Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-01-13

cared TO ask herself whether she were o Cnild
or a woman. Sunshine had been plenty with
her, and she had easily sugared and gilded
the plain things that farm life afforded to
her.
Before the first year came TO an end she
felt that she should soon arrive at a patriarchal
age il she did not do something to kill the
time which died so hard on her hands.
"Teach school l guess not, said her faith
or, when she broached her plan TO him. "You
amt starvin' yet and if you want some new
furbelows, just say so, and not come at it
santin'- ways like that"
81 don't want any thing father but there
is so little for me to do at home"
'Nonsense In my time, gals was always
full of business Cau't you make sheets and
pillow cases and get ready to be married
who knows but somebody III ask ye one of
these days2"
"Waal, waal, folks can't always have their
d rathers in this world. 1 amt willin and
that's the end ont"
But this was not the end ont, and Dora
easily obtained a school. She developed a
governing talent which charmed committee
men, and the congenal labor in the company
of little children took her out Of herself and
infused new life into her hope deferred.
Every week she walked TO the post Office,
three miles away, TO ask for a letter, going in
with a bright flush on either cheek, and COM
ing out pale and dull-eyed after the stab of
disappointment. l wonder that people in the
country are so anxious TO be postmasters if
they only knew it, they are actors in more
tragedies than any member of a theatrical
stock company. Much sealed happiness passes
through their hands but they have to re-
fuse many mariana in the Moated Grange"
weary women who reach hand out of
their dull lives for letter and draw it back
empty.
1t was far into the second year before Joe's
first letter came. 1t was surely fanciful and
foolish thing for a school. mistress to do, but
Dora carried it TO her own little room and put
on the red dress before she read Joe's letter.
Joe was working in the mines in Colorado.
His luck had not yet come, in nuggets at
least, but hard work and sober living were
slowly giving him the advantage over the 9TH
er miners. He was never so well and he low
ed her better than all the world.
Dora lived on this letter for many weeks,
and she set Colorado" for a copy so often to
her scholars that they will write that word
better than any other to their dying day.
Letters came oftener as years drew ON
sometimes Joe was up in the world, some
times down once his carefully boarded gold
was stolen from him, and he had to begin all
over again; but this was nothing to a long
illness, in which friend wrote TO Dora so
hOOu as Joe was Out OI uaUReT. linen DORA
enved the doves their wings.
New Years day was the hardest of all to
bear. She could not help strong pressure
of excitement when she put on the red dress
which grew more and more old-fashioned,
and watched the sun go down on the road
which Joe must travel when he should come
home The next morning she fitted her
shoulders to the burden of another year.
One young farmer after another found his
way to the old farm house on Sunday eve
nings and Dora pushed them down an in
clined plane of discouragement SO gently that
they scarcely knew whether they had meant
to court her or not. 1t was not the least of
her trials TO meet the entreaties Of her mother
and the rough arguments Of her father when
| one or two more persistent suitors would take
nothing less than mo" for their answer
Dora could give no reason for repeated re-
fusals to marry only she loved no one well
enough-areason which would be all sufficient
if parents remained Immortality young, but it
loses weight after sixty.
As the seventh year drew to a close, Dora's
heart beat light within her Joe had men
toned seven years, as If he meant to come
home then, at any rate. She wore out the
first day of the glad New Year" with busy
cares till late in the afternoon, when an old
man spent with much walking stopped to
rest himself in the farm house kitchen. Pru-
dence bestirred herself to give him a hearty
luncheon, and when he was warmed and fed
he began to talk of his travels. He had been
to seek his fortune all over the West, and new
er finding it had come back to die at home.
He mentioned Colorado and Denver, and
when Dora found herself alone with him for a
moment she said, did you ever see Joseph
Raymond in Denver 2"
Joe Raymond? Oh, yes knew him well ;
lived with him nigh on to a month. His wife
was a real good cook couldn't be beat no.
where in them parts"
"You say he was marTied?"
'"ro be sure a right smart feller, and
mighty fond of his wife. Women are scarce
| out there"
Prudence came in and the old man went on
| his way all unconscious of the great stone he
had cast into the still waters of Dora's heart.
whats the matter? said Prudence, you're
as white as a sheet"
Dora's only answer was to start out of the
house and run, as for her life, down the froz-
en- orchard path, by which she could gain up
on and overtake this terrible old man. She
might have said with ''holy Herbert,"-
My tho'ts are all of knives,
Wounding my heart
| With many SMART
only misery must have time to crystalize into
a memory before it takes the form of poetry.
She stood before the old man at the turning,
bare headed and breathless. How did the
Joe Raymond look that you lived with p
gasped Dora.
II never said Joe Raymond, >" said the old
man, peevishly 81 said Jim Raymond.
They had big boy named Joe, who but
Dora was of again before he could finish the
sentence.
She ran back through the orchard giving
thanks with all her heart that she had moi
suffered herself to be persuaded of Joe's faith
lessness on one hearing. Her feeling of CRATE
full awe, as If she had escaped from sudden
death, kept her from mourning much over the
passing away of the seventh anniversary Of
Joe's departure with no sign of his return.
His letters had wholly ceased and there was
nothing left for Dora but to possess her SOU
with patience. When another New Yeal
dawned upon her she put on the old red dress
more from habit than any CLEAN of hope in
her heart, and did not care to look in the
glass. In the twilight she walked slowly dowr
the orchard path and leaned on the gate thai
opened into the road.
Suddenly a man sprang out from behind
the wall. "Theodora, my gift of God = he
said and Dora, though she recognized nC
mark of the lover who bad left her eight year
before, felt that no other knew that pass
word, aud suffered herself to rest silently il
his arms in the ineffable content that Gomez
after long waiting.
When Joe and Dora went into the hous'
and she looked at him by candle-light he
heart almost misgave her; his luxurian
beard and the manly assurance of his man
ners were not at all like her Joe of beloved
memory, and terrible barrier seemed to ris'
up between them, while Prudence remained
in the room with her company manners, whici
sat more awkwardly upon her than her Sun
day gown.
When Dora tiptoed softly by her sister
door at very late hour that night, Prudeno
was lying awake for her, Don't tell me,
she said, THAT you've been waiting for tina
Joe Raymond all this time !"
81 wont tell you if you don't want to hea
it, said Dora.