Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-01-12
WHOLE NO 200l


and fastened q clean white yandyks
about her neck i,s snowy ruhle oir-
cling her pretty throat. and tied on .
clean apron, pauslng as she did 90 10
gaze fer tl1 twentieth time from the
little south window down the road, IN
the direction OF the slele and po't'
office,
At last the old horse came Ia sight.
Well she knew the sober irottlng aud
the iaint rattle Of the old one-horso
wagon, but jim was not alone aud
whoever could DO with him.
The old wagon ratified on iaic tho
yard past tho window and Be''ey
with wide eyes and palpiiatlng hear',
realized who IL was that had taken
her 40 unawares. She came down
s,aiis, rushed past Rover who stretch
ed ut leugth on the doorstep, raised
his head with suspicious sniff, aud
Ia another moment felt her hand clasp
cd by Henry Creighton,
"Wcll,. said Jim as he threw the
reins on the horses back and stopped
to uniaslen the trace ~ he'd 80 much
business on hand | took pardner,
but I be blowed, Sip, II didn't forget
about your post Office after ALL"
No need Of apology. jim could
talk It he chose bnt nobody heard him
or cared what he SAID. They fingered
minute aud then walked slowly and
in the most absorbed manner in the
direction OF the garden.
~ reckon that warn't the kind o
meal she was worrin' over he mus
ed. "She seems tickled TO death 10
see him; what do they want out there,
| worder, nothing there, but lettice,
rare ripes and green currants and
them not fit for p,ckin'."
The low swinging blossomy boughs
shut them from sight or sound. Tho
little birds fitting about on the tree
tops were so happy in their love, and
too busy in their life to notice them
and jus! exactly what he said or how
he said it, we can never know. Bliss.
fully happy were their faces, however,
as they turned back to the house
some half hour later and sought
Mother Remington IN the kitchen.
The wide swing-table was laden with
the delicious cookery Of the day,
while the vacant oven and its open
door told the secret OF the broken
watch. The weekly paper had slip
ped from her hand, and Mother Rem
ington was in the land of dreams.
Very hurricdly she resumed her
self possession and listened to the
young lovers full story, rs with Bet
sey's hand in his he stood before her.
There was dignity and earnestness
in h is manner that compelled both
attention and respect.
"Such good fortune has befallen me-
that want to talk it over with you,'
he said. 81 have been offered o part.
nership in my Uucle Jobs store. he TO
furnish capital, and / to relieve him
in every way by taking the caro- and
responsibility of the business in other
words he asks me to be a son to him.
He is alone in the world save me.
am now through studying and Uncle
Job wants q homo in which we may
live together. Now I ask your gra.
c:ous permission to take your daugh-
TER Betsy, whom I ardently love. to
make our home an earthly paradise.
I have won her consent and ,pra, you
will not refuse to make US happy"
Mother Remington wiped her eyes
with one corner of her starched linen
apron, rose from her chair returned to
it and finally spoke.
"Young man, owe you no i'll vii,
and know that Betsey loves you'll
never agin shall lay out to DO this, or
that, or tother, cause in all human
concait it would not turn out a.
tended to hev it. give her to You
fair and above board, KNOWN that
every hair IN her blessed yonug he'd
is honest one.
"IShe's been my little girl and l give
the heart ont o my body when give
her to you. Sorrer and loss comes
fast enough in this world, and maybe
it's the lest way to sc:ape up and
save what true love squeezes into il
Aunt Pollly's dear old eyes were
dim with tears as she stroked her false
front with one hand and gave Mrs.
Remington the other eAclaiming,
"Now I'm proud Of you, sister Hetty,
for you speak the things " hich become
sound doctorine.
"And now comes a hard point to
settle" urged Henry. my uncle is