Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-12-24
UNEXPECTED.

At-NdttIA bJAtOl, KY IL Ttt gItuUihtiiSI
on my mothers side, was the younges
son of an English lord. He was educat
ed at Oxford, and being unusually gifted
stood near the head of his class when i
graduated; but he sowed 80 many wilC
oats during the term, that the place was
uncomfortable for him, and he deemed
it wise to leave the country. He eam'
to America, and fell in love with {
| pretty little Puritan. The sun Of hel
/ gentle eyes fell upon the good seed buried
in his wayward heart, causing it tC
spring into life aud develop hardy
plant They married, and going east
! ward, settled in the green hills of Yer
mont, where, AS years passed, they
trained their small family of three boys
in the way they should go. The mother
who was endowed with rare voice, and
a soul full Of music, taught their young
hearts to expand in reverence to God
! by means of cradle song and evening
] hymn, and developed within them the
simplicity of conscious reCtitude, sus.
tanned by holy faith, rs guide for all
/ the acts Of life. Their father left THEN
training in her hands, yet brought to
bear upon them the effects of his tho,
rough education, feeding their bright in.
tellects with crumbs from the great feast
spread by his alma mater. Their oldest
son, Martin, married Hermina Wander
slice, whom he met while she was visit
ing her aunt, in the vicinity of bis
home. Hermina's home was in the
CatskilIs, where her father owned broad
acres of field and forest land. She being
an only child, would only marry Martin
on condition he would live with her
father, and gradually relieve him Of the
cares which he was growing too old to
bear So they settled in the Vanderslice
homestead. Their family never exceed
ed two daughters-One Of these died
within a year of her wedding, leaving
It little daughter to take her place in the
family. The other, my mother, married
my father who died when | was two
years of age; when | was twelve, she
married again--a gentleman who lived
in San Francisco--and | went to Grand
ma Dolton's to live, with which arrange
ment WAS much pleased, for there |
should have young companion--my
cousin Nina, named after grandma.
She was not quite Il year older than | ;
yet under my grandfather's instruction
she was reading Horace and Shakespeare,
and studying the history of England and
the United States This would have
been great modification to me had she
been less lovely; but as it was, she gave
me so much help and encouragement,
that by the time | was fourteen we were
nearly even in our studies. Grandpa
soon discovered had his mothers voice,
and "a dealn of his father in me. About
this time one Of grandpa's nephews came
from Vermont to see US, bringing with
/ him one of his motherless daughters.
don't know what the girls charm was
but we all became very fond of her. She
seemed to have no particular talent, but
was universally capable. The trait o
character most marked was ambition
not a wicked ambition, however. W.
! became so much attached to each other
that her father finally went home, leav
ing her with us The following winter
we were fifteen, sixteen and seventeen
years of age-I being the youngest ant
HilGegard the Oldest. We had lots o
country SWANS, and a very merry time
Hildegard had come in the spring, ant
riding and driving had been succeeded
by husking parties, and these by quilt
ing and apple bees, so that there hat
been no cessation Of fun till an early fal
of snow brought winters pleasures t
us. There were no girls for miles arount
that received as much attention tina
winter us we did. A circumstance tia
contributed to this in no small degree
was the locating near us of handsome
and wealthy widower, II Mr. Farquhar
from New York. lie had come on ac
count of the delicate health of his old
est child-a young girl about Nina
age. But the daughter had quite recov
cred, and yet they fingered away int
the winter. Nina and this charmin!
little city girl, Adele, had become quit,
good friends, and through this friendship
we received many little pleasures Oh
Christmas eve we were going caroling
but a heavy snow storm prevented
The boys, unwilling to lose the fun, pro
posed a bellschnieglen party for New
Years eve, when we would serenade
few of our neighbors, have some coast
ing, and then gather at our house t,
watch the old year out and the new
year in. The programme was success
fully carried out, and after the las
guest had departed, we three girls kiss
ed our grandparents good night, repeat
ed our hearty wishes that they nigh
enjoy another happy year, and hastenet
to our room, where, rolled in our wrap
pers, and tumbled upon n great robe il
front of An open wood-fre, we proceed