Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-01-14

Aunt Preciosa could never guess
And all tho while Bella was chatting
inwardly her restraint, enyying girls
who had pleasant little ilIratIons at will
and keeping up private correspon'
dence with one "Dear George" who
sent his letters under cover 10 the
butchers wife who brought them with
the beef and mutton, aud said "liless
20 nature will DO nature for all OF old
maids; and ] was gall once, aiore
Cleaver courled me
Dear George was desperate, lie
could not live without seeing his
Bella. lie wrote bitter things about
spinster aunH, lilo alluded teclingly
to those rendezvous 10 the garden OF
the seminary, with Miss Cloyer stand
ing sentry at tho gate on tho lookout
for governcss and enemy. Tho first
opportunity be was coming to
Plainacres, and intended to SEQ his
Bella or die, Was he not twenty'three
and she seventeen 7 Were they to
waste theirliycs at n spinsters bidding 7
No.
Miss Prcciosa, with her Argus-eyed
watchfulness, sat calmly hour by hour
two inches from the locked drawer OF a
cabinet which contained the gentle
mans letters, and dined from meat
which had been tho means Of carrying
them across the threshold, inculating
her principles into the mind of her
neice and handmaiden, the latter who
grinned behind her lady's chair with
out reserve. Charity Pratt having
grown to be sixteen, also had secret
|, was the apothecarys boy, who, in
his ownpeculiar fashion, had expressed
admiration at church by staring.
A few days after, DR.. Green, the
bachelor minister, called at the cottage.
Deborah went out TO huff and snap,
and was subdued by big eyes. She
came in.
"Miss," said she the clergyman IS
out there"
"Where q gaspcd Preciosa.
"In the garden, Miss, wants YOU"
"NIe ! you said of course | was out ?"
"No Miss everybody receives their
pastor"
So the pastor was ushered in. He
conversed of church affairs. Miss
Preciosa answered by polite monosyl.
ables. Bella smiled and stitched.
Deborah sat on a hall chair on guard.
Finally the best specimen of that bad
creature, man, was got out OF the
house safely, and the ladies looked at
each other as those might who had
been closeted with polar bear and
escaped unharmed.
"He's gone aun.y," said the hypo-
critic.
"Thank goodness" said sincere
Preciosa. 81 thought | should have
tainted. Never let it happen again
Deborah. Remember that l am always
engaged"
"But he seems nice, well-spokeu,
good.hehaved kind ofa gentleman"
said Deborah.
"And clergyman"
$50 he does" said Preciosa. "Bnt
appearances are deceitful. ! once
knew a gentleman"
eyes, Miss"
"A Doctor of Divinity Bella"
eyes, aunt
"Well ?"
"Who kissed young lady of his con-
gregation in her fathers garden
"Oh, aunt
ale afterwards married her. But
| never could visit her or like him.
"Bless you no. said Deborah.
"Now the best thing you can do is to
have cup Of strong green tea, and
something nourishing to keep your
spirits up. Cleave's wife has just
fetched oysters in.' private signal
to Bella.)
"Has she i? Oh, Hove oysters sol"
cried Bella, and ran 10 get dear
Georges last.
"It was a brief one, and in IL
George vowed to appear at the cot
tage when they least expected him,
and demand his betrothed.
That evening at dusk Miss Preciosa
walked in the garden alone. She was
thinking of pa,r of romantic
big eyes of a soft voice and a soft
hand which she had been
surprised into allowing TO shake hers.
at is pity men are so wicked she
said and sighed. Although she was
nearly thirty, she looked very pretty
az she walked in the moonlight, for