Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-01-18

IN the earry.all with uncle and aunt,
aud they'll stop for me at the corner
Absalom walked alongside, however
leading his h,rse and talking to Rachel,
and John fell behind, When they
came TO the corner, Mahlon aud his
wife were already there, and Absalom
renewed his request, Rachel made no
dcmur, for Naomi said II would re-
lieve their horse with one less IN.
John smiled to himself. The aunt
favored the courting.
The summer months came and went.
Absalom Brawnng came and went
once a week, and sometimes twice, aud
John Paul remained on the farm, lie
grew to be q iavorilc, and his activity
and physical strength, with his great
good nature, made him popular with
the young men around. Absalom did
not like him, however. With Rachel
he got along iamously. She had been
his friend from the first, never forget
ting his opportunc championship
Then he read 50 beautifully, and was
full of tales Of adventure, for, accord
ing to his own account, he had travelled
great deal. In his wanderings he
had picked up II deal of knowledge,
too, as leaked out bit by bit, and he
badc fair to make good farmer, so
the farmer liked him, too. But Nah
lon, whose spirits had been getting
lower aud lower, at length grew quite
gloomy, and his gloom was shared by
his wife, and even infected Rachel.
The cause of this trouble John Paul
learned one day from the talkativc
clerk at the store where the Stacys
dealt, and with it he got some of the
family history. 1t appeared that Rachel
Taylor, the younger sister of Mahlon's
wife, had eloped and married with
Gordon Forsyth, Il gay and wealthy
young gentleman from New York, who
had accidentally met and fallen in love
with her. Rachel had been 'disowned'
for marrying 'out Of meeting, but
worse followed. Forsyth, who was on
the downward course, soon got tired of
his pretty wife, resumed his dissipa-
two years aiterward, leaving his WIDOW
with one-year-old child. Rachel
Forsyth did not long survive her hus-
band, who proved to have been at his
death bankrupt. He had managed to
get Mahlon Stacy, who believed in him,
to become bondsman in a case involv-
ing, it afterward turned out, q ques-
tionable transaction. Mahlon paid the
judgment, but was obliged to mortgage
the farm, which had been in the Stacy
family for four generations. He adopt
ed the little Rachel, sent her to the
West Town school to be educated, and
bit by bit accumulated money sufficient
to discharge the mortgage. The bank
in which he kept his savings broke, and
he not only lost his store, but was un-
able to meet the interest for a year.
The mortgage was in other hands-a
rich New Yorker held it-'and proceed
ings to forclose had been begun. If
Rachel married Absalom Browning,
who was rich himself and rich mans
son, there would be no difficulty
They say that Rachel hangs back
concluded the clerk. Il rayther guess
she'll give in at last. That's the way
Mahlon ii pull through, in my juds-
ment.'
John came home after hearing all
this, and found Absalom Browning
there. The young Quaker was got up
quite smartly-in plain clothes, to be
sure, but his shad-bellied coat was OF
the finest olive -colored broadcloth, and
his broad-brimmed hat of the very best
beaver. He remained to supper, and
was treated with marked consideration
by the farmer and his wife. Rachel
seemed to be little embarrassed
John glanced at her little curiously,
but she avoided his eye. The hired
man went out after he had eaten his
supper, attended to the horses and cat
tie, and, this done, came into the house.
1t was usual for the family to sit to-
gether for an hour or two after supper
before retiring to rest. 1t was their
main recreation from daily labor. But
the old couple had retired, and John
retired also, leaving the younger couple
together.
John sat at the window in the dark,
looking out on the night, and thinking.
In a little while Absalom Browning
left, and he heard the wheels of his
wagon driven after the fashion of Jehu,
the son of Nimshi. Then he heard the