Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-10-06
4 RETR08PECT or FROGT0WN.

UT HNeu aBalnl
Lydia 4. CdldtceH
4 RETROSPECT or FROGTOWN.
When / was a girl lived in village with
the funny name Of Frogtown. 1t sounds very
awkward and queer to people that know moth
ing about the place; but really it was the
best name in the world, for the frogs were the
most numerous the wiscst and best of its
population. Wandering down by the water
in early springtime l quite learned their Ian
guage, and feel sure that more orderly, sober,
kindly, well disposed creatures do not exist.
While picking the wet violets from the boggy
banks, stringing meadow grass into wreaths,
aud singing to myself in the happy way that
country madens do when gruf old winter is
gone for good l often found the funny frogs
joining in with my song, affectionately and
low, and all in tune. And one particular
night in early June, when the full moon was
climbing up into the sky, the clouds swept soft
ly and fieetly by, and one little star shone up
aloft, l walked through a wide sweet pasture
filed with buttercups and daisies, and hold
ing one of these last blossoms in my hand, l
began pulling away the leaves one by one
repeating these two names-two names that
were ever now in my heart and on my tongue,
and l could not tell which l repeated the Of
tenest or loved the best-Billy Byles the
builder, Maynard Miles the miller Billy
Byles, Maynard Miles; the builder, the mill
er. One by one the leaves went huttering
down the stream-for l had reached the wa
ter now-and at last only one was left. 1t was
Billy Byles; and stood with my hands fold
ed, thinking of his dark, eager face, and of all
| the years since we were children that he had
been fond of me. The frogs began their
evening chant-thud, thud, ker-thud ker-
thud; good, good, very good. There they
were squatting by the sedgy pools looking at
me with their round goggly eyes, and nodding
approvingly. felt satisfied then that Billy
| Byles owned every beat of the heart that flut-
tered under my muslin bodice, and stopped
beating once in while to listen for his tread.
He said he would be there in the early even
| ing and now the moon had climbed high and
| prayer Getting would be over before could
| get home mother would be there before me-
and perhaps sister Maria would stop on her
way from church, and then they would scold
and wonder where had been wandering in
the dark and dew. began to feel chilled and
disappointed; the song of the frogs grew
| harsh and discordant. / turned sadly home
ward, but had hardly gone rod when light
foot lesped down a neighboring bank, and
there was Billy at last. Oh, the peryerseness
of woman Instead of warmly welcoming
him, turned poutingly away and could find
no excuse of his stroug enough to warrant his
keeping me waiting.
There are some folks, =" said, would be
glad enough to come at my bidding"
And who could be gadder than l p cried
he in return. Come, now. Bsss, you don't
mean to say there's a chap far or near cares
as much for you as do? I'm getting the
timber together for our new house and was
belated in making bargain about the we'll
there's fellow out of work will do the Job
cheap. And was looking after fine chance
of a COW; there's trick of Alderney about
her and know she'll be a rare mixer. You
can milk, can't you, Bess?"
pulled my hand away from him, and turn
ed my head aside. Had l waited all this time
to hear about his timber, and his WELL and
the milking of a cow2 1t was always the
way. At home l had nothing but the same
dreary round of duties washing dishes, scour
ing pans ironing and baking--whle mother
did nothing but toll and gossip and scold, anC
sister Maria, now that she was married, wa,
more trouble than before, for she had three
mischievous children that she was always
leaving at our door to be minded while she
went of among the villagers and here wheI
had run away to get rid of it all-here will
the sweet idle flowers, and the river that die
nothing but make love to the blossoms on il
banks and the big lazy clouds that SKINNED
leisurely along, aud all the thriftless beaut.
of nature to coax us away from the thought
of work day hours-here was Billy talking
about getting timber, and digging wells, and
above all things, the milking of COW!
mo, can't milk, said, land l aint go
ing to learn; it's tiresome work. and l don
see why the milk can't be bought"
That's not the way for young married
folks to begin, Bess," he said and too
fire in ID minute, for he'd never asked me ou
; and out to be married, but seemed to tax
! everything for granted.
! And what have young married folks to d
/, with me p l said. I'm not going to be mar
: ried. It's bad enough now, and it would b
far worse then"
"Then you've been cOaxing me on only I
fool ME at the last ~ he said. You've spok
- en- in time I'll bother no more with any
thing"
=, "Oh! don't let the good bargains go, " sal
l l, scotfingy "look out for the timber an
: the well and the cow As for the wife, she
i easily enough got; she's least of all. Onl
be sure she's good mixer"
stop, Bess I" he said, aud stamped hi
, foot In the half darkness l saw his face lea
It into a glow "Be quiet, girl, aud listen I
: me. know what's come over you; it's somt
body else you begin TO care for. You've bee
f won over by the fair words of Miles the mi
6 ler But 1 warn you, Bess, rather than Sc
}, you belong to him, I'll kill you both"
i Now strange as it may seem, liked th
II sort of talk far better than the other and th
- more he fumed and crushed the tender grasst
i under his heavy boot the more my hea
l. warmed to him. had always to make hil
J. mad to get him to show how much he care
IS for me- If l said nothing to vex him, he
drone along by the hour about all sorts OF mi
l. erable drudgery in store for u.s. and l hate
o the thought of going from one round of to
r, at home to another with Billy Byles But
1, went a step too far that night, We parted
o anger, and went home sad and heavy y-hearte
1. enough, but made no sign of sorrow to an
g one; for l was proud and unyielding in N
!. way, and would rather have died than col
n ceded an inch to my lover. Aud h., alas
i was stubborn, too though he suffered sorel
j. He became moody and idle, and people begd
J. to say bad things of him. His old worksht
was boarded up, and he spent most of h
r time lettering about the banks of the riv
n where we had passed SO many happy hou
" together. Perhaps the mill being close
AZ hand had something to do with Bills hauu
"A ing the water. don't think could be blaI
IN ed for not putting away from me the sea
,e comfort ! lok in the young miller's pleasa
\. words AMI Sinning ways. 1t was rare r
lief to me to escape the torment and fear tn
n, pursued me day by day. 1 saw that Bill W
ar uInmindful of his work. and took no intere
N in his old thrifty ways, and Heaven knows
WAS sorry but now 1t was too late. lie hi