Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-03-14

| What further attractions had life for him. a
lonely old man nearing seventy?
Hardly conscious of the reins, he had driv-
en- some miles at an unsauctiiied pace, when
| he almost ran over Mr.. Torrey, brother of
the deceased Lucinda, who was walking be-
| hind his carriage up long ascent.
Going to Conference 2" asked that gem
teman, after an exchange of greetings.
| Didn't you come IA roundabout way =
| "Im inclined to think did" assentcd the
deacon, with a prodigious show of candor.
"A roundabout way and hard way. Is your
wife with you p
eyes, and the widow Vance. | have to
foot it up hill, you see. Horse stepped on a
rolling stone back piece and lamed him.
| self"
"Your load is too heavy let Sister Torrey
ride with me-"
But Sister Torrey being nervous. like Lu-
cinda before her, and mortally afraid of the
deacon's spirited steed, it was in the end Mrs.
| Vance who nestled into the vacant seat She
was IA gushing young widow whose mitigated
| grief manifested itself in certain coquettish
| bows of pale lavender She protested that
she felt already acquainted with Mr.. Phoenix
through her late husband, to whom lac had
been So kind. She was 50 glad of this oppor-
tunity to thank him She should never cease
to be grateful for the many favors he had
! conferred upon uehr tnarlcS, etc.
In the morning the good deacon would
| have smiled inwardly at this ELUSIVE pane
! gyric. This afternoon he hugged it like a
poultice to his aching heart. 1t soothed his
wounded selflove, and inclined him toward
| his fair eulogist to whom he recounted pleas
| amt anecdotes of her husbands bOyhood. In
deed, he made himself so agreeable that she
was rather sorry to reach Churchvllle. where
the whole party were cordially welcomed at
| the house of Mr.. Zenas Torrey.
A proud man was Mr.. Phoenix. He would
not for the world have had his recent disap-
| pointmeut suspected 10y his wife's relatives,
| and during those three days of Conference he
carried himself with IL rcsulutc cheerfulucss
| that sometimes ont of meeting of course
vergcd upon friskin'.s. Mr., Vance told
| Mrs Ziuls rorrey that Ia. was "just splcn-
| did, " which compliment Mrs Torrcy repeat
| cd to him with u significant smile, limiting
| that if he thought of marryiug7Igtiu he need
! not search far for wife. lie looked con-
| fused, and hotly disclaimcd any matrimonial
! intention. As to the Young widow. was he
not double her age? Would June join hands
| with December:
| Alas what an insignificant trillc can turn
| the scale of human destiny But for a
horses right fore.fo Deacon Phunix might
have returned to his home on the morrow rs
| he had left ta free man. 1t was the lame
| horse that kicked the beam and decided his
| fate. On Friday morning, that meddlng
! quadrup,d having been found hm,r than
ever, the deacon could do no less than offer
| to escort Mrs. Vance home. She could do no
less than to accept the offer gladly BY some
! mysterious sequence, this led to II second of
| fer and second acceptance. aud almost be-
| fore lac knew it Deacon Phoenix had pledged
| himself to escort the widow for life. When,
] "a 4 1. Ill L..
own door, he was alone with his thoughts, he
felt little surprised at his own precipitancy; 4;
but he told himself over and over again what
n fortunate man he was how happy he ought
! to be. Contrary to his usual custom he had
acted from impulse. and the result WIS high
ly satisfactory. Highly satisfactory he
repeated to himself as he pass, d the entrance
| of the croSs-road which led to Miss Olives
Somehow his reflections were less cheerful
| after that. Perhaps the chilly ran-storm
Just setting in depressed him, or perhaps it
was the empty htursc that h. met face to
face for the best of us have our supersti-
tons Certain it is that ns he alghted from
his buggy that evening with wcariness of
limb aud iimpness of linen, his couutenance
led Mrs. Duhhs to fear the meetings had not
been profitable.
Mkt morning thanks to the mgracious
weather. he was aroused by scintic tortures.
To nu elderly gentleman. newly bttrothed to
u blooming lady greatly his junior, such an
awakening was peculiarly trying. lie thought
rurfully of thu early visit hr had promised
Mrs. Vance. Should these pains increase, hc
must defer it indefinitely. or limp into her
presence on crutches-an alternative too sug-
gestiye of advancing age. Flattered as he
Wa, by the widows acceptance, lac could not
deny that it placed him IN position in some
respects irksome. II almunished him that
he had no further right to infrmites that
hcuceforth it was his bouudrn duty to be as
young as he could. The reflection weared
him the clutching pain weariyd him. Mrs
Dubbs afterwards said she had never seen
him 50 nearly out Of sorts as on that evening
when she took in his mail Among the let
ters was one that caught his eye at once,
DEAR FRIEND" Gt ran My poor tired
father is at rest He was seized with parnly-
sis the morning after you left MS, aud passed
away painlessly in few hours How little
anticipated this event when We talked togcth-
err My hands were full then now they are
very Empty. My work here is done. If you
still h"i,ve | could make happy the kind
friend who has always been our benefactor,
should be glad to see you.
Yours sincerely, OLIVE WAYNE"
Mr.. Phoenix read this missiye, re-read it,
shut it into the Book of Job safe from prying
Mrs. Dubbs and dreamed uueasily on the
closed Bibr. What II predicament! Must
he thrust back upon Olive the gift for which
he had so lately sued? Must he thus humble
her? He writhed at the thought. Must he
thus humble hmselfy Bttcrer than all,
must he relinquish this tried friend of life
time? Having reached life's autumn, must
he reject its mature and appropriate fruits
for the rhubarb and greens of spring time
Alas yes; he must fulfil his engagement,
for was he not an honorable man = He
would write ut once 10 Olive II candid state
mont Of the casc.
But while he idlrd at his desk on the NOR
row Mr.. Torrey CANE to ask the loan of
horse till his own should be in running order,
and the deacon laid down his pen with a sigh
Of relief.
Feeling that he ought to tell his brother-in-
law of his contemplated marriage, at dinner
he led the conversation back to the Confer
ence aud Mrs. Vance.
"By-the-way, met the widow this morn
ing, riding with John Vance" remarked Mr..
Torrey, casually. "Iou remember him-the
brother next to Charl,s; Hes just home
from California, with his pockets fun
"Ah -
Yes shouldn't wonder if he took the
widow. Some say they re engaged already"
OF course the deacon knew better than
that nevertheless, he delayed his tender
confession. And he did not write the letter.
Time enough for that after he had paid Mrs.
Vance the promised visit. The latter lady
had certainly the first claim upon his atten-
tions
Unfortunately several days of tormenting
pain ensued during which the deacon's pa
tience was put to a pretty severe test bu; he
was able to seek the object of his hasty
al, H. L.. I1.,,-
playing croquet with tall, well-dressed gen
tleman.
$50 happy TO see you, Deacon Phmnix :"
cried she, with voluble embarrassment, 'and
50 glad to introduce Mr.. Vance, dear Charles's
brother. 10 come in."
Il hope my tardy coming does not seem
dscourteous, Mrs. Vance, said he, with AHA
BILE formality, while the stranger hastened to
suddenly recalled engagement. II have
not"
"No-oh, no." broke in the widow, nerv-
ouglV