Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-04-27

Braithwaite Hall as the husband ot It's
proprietress. She insisted upon. his re-
moving his office to Braithwaite, "A small
village offering none of the advantages for
killing time which large city like Leeds
did; and she had all her money scrupu
lously settled upon herself for her own
use, and under her own control
Steve felt very much ms though his wife
had bought him. but for little, the eclat
of having married great heiress, the
bridal festivities and foreign travel com
pensated for the loss of his freedom. But
when they returned to Braithwaite, life
showed him far more prosaic side Mrs.
Gaskill's economical disposition became
particularly offensive to Steve. She in
auired closely into his business and did not
scruple to make unpleasant witty remarks
about his income. She rapidly developed
to an authoritative disposition, against
which Steve daily more and more rehelled.
The young couple were soon very I'M
happy.
The truth was that great transition
was taking place in Seve's mind, and
times of transition are always times of un-
rest and misery The better part of his
nature was beginning to claim hearing.
He had seen now all that good society
could show him; he had tasted of all
pleasures money can buy, and he was
unhappy.
She had no ennui and dissatisfaction
with herself. There was her large house
to oversee her gardens and conservatories,
her servants and charity schools, her toilet
and whole colony of pet animals. Her
DAYS were too short for all the small inter-
ests that filled them; and these interests
she would willingly have shared with
Steve. but to him they soon became intol-
erable bores.
Under such circumstances he might have
found his work n the ordering and inves-
tignting of his wife's large estate, but
Elizabeth was far too cautious to trust it to
untried hands Her fathers agent was
her agent; her banker managed all her
| investments her park and farms and gar
dens were all under the care of old and
experienced servants, who looked upon
Steve merely as Missiles husband"
In the second year of his marriage he
began to have some thoughts which would
have astonished his wife, could she have
thought it worth while to inquire what
occupied his mind in the long hours when
he paced the shrubhery, or sat silently
looking out of the window. But Steve
was now ready for any employment that
would take him out of the purposeless,
dependent life which he had so foolishly
chosen for himself.
One day, greatly to his surprise, Eliza
beth said him:
Steve, have letter from cousin of
mothers who lives in Glasgow. She is
going to Australia and wants me to buy
her house. She says it is great bargain
and | wrote to Barrett to 90 and see about
| it. | have letter this morning saying he
was too ill to leave his bed, wonder if
you could 90 to attend to it?''
Anything for II change. Steve showed
very proper business-like interest, and
said:
Yes, l would be very glad to 60"
Very well; should think you knew
enough of titles and deeds and conveyan-
cling and all that kind of thing. Twill
trust the aff,ir to you, Steve.'
So the next morning Steve found him
self on the Caledonia line. with E100 in
his pocket, and a valuable piece of business
on hand. The first twenty miles out OF
Leeds he enjoyed with the abandon of a
bird set free. Then he began to think
again. At Crewe he missed train, and
wandering about the station, fell in talking
with the engineer of the next one who was
cleaning and examining the engine with
all the love and pride Il mother gives her
favorite child.
The TWO men fraternized at once, and
Steve made Il trip over the Caledonia line
in the engineers small cuddy. He WAS a
fine Young young fellow, one of seven,
he said, all machinists and engineers
ne was only serving his time, learning
every branch of the business practically
he had brothers who made engines, and he
hoped to do SO sometime.
In spite of his soiled face and oily clothes
Steve recognized that refinement that
comes with education; and when his new
friend called upon him at the Queen $ ho
tel, he would not be ashamed of his ap
pearance, even in the most fastdious days
:" Mr.. Dalrymple, | am glad to see you,'
said Steve, holding out both hands to him
:" l thought you would be, sir; it is mo-
often | make mistakes IN my likings.
will 90 with you now to see my father
works, if it suits you"
Never had such place entered Stepher
Gasklls conceptions the immense fur
naces; the hundreds of giants working
around them, the clang Of machinery, the
mighty struggle of mind with matter, o
intellect over the revelation. He envieC
those cyclops in their leathern masks ant
aprons; he longed to lift their heavy nam
mers. He looked upon the craftsmen witt
their bare, brawny arms and blackenet
' hands, and felt his heart glow with admi
ration when he saw the mighty works thOs'
hands had fashioned. The tears We're il
his eyes when Dalrymple and he parted IA
the gate of the great walled-in yard.
Thank YOU" he said you have don,
me the greatest possible service. | shaI
remember it."
That night Steve formed IA strange, bu
noble resolution. First of all. he devoted
himself to his wife's business, and accom-
plished it in Il manner which ELECTED Mr.
Barrett's warm praise, and made Elizabetl
wonder whether she might not spare he
agent fees for the future. Then he ha
a long confidential talk with the owner Z
the Dalrymple iron and machine works
the result of which was the following let
ter to Mrs. GlsKill:
!, My DEAR WIFE 81 shall not be at hom
, again for at least two years, for have bt
gun an apprenticeship to Dalrym Die as n
iron master. propose to learn the pre-
cess practically. l have lived too Ion
upon your bounty, for have lost your e.
, TEEN as well as my own, and do not sa
but have deserved the loss. Please Go
| will redeem my wasted past, and wit
, His help make a man of myself. When
= am worthy to be your husband you wi
respect me, and until then think as kindI
as possible of STEPHEN GAsKILL.
r The letter struck the first noble chor
4 in Elizabeth's heart. From that hour M
| even her favorite maid durst make littl
I compassionate sneers at " poor MASTER"
Y Steve in leather apron and coarse worl
Y ing clothes, began laborious happy day
0 which brought him nights of sweete'
Q sleep; and Elizabeth began a series of lie
d ters to her husband, which probably gre
r more imbued with the tenderest intere
: and respect In few weeks she visite
him of her own free will, and purposel
+ going to the works saw her self banishe
y lord welding Il ponderous hammer upon
e bar of white hot iron.
It Swarthy, bare armed, clothed in lealhe