Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-16

opposition A girl who had also boarded at
the Hyssop House, and angled openly but un-
successfully for John, visited in hartford,
and having gathered up the centipede that
scuttled about his native village stinging
John Hacketts character brought II with
her, full-venomed and many-legged, to the
city and set il at work there.
But all this did not move Edna
II am going abroad with papa, she said
"because want to give him a good chance
to see things in right light out of this chat
ter and gossip, but give you notice l shall
marry Mr.. Hackett when l come back
And such determination rang in her posi-
tive tones that aunts and uncles and cousins
quailed before her, and thanked their stars
that there was n Europe to go to-
do not present Miss Edna Deane as q
model heroine. l am aware many people
will disapprove of her. There are persons
who think the relations between parents and
children involves implicit obedience on the
childs part to the parental dictum, however
unreasonable there are others who think it
unwise, and even wrong, that a child should
sacrifice hfctime's happiness to the tyran-
mic demands of an inconsiderate parent. Be
tween these two poles Edna must take her
chance. I am merely her historian, and i
must say that, dauntless as her courage ap-
peared when challenged by interference or
opposition, there were many sad hours when
her heart, loving, tender, and dosirous of
right, was torn by inward conflicts.
In the meantime John Hackett, aware for
the first time in his life that he had enemies,
aud was injured by their tongues, was yet ut
terly ignorant Of any special charges against
him. Had he once known of Mrs Green's
story, aud Alonzo Filley's confirmation Of it,
he could and would have set things straight
at once or had Mrs Parke heard the Sian
der, she too was in a position to explain and
justify but she had left Hyssop to live with
her daughter at the West, and, as we have
said, Mrs. Green unuckily broke off her sto-
ry on Mrs. Parkes arrival at Lucelia Pratt's
room. Had not this mischance have stopped
Mrs. Green's tongue, my pen would have
been idle, and various other things besides
at least in this connection.
Edna, however. was spared her voyage.
The first dny III November, just as they were
ready to go to Europe, oven their passage
paid and state-rooms secured, Mr.. Deane
slipped on the pavement, as be was on his
way to the bank TO procure money for the
journey and broke his leg and arm. 1t is
bad enough for young and amiable person
90 contemplate six weeks in the house as in
eyitRble but when one is old, cross, obsti-
nate, and just ready for voyage to Europe,
such an accident is not likely TO produce
peace or pleasantness. Mr.. Deane laid up
for the winter in boarding house, fretted
himself into n nervous fever his age, and
the feycriah action Of his system prevented
the bones from knitting and exhausted his
strength his vitality was used up too rapid
ly, and by spring he sank into lis grave.
Deeply ms Edna regretted her father, she
could not blame herself for his death He
was just as liable to slip on ice at one time rs
another, and that he never carried q cane was
tha ragnli pf bis oup al La vanity fTbaro
were people, to be sure, who said that if her
father Ind not been obliged to take her
abroad in consequence of her undutiful con-
duct, he never would have gone to the bank
that day, and would have lived indefinitely
but Edua's mind was too healthy for such
moral wire drawing. She did not feel, either,
that her fathers death changed her affection
for John Hackett, or her opinion of him ; nor
yet that she must defer to his wishes when
he was dead any moro than when he was liv-
ing, but rather less, for she was not senti-
mental or morbid, like the young ladies in
books.
In six months she married Mr.. Hackett,
and went to live in Hyssop, being as happy
in that relation MS fallible mortals can be, and
developing into a wonderful housekeeper.
But the Hyssop centipede did not die yet,
and often after Edna had told John what her
father had said about him did they both won
der what he could have meant and though
like good wife she kept from her husband
the various insinuations and hints that Hys-
sop danes could not refrain from dropping
in her ears, she could not but mediate with
curiosity on the cause of all the talk, for she
had too youthful an opinion Of human nature
to credit it with the entire creation Of scan
dal.
But it was not till some three or four years
after their marriage that they found out all
that lay at the bottom of their troubles.
They were at picnic one day, held OH the
shores Of the lake, and John had just intro
duced his wife to Mrs. Parke, who was visit
ing in Hyssop
"By-the-way," said that lady, in the course
of conversation, II heard of you out at Medi-
ma last winter, John"
How did come TO be known in Medina p
asked Mr. Hackett.
"Our old friend Mrs. Green came there
with the doctor he seems toh have worn out New
England, and has taken to the West lately.
She met Lucy at sewing circle, and asked all
about Hyssop people, Lucy mentioned your
marriage, and Mrs. Green tossed her head
with that indescribable sniff she always gave,
if you remember, and said that she pitied
your wife. Lucy was indignant-you know
she always liked you--and inquired why Mrs.
Hackett needed pity and then the whole
story came out. happened to come into
the room behind her and heard it all. Do
you remember that afternoon you sent Will
over TO Canaan, and forgot TO send me word
aboutit ?"
''Yes, l do" said John. II never quite
forgave myself for making you so anxious
You see, Edna" he went on, turning to his
wife, "Will Parke was in tho bank with me,
to do errands and such things, on his promo
ton and one afternoon l had to send him
twenty miles on moments notice prom
ised to send his mother word, and wrote on
the edge Of her daily paper which Wills old
dog used to take home every night, where
Will had gone, and that he would not be
home till next day but the dog followed viii
instead of going home, so she never got
word, and about two o'clock in the morning
down came Mrs. Parke and her sister to the
bank, knocked me up, and demanded Will
l don't wonder they were frightened. l
ought to have gone up myself instead of rely
ing on Bose"
''That was not all, added Mrs. Parke
1T was moonlight night in June, and a
very hot one, which made Mrs. Green rest
less, so she left her bed and sat at her win
dow in the Hyssop House, and saw two wom-
en- whom she did not know go to the bank,
knock at the window, talk to you, and then
you came out and went away with them, and
she did not wait to see you come back. This
was enough for her active mind to interpret
into scandal and if she had not left Hyssop
that night for Chicago, don't know what
would have been said about YOU"
Here John and Edna exchanged looks.
"You should have seen her face when, as
she concluded her story with, I never knew
who those women were, but of course
suddenly stepped in front of her and said, I
was one of them, and my sister Alkaline the
other proceeding then to tell the truth of
the story"
"Do you think she ever mentioned it to
any one here 2" asked Edna.
81 put that question to her, for 1 know her
TO be a busybody but she declared she never
had, She began TO tell it to Lucelia Pratt
that morning, but came in and interrupted
her. She said that she knew / was dread
fully down ON folks that said q word about