Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-07-28
MARCY HARDWTCK.

They're maxim terrible to-do about this
Kossuth or Koshoot, or whatever they call
him. Didn't hear much else in town to-day.
He's AS fur as PittsbUrg, they say, a-mRkin
speeches all along, an ev'rybody turnin' out"
"Koshoot Wy, l knowed en- fore l
crossed the Allegheny" And Mrs. Hardwick
lifted another handful of soft soap-exoepting
what dripped through her fnger5-intO the
already foaming dish-pRn.
KNEW 'em aforo you crossed the Allegha-
ny You mus be sick" look of pity
crossed the face of Mr. Hardwck as he said
this. He thought, but was too generous to
say it now, that it all came of Yankee mar
rying Pennsylvania woman. Her constant
ignorance of what would be common informa-
tion to a Massachusetts, woman was a thorn in
his pillow. This mans Rooshian," he
went on that is, q kind o. Rooshan. They'd
"a been free if Austry hadn't "a put in
A momentary bewilderment filed the eyes
of Mrs. Hardwick then, with a becoming
sense Of her Ignorance, she raised them apol-
ogetically to the shotgun hanging over the
door. "Oh, yes, l mind now. Twas the
K'shaws. Twas them / knowed back there"
Mr.. Hardwick lifted coal to his pipe, set
tied into his splint. bottomed chair, and look
ed thoughtfuily at the backlog Dusk was
near, and the chores were done-hiS chores.
Wife, you must hang the dried apples on the
other two poles there. l want this one over
the fireplace here for my seed-corn."
tallow candle was brought out For a
moment ere lighting it the wife seated herself
at the hearthstone, with the double purpose
OF resting her tired back and emptying the
snuffers
"Where'n the worlds that child?r suddenly
exclaimed the husband and father, after a
short study Of the back log Neither Of them
knew.
Marcy !" shouted Mrs. Hardwick from the
back door
No answer.
They sat uneasily but silently little long
or. Then Mr.. Hardwick, after walking from
one door to the other and looking out in vain,
placed the lighted candle in tin cylinder
punctured with innumerable holes, and went
| out. The lantern only served to make the
darkness visible. After wandering and call
ing about the yard, he heard faint Here,
| pa - from the direction of the spring, many
yards from the house. Over the spring hung
a willow tree, which no care of Mr.. Hard
| wick's could make grow as a willow ought. 1t
was the only one on the place-brought from
afar by him the year he was married, aud
nursed with more tenderness than he had ever
| bestowed on any other tree. 1t represented
to his mind, he did not care TO say exactly
how, the founding Of his home. He ridiculed
the half German supersttions of his Pennsyl-
vania wife, but he fancied that his willow was
somehow associated with his domestic veal or
voc as no other tree could DO. His one bit of
sentimentalism was in regard to it. All be
said was to the effect that every spring ought
to have a willow over it, anyway.
| Down from the gloom Of its meagre branch
es on the approach Of the shifting flakes of
| light that shot fautastically from the swinging
lantern, there slipped with the lightness of a
squirrel creature who might have been tax
en- for sprite
Marcy, how could you scare US so How
could you stay out here in the tree so late
Come !" She nestled on his arm without q
word. She laid her white neck against his
rough neck and silently went home.
Her father deposited her carefully by the
fire. Then one might have seen the magnif
ceuce of her eyes, and the beautiful masses
| of golden hair that fell TO her waist. To al
their questions why she behaved so strangely
she made no reply for long time. At last
| by taking her in his arms and speaking very
fondly, her father wrung from her the answer
81 don't know"
Away from the space about the autumn ire
the log cabin was mautlod in fitful shadows
The clock licked from out the darkness at th'
farther end of the room. A mouse-seen by
MRrcella alone-stole from out of the warn
stones of the jamb and disappeared within
the bark that chung to the logs of the wall
She was an only child. They loved her. Blu
they could not fathom her.
Lets whip her" suggested the mother il
an undertone
Mr.. Hardwick shook his head and muttere,
NO"
His wife said this more because it was tn
only remedy she could think of than becaus
it seemed the right thing. Marcy's face be
| - L..
moist. So would theirs had they known hov
she was struggling to prevent the contor:io
of her facial muscles, and how she yearne
to make clear to them mental condition sh
could not find any words to express.
st. Nituss dance was not an alarming ma
ady. She would outgrow it as other childre
did. 1t subjected her TO remarks and rud
staring from the really kind people who cam
to the house. One or two wrinkled old won
en- studied her mysteriously, and conferre
confdentially about her in way that arouse
her apprehensions. Her mother discusse
with these disfavored women some secret II
lating to her. She was glad to flee at the nI
proach of a neighbor. A natural shyness wa
so stimulated by the torture she underweI
when the movements of her face excited con
ment that she preferred to hide even from hC
parents, and was learning to love darknei
( better than light. How could she explain
} all to them?
As she was going to bed she stopped, as
suddenly inspired
D "Pm better out there. My face is sti
70 when I'm out there alone"
| They had consulted the country doctor, an
? done what they could in their homely wa
4 But the winter passed, and in the spring Il
r affection continued. As the warm days can
on, Mr.. Hardwick was busy in his clearin
and was seldom about home between brea
= fast and supper time. Here was Mrs. Har
wick's opportunity. Her husbands inored
lity should no longer stand in the way of b
J child's good. She dared not let him kno'
J. for once or twice when she had limited at Il
y infallible remedy she had met with a refus
Q which partook of Gnger. Sundry consult
d tions were furtively held with various peop
o she had known beyond the Allegheny. Ma
cy was assured that If she would never Il
her father how it was done, she should be Gu
Is ed
D, A crooked old neighbor-Mr. Helburger
D. and his toothless wife appeared one day, bef
u ing a small augur and cork. The aw
D. stricken child was led to the willow and
~ back placed against it. A hole was bored
- the trunk, exactly as high as the top of b
- head golden tress of her hair was shoI
~ wrapped carefully, and inserted as far as t
ne heart of the tree the cork was driven al
as it, and the bark 80 nicely patched with gra
rs ing wax that even MIR. Hardwio- 2 eve ney
q, discovered the abrasion. From this time
m favorite tree grew faster. Soon the clos
" inspection could not have led to g suspici
vs. that it was holding, iose to its heart,
ut glossy tress of little maidens bsir.
b. 1t was the conviction of the mother, and
n' those in the secret, that as Marcy grew