The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-12-22

| P"SS" WSic uCNOtcu w memoranda
these the minister read aloud;
Mem. confute the iniidel ped
dler's argument by st. Paul, and
Mcm.-To tell Deborah, mildly
but firmly, that so much saleratus is
not conducive TO health.
'Mem.-To punish Joseph and
Samuel for unseemly conduct at pray
er-time.
'Mem.-To admoish Brot her
Bates gently that he is becoming un-
Sound in doctrine.
Mem. - To endeaver so far as lies
in me to restore peace to the singing
seats.
'Mem.-To cndcavor 10 exercise
such measure of wholesome resfro;-.
over Moses and Samuel that they may
nd become cause of scandal to the
neghborhood.
| Mem. To devote greater meas
up of attention to worldly matters,
su;h as applying backing to my boots,
and brush my raiment.
e. Nem.-To consider prayfully
whether the use of hair-dye is inoom-
patible with the principles of the Chris
tain religion or the duties of the Chris
tain minister.
'M,m.-That the singing seats are
in the lands of God, that lie causeth
even the wrath of man 10 praise Him.
"'Mem. - To consider prayerfully the
subject of contracting matrimonial
alliance with Miss Cordelia Brewster
"Thd's it! knew l was not mis-
taken: and | felt that had leadings
from the Lord in that direction; and
yet, in the midst of manifold cares and
distractions, it wholly slipped my mind,
,rnot - '~< mortal that
But it may not yet be too laie." And
the minister seized his hat, giving it
hasty brush with his sleeve, and
hurried to the door, turning, however,
10 lay his hand with unwonted tender
ness upon his sons head, saying,
solomnly, "Samuel, thank you for
this suggestion, and l would that l
could perceive in you as lively signs of
the workings ofgrace as do Of wisdom
and discernment beyond your years."
Samuel, left alone, looked after his
father with most lugubrious face.
"For fellow to go and do it himself,
that's the worst of it! hadn't better
let OH to Nose and the rest that l did
it. No more fun if she comes here
she'll want feller not to tear his
clothes, and have his hair brushed ev-
cry minute, and no pie or cake between
meals. Wen make il lively for her,
though-Mose and Hose and 10 and II
All unconscious of what was in tore
for her, Miss Cordelia Brewster was
engaged in inspecting and admiring
her green silk dress, which had just
been sent home from the dressmaker's.
Miss Cordelia was plump little wo-
man, with pinkish bloom still linger-
ing upon her cheeks, and no trace of
Times frosting upon her chestnut
locks. Why she had never married
was mystery. For ten years after
her father, the village doctor, had died,
leaving her modest competence, the
gossips had been OH the lookout for
signs of matrimonial intentions on her
part. When she had passed thirty, and
was still Miss Cordelia, people gradual
ly ceased to speculate about her. For
some inscrutable reason, they decided
that Miss Cordelia meant to be an old
maid to the end of the chapter. 1t was
observed that even John Parmenter,
who had somewhat indefinitely chung
around" her for years, "kind o. drop.
ped OFF,; he no longer sat in the sing
ing seats, where Miss Cordelia still
serenely kept her place, despite the ri
valry of younger choristers; so they
were not so frequently thrown to-
gether, and he was seldom seen to
walk homo with her from the
weekly prayer-meeting; his old
sorrel mare was very rarely seen
fastened to the hitching post before
Miss Cordelia's door of Sunday night
and only once or twice had he been
seen shyly to offer her a nosegay of
southernwood and cinnamon pinks,
which grew to great perfection in his
garden, and of which, in her girlhood,
Miss Cordelia had been very fond.
Many other admirers had Miss Cor
della, but she had turned cold shoul-
der upon all, and seemed perfectly
contented to live on in her comfortable
old house. with trim box bordered
flower beds in the front yard, and lilac
bushes crowding in at the windows,
with her handmaiden Tryphosa, who
was not, as her name suggested, al
blooming and romantic young maiden;
but an ancient and angular spinster,
who believed In signs and omens, and
always "felt" coming events "in her
bones" Tryphosa was now gazing at
the green silk with melancholy ex-
preston of countenance.
screen means forsaken; there amt
no denyin' it. Aud Seliny Wilson,
that was merricd in green, was laid out
a corpse in il before the end of the
year; and Mertildy Lyman. that was
merried in white muslin sprigged
with green, and green bunnit strings,
she had drunken husband that fell of
the haymdw, and dislocated his spinal
column, aud everybody knew that her
twins want bright; and
"Bnt am not going to be married