Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-04-19

which q friend wrote to Dora as soon
as Joe was out Of danger. Then Dora
envied the doves their wings,
New Years day was the hardest Of
all to bear. She could not help q
strong pressure Of excitement when she
put on the rcd dress, which grew more
and more old.iashioned, aud watched
tho sun 90 down on which Joe must
travel when hc should come home
The next morning she lifted her shoul'
ders sadly to the burden Of another
year.
One young farmer after another
found his way to tho old farmhouse on
Sunday evenings, aud Dora pushed
them down an inclined plane Of dis
couragcmcnt so gently that they scarce
ly knew whether they had meant Ia
court her or not. II was not the least
of her trials to meet tho entrcaties OF
her mother and the rough arguments OF
her father when one or two more per-
persistent suitors would take nothing
less than mo for an answer.
Dora could give no reason for re-
pcatcd reiusals to marry, only she
loved no one well enough, reason
which would be all-suilicicnt il parents
remained Immortality young, but it loses
weight after sixty.
AS the seventh year drew to Il close,
Dora's heart beat lightly within her.
Joe had mentioned seven years, as if he
meant to come home then at any rate.
She wore out the first half day Of the
"glad New Year" with busy cares till
late in the afternoon, when IN old man
spent with much walking stopped to
rest herself in the farmhouse kitchen.
Prudence bcstirred herself to give him
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, never
never finding it, had come back to die
at home. He mentioned Colorado and
Denver, and when Dora found herself
alone with him for q moment she said,
"Did you ever see Joseph Raymond in
Denver?"
"Joe Raymond? Oh yes! knew
him well lived with him nigh on to a
month. His wife was q real good cook !;
couldn't be beat nowhere in them
parts"
"You say he was married"
"To 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
gaeat stone he had cast into the still
waters of Dora's heart.
"What's the matter?" said Pru-
dence you'ar as white as ghost"
Dora's only answer was to dart out
of the house and run, as for her life,
down the frozen orchard path by which
she could gain upon and overtake this
terrible man. She might have said,
with "holy Herbert
"My thoughts are all case Of knives,
Wounding my heart
With scattered smart"
only misery must have time to crystal
ize into memory before it takes the
form of poetry. She stood before the
Did man at the turning bare headed and
Dreathless. Chow did the Joe Ray
nond look that you lived WITH" gasped
Dora.
Il never said Joe Raymond said
he old man peevishly; Il said Jim
Raymond They had II big boy named
Joe, who but Dora was off again be-
ore he could finish his sentence.
She ran back through the orchard,
giving thanks with all her heart that
he had not suffered herself to be per-
uaded of Joe's faithlessness on one
rearing. Her feeling of grateful awe
IS if she had escaped from sudden
leath kept her from moaning much
,ver the passing away of this seventh
anniversary of Joc's departure with no
ign of his return.
His letters had wholly ceased, and
here was nothing left for Dora but to
,ossess her soul with patience. When
mother new year dawned upon her,
nd she put on the old red dress more
rom habit than any gleam of hope in
er heart, and did not care to look in
he glass. In the twilight she walked
lowly down the orchard path and
,aned on the gate that opened into the
Dad.
Suddenly man sprang out from be-
ind the wall. Theodore, my gift Of
,odp' he said and Dora, though