St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-12-31


bleached muslin that Aunt Barbara had
| eegun to enumerate in her distressing
| ~ practical way-the way that often
made Cherry rebelliously say to herself
that she didn't believe she should ever
want to see paradise itself if once Aunt
Barbara had described it to her. What
other life did Cherry expect She could
not have answered only there arose
vague, bright dreams of far-off lands
of grand old mountains under the glow
of foreign skies days of wandering
amid rare old paintings and marvellous
sculpture, and glorious nights filled with
music, the tinkling of fountains, and
odor of flowers unknown.
| There was one narrow door of posi-
bility opening from Cherry's life toward
these "kingdoms of the world and the
lOry of them"-a door which Miss Fos-
.lby's hand, yellow, withered, and gilt
tering with diamonds, held the key.
Miss Fosilby, OF at least her house and
grounds, were the pride of Glenville.
Stiff, stately, and bristling with osten-
G.iOus cOstlihess, they were cOmpla-
4 sr " pointed out to every new conner.
t,nd Stiss Fosilby had met and talked
with Cherry, and, attracted by the
bright young face, had graciously intI-
mated that she had sometimes thought
she should like a companion, and how
would Cherry like to live with her, and
travel with her?
That last was the charm, for Miss
Fosilby visited mountains or lakes or
falls every year, and sometimes strayed
even to those older glory-haunted lands
which Cherry saw only in dreams.
Should she try to make the dreams come
true ? John loved her, and Miss Fosilby
would only-hire her, to put it plainly !;
but then ?-And so the plain little home
and the Alhambra by moonlight jostled
each other oddly in the dingy old school
room that day.
Decide? How could one know what
one did think in such a babel of sounds :?
she questioned, leaning her head upon
her hand, while a boy in a ragged jack
ct recOunted listlessly, as if he were
nsed to such invasiOns and they had
grown trifie mOnotonOus, how "band
of fierce barbary-anns came down from
the North - and a little tow headed
girl, with mouth half filed with the ap-
pie she was surreptitiously muching,
remarked behind her book-supposed
to contain Pitts celebrated speech-''If
| wOrry'merican Simon Englishman I'd
never laden my aTms-neveT !"
The struggling line of figures on the
dingy blackboard looked like some in
tricate puzzel to Cherry's eyes that day,
and the old clock above her desk tick
ed-''Well? Well ?" with marked aud
querulOus Interrogation that was aggra-
waiting. She was glad when the slow
hands crePt around to the hour of re-
lease and when the darkening room
had lost its noisy occupants, and the
last whOOp had died away from the
school-yard, she donned her wrappings
with sigh of relief, and hurried into
the open air. 1t was not cheering at
mosphere. A cold, gray mist enfolded
her a once dark clouds hung low with
no hint of IL sun behind them, and up
from the river swept a chill, fitful wind,
easy conscience.
BY and by the general gloom found
vent in a fit of weeping. RaindrOps fell
slowly at first, and then in Il rapid pelt-
ing shower that aroused Cherry from
her dreaming, and compelled her to
quicken her tagging steps into the I'M
graceful little tIot that Il woman calls
running. Up the street black smiths 5
shop stood invitingly open, with its fe-
ry glowing heart showing warmly with
in: and there she sought shelter, drop
ping upon rude seat to rest.
''Eh is it you, Miss Cherry p smiled
the old man at the anvil, as the head
ofthe small water-pr0Ofed figure emerg-
ed enough from its hood to become rec