Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-05-19

)
Gent and angular spinster, who believed
in signs and omens, and always "felt"
coming events sin her bones" Tryphosa
was now gazing at the green silk with
melancholy expression of countenance:
Screen means forsaken; there amt no
denyin' it And Seliny Wilson, that was
married in green. was laid out corpse in
it before the end of the year; and Mertildy
Lyman. that was merried in a white mus
lin sprgged with green, and green bunnlt
strings, she had a drunken husband that
fell off the haymow and dislocated his spl-
nal column, and everybody knew her twins
want bright; and u..
''But am not going to be married in it
you know, Tryphosa, said Miss Cordelia,
turning a merry face up to Miss Trypho-
sa's doleful one. "Perhaps it is only un-
lucky as . wedding -,-ss. As for being
forsaken, thefeu ,esl.'t seem to be any
body left to forsake me but you. and l am
not afraid that all the green dresser in the
world could make you do that. -
'There amt no luck about green no.
how" said Tryphosa. eff twas layloek.
now, or a handsome brown"
II suppose I really ought to have had
black, said Miss Ccrdelia, meditatively;
'.but some way the spring coming on. with
everything so fresh and bright, mads me
feel as I used to long ago, and I've made
believe to myself wouldn't own it to
anybody but you, Tryphosa-but I've
| MI 10 ha1inua r u1oc uIr1 And THAT'S
why 1 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 heuse-cleanin'
and soap-bilin' and bitters-Land sakes!
if there ain t Parson Greeley a-comin' up
the walk, and nothin' but the old cropple
crown for dinner, and all skin and bones
at that, and he a-eomin' in the yard this
blessed minute!"
Miss Cordelia whisked the green silk out
of sight, and smoothed her crimps de-
murely down, as she FASTENED to greet her
visitor.
1t happened that Miss Polly Watkins,
who went about the village peddling
connection known as Watkins Unap-
proachable Liniment, was so fortunate as
to be passing just as the minister opened
Miss Cerdelia's front yard gate.
"There! I knew well that there want
never so much smoke without some fire.
Miss Badger needn't think she could make
me believe that green silk gown with
train didn't mean something. So it's the
minister. Well men-folks is terrible short
sighted creters. There is them in West
field that would make him good sensible
wife,"
Miss Polly was SO unhappy as to go on
for nearly quarter of a mile before she
met anybody to whom she could tell her
news. and then it was only DR.. Ramsay,
jogging along behind his old white horse,
and between him and Miss Polly 'there
wa'n't'' as she expressed it, "no great
likin' no more'n there was apt to be be-
tween two of trade" But still news
was news, and Miss Polly could not resist
the temptation of an opportunity to share
it.
sWell, things do turn out queerl" said
the doctor to himself, meditatively flick
ing fly off his old white horse as he jog
ged along again. II wouldn' have thought
she would have had any body, let alone the
old parson. If I had thought Why,
I'm ten years younger'n he Is and a sight
better calculated to please the fair SEX
And that's snug bit of property Of Miss
Cordilly 3, and she's Wholesome-lookin
good tempered woman, to say nothing OF
being handsome, which don't signify. l
believe can cut out the parson if I try.
I always said would die bachelor, but
it's a wise man that changes his mind.'7
And the doctor actually whipped his
horse out of his accustomed jog into
lively trot, and everybody ran to the win
dow, 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 "blaek folks"
who lived three miles from the village
But Abner could not have been more in
terested in Miss Polly's news if he had
lived next door to the possessor of tho
green silk.
! His homeward way led him past John
Parmenter's house. and John was hoeing
ing in his garden.
eva al, now, Parson Greeley is going
to do pretty good thing for himself, amt
he?" drawled Abner, after the usual COM
ments and inquiries concerning crops had
been exchanged. He knows which side
his bread is buttered on. Parsons ginsral-
ly doos.''
"What is he going to dor" asked John
| Parmenter.
"You don't mean to say you hain't
heard? Wa'al, I declare, you don't know
what's goin' on so well as black folks
docs 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
folks always does set store by minister"
After Abner had gone John Parmenter
dropped his hoe and stood wiping his fore
with his handkerchief with bewildered
look.
don't know why I shouldn't have
expected she'd marry, but somehow 1
didn't. I never thought of such a thing,
I don It know why should feel so about
it. If I hadn't the courage to ask |
her when I was young and prosper |
GUS surely couldn't now. I always be-
gan to be coward the minute I came in
sight of her. I never felt so before any |
other woman; but then I never cared any
thing about any other. Anyway, I can't
rest until I find out whether it is true or
not. Cordelia can't object to telling an
old friend. Madame Rumor rules this
village, and she's very apt to be mistaken"
So John set out to call on Miss Cordelia |
AS he passed the bed of cinnamon pinks |