Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-05-23

not help me- lady. There is nothing for me
no escape from my trouble but in death"
Bculah began to think Of strait juclcts and
escaped lunatics. but the wild lights were
missing in the blue eyes, and only settled
misery possessed the sad face.
With soothing words and kindly touch the
good woman sought to comfort the strangers
the wet bright hair was carefully pinned up,
and Beulah uufust,nod the clngiug garments
and laid ont the dry ones Suddenly the
great sorrow which brought the stranger to
think of death flashed on the old maids in
tclligeuce.
you poor young uiing. she said pitifully
have you come far Z:
NO. madam. not very"
"And you have 10 frieuds;'
mo. madam
but there is that person who is your hus-
band-or Should be-pcrhaps you are wild
owy"
mo, no, only a wrctched, deceived wo-
man. Oh, madam do not ask my wretched
story. You are good and kind and rich.
Shelter me for tonight Tomorrow l will
90 away. l will never seek to take my life
again but bear my fate without murmur"
The half-drownod girl sobbed as if her heart
would break. Boulah inwardly determined
that the acquaintance should not end thus
abruptly; and long after the worn-out girl
slept, she cogtatod a problem which was
solve for her before morning.
The family at the stone cottage were early
astir with unusual excitement: into their
midst, n,Xp,ct,dly and uubdden, had
dropped wee hlue-eytd angel Poor Beu-
hh was at her wits end. A baby, a real live,
h=ipl' ~ baby: for the fiist time in her life
she ,oucl,d one of the newcomers. and her
wonder grew MS shc viewed the tender mite.
"Of course said DIR. Blake, 'you'l send
. .. L l. . a.
poor-housc was dcSignated.)
"Of course l shall do no such thing" re-
torted Beuluh; why should Il"
''Because Christian people applaud your
efforts among our deserving poor but this
miserable stranger it seems rash to succor
who shall say what her Tast has been p
who cannot say what her future will 1
surely be, if We desert her Z" warmly defend
ed Miss Beulah. NO, DIR. Blake, that girl
and her baby are sent to me for wise pur-
pose-if the Lord hadn't designed her spec
tally for my care, strength would have been
given her to pass my door"
And the baby; Z"
The baby is the gift of God" Therefore
the gift Of God and the medium of its gift re-
mainod at the stone cottage. Miranda ravcd
"What court in the land could refuse such
evidence of incompetence and imbecility?"
she asked Of every one, and of Lawyer Shep-
pard in particular. but the willy Ephrain
camed the perturbed spirit and whispered
words to advance his own case, but for reasons
best known to himself Miranda's lunatico in
quir,ndo made no headway.
The waif born in the stone cottage grew
and thrived, and the benevolent mistress of
the place came to love little Alice Mann as
one of her own blood.
And it's no disgrace to itself as some
think it's horn in wedlock," bridl,d Miss
Beulnh. Marion Mann has her marriage
lines and was married i'll holy Church more
the shame to those who deserted her"
Then she las a husband z" queried the
gossips
THAT she has such as he is, to desert
sweet young thing, alone in the world but for
him"
And then Miss Beulah would recount the
tale Of her protege's desertion The father of
little Alice had been at watering place
whore poor, friondless Marion had been en-
ployed as a seamstress. He had met and pro-
fessed an ardent love for her, and what could
she do but believe. He was not young ad-
venturer, but man stad, proper and respec
table.
SO respectable he had insisted on a silence
respecting his relations with her till such
time as his high connections would be won
over to countenance his fOolishness.
But Marion had rightly held out against
protestations and professions, and Horace
Mann had been infatuated enough to pursue
the girl to a neighboring town and there mar
ry her.
There, after six months rural felicity, his
ardor had cooled, and Marion receiving a
note one day from her absent husband, was
told that he had left her forever-that it was
useless to search for him, he had yielded to
the solicitations of his relations and come
with them to his patriarchial acres in Eu-
rope.
Her slender stock of money soon exhaust
ed broken in health and spirit, it seemed to
the suffering girl as though no peace but that
of the grave remained for her on earth. She
had wandered on from place to place, until
sudden sight of the sea impellod her to make
an end, and in its hidden depths seek rest and
oblivion. But here she was the day bright
with the sun, and flowers and smiling earth
gladdening the month of June her baby
chuckling, roly-poly bit of humanity, lying
on a rug on the broad piazza herself be-
loved, content, and busy, sewing, reading
working continually for her patron saint
Beulah Belden.
Mrs. Mann had by degrees won the regard
of all who had met her She's sensible,
fine young woman" said DIR. Blake, and Dr.
Blake's opinion was echoed by them all.
DIR. Blake arrived one day all excitement
the news he bore was so important for his
dear friend, for of a sudden although talked
of, still surprise Miranda Belden was to
marry Ephraim Sheppard the next night
For all the world gasped Beulah, and
she Il years old"
"Of course it's for her money-we all
know that, said the Doctor. Still I'm sorry
she's so silly"
Il hope he may treat the poor thing we'll"
sighed the sister.
ITS hardly to be expected he's not a
gentle-looking person by any MEANS
I'D like to see him, my future brother-in-
law" said Beulah.
"He-that is, they are to be married in the
little chapel. Why don't you go 2" suggest
ed DIR. Blake
Il will" responded Beulah. I'm sure
wish Miranda all happiness l will go,
though not hidden wedding guest And
Marion, put Alice early to sleep. Wen go
over the hill to the chapel the first time I
have been there in over year"
Did say the separation of the sisters woke
the echoes of CONSERVATION in that sleepy
town. Well the marriage of Miranda filled
the entire public mind-nothing else was
thought Of or talked about, and when, with
a beating heart, poor Beulah approached the
chapel on the eventful evening, she found the
whole population, to woman, gathered
within and without Dr. Blake was on the
sensible Belden girl, after ALL should see the
performance. Through the crowd he bore
the two ladies, for Beulah was supported by
her protGgt, Marion Mann.
The organist made great ado over his
small choir and parlor organ. The Wed
ding March" swelled out, and the choir piped
up, and Miranda clad in pearl l-coored silk,
with white veil and white gloves and bouquet,
leaning on the arm of the Boston lawyer,
came slowly up the aisle.
Dr. Blakes pew was well up front Beu-
lah did not turn her head as the murmur went
round of "here they come" When the bri-
dal party were abreast of the seat she occu-
pied her eyes met her sisters for the first
time in the many months of their separation.
There was a grim smile of satisfaction on
Miranda's hard face, but poor little Beulah,
try as she did, could not keep the tears back.
Dr. Blake controlled smile, for the angu-
lar spinster was q spectacle in the low-cut,
short -sleeVed pearl silk and surmOunting the |