The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1880-11-11

Mrs. H5oNung, Who. % bis hoatod imagi
nation. ppptare3 e regard him alFealy
With moist and mothc1ly eve ana taking
Milding arm, drew him Jui ~ the house
Wells said the latter interroga,ively
don't know vhcfheF is s. well or ~
replied he Fioomily Bui ! followed your
advice and proposed 70 thom all
And they accepted youG
The most II 'em, But LILY, the Young
est she
always said size was q sensible girl, put
Ia Wilding soto yoae
Did your with much surprise Well
she refused me sort q said she wouldn't
have INC at any price SO Yen see you
we're wrong always knew she was one
Of the most intelligent girls ] ever met,
Mr. Wilding repeated, in tone SO difficult
that his comp pnion for once had sense
ia refrain from demanding an explanation.
The next morning, as Kate Browning
turned the angle Of the hall ihatled 10 her
fathers sanetum whittier sense Of iilial
duty beckoned her she almost ran into
the arms Of her three sisters, al eonyorg-
ing toward the same spot from different
directions simultaneously they entered
Mr. Brownrig's study lie called il a Ii
brary but that word IS too often profaned
for me 10 profane it. so / shall draw the
line at study But to return, Miss Lily
being the youngest, was Of courso the first
10 raise her voice
] had a proposal last night papa, and |
have come to tell You about it, said she,
in tone repIete with triumph.
1t is so sweet to the mind Of youth to
outdo its elders. But ION, this occasion
only" the elders refused to be outdone.
They each and all betrayed a smile OF in
ward satisfaction, and then they gave way
to speech.
No they said III breath. They did
not mean to doubt or be impolite they
only meant surprise.
The curate, said Hetty in a composed
but plainly contemptuous whisper II
was a stage whisper,
Old Major Steme, said Miss George
promptly
Perhaps Henry Simms, suggested Katie,
with some sympathy. Then turning to
her father she said, with a conspicuous
blush. It's very strange, papa, but too
had proposal last night,
And so had | ! exclaimed George and
Hetty in a breath.
Eh? said papa, pushing up his spocta-
eles. He was fat and pudgy, with sandy
hair and Aabby nose, He was powerful
man, too, and one unpleasant TO come to
open quarrel with. Proposals in the
Browning family were few and far between
in fact, euriosities and so much luck
as the girls described falling into one day
oyerpowered him.
One 1t a time my breath is not what it
used TO be, he said addressing Katie. Qf
he had said breadth, it would have been
equally true, as his mother--if she was to
bei believed always declared he way a
lean baby. May ask the name Of your
lover?
Mr.. Snools she said with downcast eyes
and timid smile. She took up the cor
ner Of cherry colored bow that adorned
her gown, and fell to admiring il, through
what she fondly thought was bashfulness.
Impossible exclaimed George, angrily.
What a dsgaceful untruth cried Het-
ty, rudely. Mr. Snooks proposed TO me,
last night, and / accepted him.
What is il you say? Oh am going out
Of my mind my senses are deserting me,
said Georgie. putting her hands to her
head with a dramatic gesture Or is it a
dream that has asked me to marry him,
and that too said ives "
/ seldom visit the clouds, said Lily,
with bitter laugh. And certainly know
that lie made me a noble offer Of his hand
and heart both which treasures de.
elined
Where? demanded the other three, as
though with one mouth.
In the laurel avenue
AT this they all groaned aloud
"'perfdious monster r said Hetty from
her heart.
Am ! to understand, began Mr.. Brown
rig, with suppressed but evident fury,
that this--this unmitigatcd scoundrel
asked you all to marry him last night?
II we speak the truth, yes, replied the
girls dismaly.
He was drunk, said papa sayagely.
| cant believe it, said Katie. who was
dissolved in tears--in fact, like Niobe..
was all tears'-by this time. Nothing
could be nicer than the way he did it, His
language was perfect, and 50 thoroughly
from the heart.
He addressed me IN most honorable,
upright and Christian fashion, said Hetty
/ am sure be meant everything he said
certainly considered his manner
strange, not bit like what one reads, said
George honestly, but thought Of the
title AMI the property, and said yes di-
reelly.
] thought him the very greatest muf ]
ever spoke 10, broke in Miss Lily with de-
cision. Irefused him without a moments
hesitation, aud told him TO 90 home I'm
sure its well did daresay il be had
stayed here mnch longer he would have
proposed to mamma next, and afterward
to the upper housemaid. Iagree with you
papa, the champagne Eas 100 much for
him.
think lie IS fond 81 me, said Katie,