The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-12-22
could make you do that"

"Therc ain't no luck about green no.
how" said Tryphosa. If'twas laylock
now, or a handsome browh-"
al suppose l really ought to have had
black" said Miss Cordelia, meditative-
ly, "but some way the spring coming
on, with everything so fresh and
bright, made me feel as l used to long
ago, and I've made believe TO myself-I
wouldn't own it to anybody but you,
Tryphosa-but I've made believe
was girl again. Ard that's why
had this green silk"
"And that's why you've been putting
posies in your hair. Well, it beats all
what difference there is in folks.
Now spring puts me in mind of house
cleanin' and soap bilin' and bitters-
Land sakesl if there amt Parson
Greeley comm up the walk, and
nothin' but the old cropple-crown for
uinnci, arsa All sniu anu DvuUs al tIut,
and he a-coming in the yard this bless
ed minute!"
Miss Cordelia whisked the green silk
out of sight. and smoothed her crimps
demnrcly down, as she fastened to
greet her visitor.
1t happened that Miss Polly Watkins,
who went about the village peddling
concoction known as Watkins's Unap-
proachable Liniment, was so fortunate
as to be passing just as the minister
opened Miss Cordelia's front-y ard gate.
"There knew we'll enough that
there WANT never so much smoke
without some fire. Miss Badger needn't
think she could make me believe that
green gown with train didn't mean
something. So it's the minister. Well
men-folks is terrible short sighted
creturs. There is them in Westfield
that would make him good seneible
wife.
Miss Polly was SO unhappy eSs r. ~
on 1or nearly quarter OF mile before
she met anybody to whom she could
tell her news, and then it was only DR..
Ramsey, jogging along behind his old
white horse, and between him and
Miss Polly "there WANT" as she ex-
pressed it, ono great likin,' no more'n
there was apt to be between two of a
trade" But still news was news, and
Miss Polly could not resist the tempta-
ton of an opportunity to share it.
"Well, things do turn out queerP'
said the doctor 10 himself, meditatively
flicking a fly of his old white horse as
he jegged along again. "I wouldn't
have thought she would have had any
body, let alone the old parson. If l
had thought why, Pm ten years
younger'n he is, and sight better cal
cui ated to please the fair sex. And
that's snug bit of property of Miss
Cordily's, and she's wholesome-look-
ing, good tempered woman, TO say moth
ing of being handsome, which don't
signify, relieve | can cut out the
parson if | try. Ialways said I'd die
C changes his mind"
And the doctor actually whipped his
horse out of his accustomed jog into a
lively trot, and everybody ran to the
window, for the doctor in hurry was
a sight that the oldest inhabitant had
never seen.
In the mean time Miss Polly had met
Abner Phillips, one of the "black folks"
who lived three miles from the village.
But Abner could not have been more
interested in Miss Polly's news had he
lived rext door TO the possessor of the
green silk.
His homewsrd way led him past John
Parmenter's house, and John was hoe
ing in his garden.
"Wa'al now, Parson Greeley is goin
to do pretty good thing for himself,
amt hep" drawled Abner, after the
usual comments and inquiries concern
ing clops had been exchanged. "He
knows what side his bread is buttered
on. Parsons generally does"
"What is he going to dol" inquiIed
John Parmenter.
"You don't mean to say you hain't
heard? Wa'al, declare, you don't
know what's goin' on so well as back
folks does! He's a-goin' to marry
Miss Cordilly Brewster. He's turrible
tejus, the old parson is, and she'll have
to step around lively to fetch up them
boys. But women-folk always does
set by a minister"
After Abncr had gone, John Par
menter dropped his hoe, and stood
wiping his forehead with his handker-
chief with bewildered look.
al don't know why shouldn't have
expected she'd marry, but somehow
didn't, never thought of such thing.
I don't know why I should feel SO
about it. If hadn't the courage to ask |
her when was young and prosperous
surely l couldn't now. always began |
to be a coward the minute came in
sight of her. never felt so before any
other woman; but thon l never cared
about any other. Anyway 1
can't rest until find out whether it's
true or not. Cordelis can't object to
telling an old friend. Madam Rumor
rules this village, and she is very apt
TO be mistaken
So John set out TO call on Miss Cor
della. AS he passed the bed of CHINA
mon pinks, he found that, although IL
was early in the season, three had
blossomed that morning, and he made
them inte little noscgay with some