ming rippes, thinking in her quiet eas
gong way Mause' prlsht WIN OK
citement was 'aikihgIh"t WIN Jac
put WIN the uarh Dearneu' traVel
bronzed man. VINO was resting iroi
ms turn al 'he scni's' lie was charme
wiz, 'ne way sn1 .iia''eo anu ,s'ene
to ms 'aleS Oh nan me woriu WIN re
ireshlhS absence Oh sen-conscioushes'
nat Wo"lu he nave Saiu IL nc ia
known lhe ,houShi 'ha' s,'oVe lor 81
trance into her heart! On II Jack
awE EWain' bluhueriiig' goou nature
Jack-conid be changed INTO tn
STRANGER 'hal she ca'lea 'imldly NJ
fl'Iiiieh' anu Jack anu her guarula
had greeted as herbert.
At last there was pause in the tall
She gave deep sigh, prompted bv
sad longing TO do right, a vague fea
first suspicion of the change that w,
coming over her'impeluous heart.
care vou cold, Madge?" asked Jac
| pulling away and bending to his stror
stroke. Keep your shawl well abo
t vour shoulders. And my dear gil
look well to your steering. You ha
!. been sending the boat into curves iii
4 a cork k-screw-only | did not want
Y disturb vour tetp-a-tetp"