Connecticut western news., 1879-02-19

"He is very childish and dependent. He can not do without me-" F.
 "Let me help you care for him, Olive ; my house is large, mymeans are ample. <" "I couldn't, Mir. -Ph@nix-it is like your generosity to propose such thing |; but couldn' have him burden on yoa. ,"
 "Why, bless your soul, Olive, do you suppose I should consider friend of yours @ burden ? '.~
 "Yon don't know how trying poor father would be to any body but his own daughter, and think he is likely to live to great age, as grandfather did"
 -s' For that very reason, then" - " Besides, it would make him wretched to take him from the old homestead" "But, Olive" ...
 "So you see I'm engaged, Mir. Phoe- nix" said Miss Olive, playfully, while she wisked away tear. "I'm engaged. You must marry some lady who isn't. And hope you'll be as happy as you deserve to be-" she added, with little tremor, springing up to adjust the cur tain. ...-- In vain he tried to bend her to his wishes; she remained outwardly firm as the hearth-stone at her feet, till at length he arrived at the unwelcome con- viction that she had no liking for him, or she would have listened to his plead ings. She had interposed the old gen. tleman merely as a sort of cushion to soften the blow of her rejection.
 If he took smiling leave, it was be- cause pride rugged at his facial muscles, for, to tell the truth, he had never been more disappointed and chagrined in his life. Of what avail the stylish equ1page upon which he had plumed himself :? Was it not bearing him on to the tomb |? And why should he wish to prolong this earthly pilgrimage? What further att fractions had life for him, lonely old man nearing seventy?
 Hardly conscious of the reins, he had driven some miles at an unsanctifed pace, when he almost ran over MT. Tor rey, brother of the deceased Lucinda, who was walking behind his carriage up a long ascent. ..
 'sGoing to Conference ?" asked that gentleman, after an exchange of greet ipgs. "Didn't you come roundabout way ?"
 "I'm inclined to think I did," as- sented the deacon, with a prodigious show of candor. A roundabout way and hard way. Is your wife with you?" .....,...
 "Yes, and tue widow Vance. have to foot it up hill, you see. Horse step- ped on rolling stone back piece and lamed himself
 {" Your load is too heavy; let Sister Torrey ride with me-"
 But Sister Torrey being nervous, like Lucinda 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 a gushing young widow whose mitgated grief manifested itself in certain coquettish bows of pale lavender. She protested that she felt already acquainted with Mir. Phoenix through her late husband, to whom he had been so kind. She was so glad of this opportunity to thank him. She should never cease to be grateful for the many favors he had conferred upon her dear Charles, etc.
 In the morning the worthy deacon would have smiled inwardly at this eff. fusive panegyric. This afternoon he hugged it like @ poultice to his aching heart. It soothed his wounded self-love and inclined him toward his fair eulo gist, to whom he recounted pleasant an ecdotes of her husbs nd's boyhood. In deed, he made himself so agreeable tha she was rather sorry to reach Church vile, where the whole party were COT dially welcomed at the house of MT zenas Torrey.
 A proud man was Mir. Phoenix. IT, would not for the world have had his re cent disappointment suspected by hi wife's relatives, and during those thre' days of Conference he carried himsel with resolute cheerfulness that some times-out of meeting, of course-verget upon friskiness. Mrs. Vance told Mrs Zenas Torrey that he was "just splen did," which compliment Mrs. Torre repeated to him with significant smile limiting that if he thought of marvin; again, he need not search far for 8 wife He looked confused, and hotly disclaim ed any matrimonial intention. As t the young widow, was he not double he age? Would June join hands with De cember?
 Alas what an insignificant triAe ca turn the scale of human destiny Bu } for a horses right fore foot Deaco , Phoenix might have returned to hi home on the morrow as he had left it. free man. It was the lame horse ths , kicked the beam and decided his fat,
 On Friday morning, that meddlin quadruped having been found lame 3 than ever, the deacon could do no lel r than offer to escort Mrs. Vance hom
 She could do no less than to accept u : offer gladly. By some mysterious la ]. of sequences, thhis led to a second off; f and second acceptance, and almost b
 fore he knew it Deacon Phoenix hs l. pledged himself to escort the widow f. ,- life. When, after gallantly depositir :, his promised bride at her own door, ]
 was alone with his thoughts, he felt l. little surprised at his own precipitanc. s but he told himself over and over aga