Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-11-28

AoA upp AAolh hDhll1 luluu hnt tOulu not Du
think of him, when the storms howled fran
tically through the forest, and shook hei
mothers little brown house with invisibl,
blows. When rain and snow blotted out the
sweet skies, she transferred the weather Of
her inland town TO the far-oG Nancy Beers
and pitied Joe nightly. Well for her thai
she did not see the lucky fellow, sailing ovei
warm and tranquil seas, scampering up and
down the rigging, telling yarns and cracking
jokes with the two or three passengers, and
behaving himself generally like man, as he
was and by no means the sentimental idiot
Sally thought him.
Sally did not go to the beach with Aunt
Lydia next summer, for her mother was seized
with consumption early in the spring, and
though she was only her step-mother, yet
she had never known any other and loved
her dearly. Poor Sally her father had long
been dead, and she was the only child; for
ten years she and her mother had lived there
alone, and grown together as two lonely wo-
men will, unless they quarrel Now she was
so absorbed in her new fears, her unusual
care, her wearing anxiety that it gave her
scarcely regret TO see Aunt Lydia leave
without her; but she took a special interest
in the shipping news, and read with care ev-
cry arrival. But the Nancy Beers made a
| long voyage of il this time it was late in
| August when she was reported, and in the
marine news was only a short paragraph
stating the death Of the first mate on his way
home killed by falling spar in gale, and
the promotion Of Josiah Hazard" to fill his
| place it was unusual enough to report such
small matter as this in a merchant vessel.
and Sally blushed and dimpled over the par
! agraph, with a certain consciousness that it
had been inserted to meet her eye, and she
was really sorry she should not see Joe this
| year Aunt Lyddy was home now, so there
was no chance of hearing of him.
But Miss Sally rcckoned without her host
The first days Of September were warm and
| clear the windows Of the little brown house
| were set wide to catch the sweet air, few
late roses and bed Of luxuriaut mignonette
perfumed the gentle breeze that swayed Sal
ly's rich curls as she sat on the doorstep
with her sewing, while her mother slept;
perhaps it was the rustic of that breeze in
the lilacs and rose-bushes close beside her.
that prevented her hearing a step on the
path but she felt shadow on her sunshine.
and looked up to see handsome Joe Hazard
standing IN the soft blaze, smiling like q bit
Of sunshine himself
Sally was gladder TO see him than she
meant to be, and showed it, and Joe sat down
beside her on the doorstep, lest they should
waken the invalid. For the same reason
their voices were lowered to a confidential
BAtNA ALNA tAOuku JOt, DClllk u native Reulle-
man, forbore to harass Sally with an obtru-
sive exhibit Of his own plans and hopes, he
did contrive to get leave to come again be-
fore he sailed, and say goodbye for his
furlough would be short this time. So in a
week he re-appeared, and persuaded Sally to
take walk with him to the Lake shore
where they sat comfortably down on log
and took counsel together: on what matters
may be inferred from their parting words
You'll think ont now, won't We Sally l
won't plague for real yes or No, now, for l
see you've go: a stormy yoy ge afore you, and
you amt clear how to lay your head yet. We
aint goin to Chiny this year, only down to
Rio our owners have changed their trade,
or ruther we've changed owners so's't Prov
idence permitting, as Aunt Judy sez, shall
heave anchor in the Bay by next June sar-
tain. Can | come an see ye then 2"
'We-e-n," said Sally, slowly, tracing a
square on the sand with the point of her par
asol, rs deliberately as if her life depended
on making four square angles, Il don't know
Out What II free country, AIr. Hazard 1
suPPoeo you can go WHORE yon re a mind To,
and with that she gave him such distract
ing, bewitching, little sde-long look from
under her thick, dark lashes, that Josiah for
got himself entirely, and a faint little scream
from Sally might have given him the idea
that she didn't like to be kissed but he did |
not lultc seem 10 understand II SO.
And with that he departed, as sure of Sally |
as If they had been married a week for the |
vanity and self-confdence of a youth like |
Joe are amazing. Sally was by no means SO
sure she returned to her nursing and her |
anxiety, a little ashamed of herself and very |
uncertain as TO what she had or had not tao |
lily promised; and it was not without some |
indignation that she received by mail few |
days after, a genuine love letter from Joe, |
and tiny box with pearl ring in it, both of |
which she consigned to the farthest corner of |
her locked drawer, since the Nancy Beers |
had sailed, and she could neither answer nor !
return the epistle or the gift.
Before winter her mother failed to an |
alarming extent, and by the New Year she |
was dead Sally grieved long and deeply, |
but she was young the springs of life and |
hope were still elastic within her health for |
tilted her spirits, and unacknowledged happi- |
ness consoled her; for Joe would keep writ
ing to her tender, manly letters, by every
chance he got letters that asked for no an
swer, but seemed to know her loneliness, un-
derstand her need, and bring her help just
when and where it was wanted. Before she
knew it Sally Hart found herself 'fathoms
deep" in love, and when June came and
brought Joe with it, there were few prelim-
inaries to be arranged before she consented to
wear the pearl ring on her third finger, and
to give Joe the promise which he so saucily
flung in grandmother Jopp's face.
Sally did not mean to be married right
away, but circumstances were too much for
her. Joe was to have the post of first mate
in fine new ship in the China trade, owned
by his old employers; but his next voyage
would be long one, though he did not sail
till September, and he could not leave Sally
homeless till such time as he should return;
fOr fhOnqb she lugt gtaVipn with
Grandma Jopp and Aunt Lyddy, he knew
that the atmosphere in that house was by no
means tranquil or cheering, and that Sally
was neither mistres of her actions nor her
time
whats the use, Sally ?" pleaded Joe.
''You won't have me round but a plaguey
small share O. the time, let me be to home
all can fix it. Then if you're settled down
to the beach, Aunt Lyddy can stay there jest
as much she wants ter. You won't need
TO be lonesome au hour, either; there's too
many Hazards nd fuckers down there to let
ye pine for company"
"A hazardous sort of place, isn't 1t 2" asked
Sally demurely, but simple minded Joe did
not at once take the pun. He stared at her
with blank eyes, then they suddenly lit up,
and loud laugh followed.
"Ain't you smart l say fort Sally, you
be a clipper. Mebbe it'l be so hazardous
you'll get tuckered out There !"
And with fresh explosion of laughter Joe
launched his first and only pun. But it took
little more persuasion to fetch Sally round to
J Joes wish, so he left her to go home and
furbish up the old gray house that had been
his fathers; and Sally betook herself to her
own simple preparations, and the second
week in July they were married in Grand
mother Jopp's parlor, and went home, Aunt
Lyddy with preternatural tact, refusing to go
go with them, but promising a long visit in
September, when Sally would need her more.
A happy couple indeed they were, in more
than the conventional term, when they began
life together in that old house Joe had taken
DENY Hazard to Boston with him to pick out
some chintz for chairs aud curtains, and with
taste for long shore girl she had
not only selected the pattern and texture, re-
gardless of Joe's pocket it must be owned