The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-12-12

used to make tun oil him 1or Delng 81 our
h ,nse so much, and tried to tease him,
calling him one of the triplets, but he was
too sensible to care, and went on just the
same. can see those three youngsters
now, sitting in that very siiting-room,
studying night after night. It's hard to
think it was 80 long ago, but they're wait.
ing for the old man, all of 'em, over there"
"What became of him 2" | asked, for
he had wandered off in reverie again,
and was obliged to speak to rouse him
from it.
"Oh, yes. That's the story. just as
he was getting ready to graduate, and was
writing his speech for commencement,
the war broke out. He was determined
to 90 from the first, but we kept coaxing
him to wait, and Welcome told him If he
would welt till vacation, he would 60 too
80 he quieted down spell, and said but
| little about it. | noticed Thanksgiving
grew pale, and did not eat well, but l
thought it was studying too hard, or wor-
Tying about Welcomes going TO the war.
or something of the kind, but l never
dreamed she cared for Cyril, till one night,
we were all sitting on the porch, and we
saw some one running toward the house.
1t was bright moonlight night, as light
as ever night could be, and as soon as
he was near enough we saw it was a stu
dent no took his meals with us, named
Sam Fallows. He had no sooner come
within calling distance than he shouted
q" Have you heard the news There's
been battle Our side has lost. am
going
$50 am T. said Cyril, jumping up.
"And H. says our Welcome. Thanks
giving inst shut her hands tight together,
and said not word.
al have waited too long already, and
shall go at once As he spoke he came
forward and took hold of Thanksgiving's
hand, aud brought her right up before
me, and then he spoke out so all could
hear:
"Mr. Woodward, I must ask You what
l never meant to ask till was ready to
take her to home of my own, but these
are dangerous times, aud serious times,
and l must speak now. love Thanks
giving as love myself, and would marry
her before enlist. As my wifs she could
come to me if necessary, and if worst
comes to worst, she would have my prop
erty. Can we be married at once? You
know me, and you know whether could
make her bapryp
"Poor child Though she was nineteen,
thought of her as child, and | saw in
the moonlight her face grow whittier and
whittier, and believe she would have fallen
down if he had not put his arms around
her, and kept her up.
"Well, they were married late that
night, and next day nearly all the senior
class started for Washington, and we
were left alone-wife, Than ksgiving and
a jet black horse came up from town, and
the man who left it said Cyril had told
him to bring it up for his wife.
ain the next mail came letter, telling
her to ride every day, and show how
brave she was by keeping cheerful, and
we'll and happy. 1t was hard matter
but she was no common girl, and every
morning at sunrise she would start off on
ride with either her mother or me, and
then come home and work all day as il
she were paid for it. We knew what il
meant, that she made herself tired 80 as
to sleep nights, and 80 we let her work as
much as she liked. One day a letter
came from New York. It was from Cy'
ribs mother, saying they would be there
next day to call on their sons wife.
saw two bright red spots come on Thanks
givng's cheeks as she read it, but not q
word did she cay. She brought in fresh
ferns for the sitting-room, and made the
house look as CHEEKY as if it was summer
time, and when it was time for them tc
come, she took book in her hand, and
sat down by the window to wait.
knew what she thought, and knew
she wished they had not come at all, but
as you said, ma'am, she was a strong
character and never hung back from what
, she thought right to do. So when the
carriage drove up, and an old gentleman
with a gold.headed cane asked if Mrs
Hazlitt lived there, she went forward and
bowed, and said that was her name
There were three of the strangers, hit
father, mother, and sister, and they al
, looked at Thanksgiving as if they wanted
to see just what kind of girl she was
, and not over friendly, thought at first
but in moment they put their arm.
| around her, and kissed her, and begar
talking about Cyril, as if it did tbei
, hearts good to tell how much they lovet
him, and how proud they were of him
When they got through said: ave
know all about him, and we set sight o.
+ store by him, but we have boy of ou
own just as good, who is with him now
if he's alive" At this they all burs
out laughing, and we were just like ole
friends.
. "They stayed week at the hotel, com
ing up every day for Thanksgiving to &C
, driving with them, and when they wen
away they took her with them. Wifi,
: and did not dare to say we could not le
her 60, for we could see she was getting
paler and paler every day, so we never lei
on how lonely we'd be without her, bu
when she was gone, we felt as if th,
3 world had slipped from our feet, and WI
3 were all alone, She wrote to us ever,
} day, telling us all abont the places sh,
3 was visiting: Niagara Falls, the sea-shor,
5 and the Great Lakes, and by and by, W,
a got kind of used to doing without her
8 and lived on her letters. We never saw
/ her again till Christmas, and she came VI
9 to stay month with us bringing tina
$ picture for Christmas present. She wa
1 just the same she always was, only shad
. more stately. She was dressed like
bigh-born lady, can tell you, and if he
: husband had been safe, aud her twil
Q brother, | know she would have been a
8 happy as queen.
Q "She told us all about the high societ,