The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1883-03-08

n 40 wish. ~ssid Mrs Prndeaee Hall,
holding her dsrning needle Tor moment
ID mid air over she coarse blue sock she
was nending. II do wish you could see
your way clear 10 marry Seth Hallett he
wants you the worst way, aud he'd be such
good proyider,"
',Bu, DOM like him wall cnough.
prudy; and I want something heAiics
inca. aud drink. and two cslico dresses 2
year
Mrs- Prudence Hall had sprained her
ankle and was forced. sorely against her
viii, 10 sii day after day 10 an upper
chamber, With terrible consciousness
that everything about the farm was laps.
ing into chaos and old night for want Of
her oversight Her pretty sister Dora
had come to stay with lhsr, but she was
"only child. you know"
There are two kinds OF love In this
world, said Mrs. Hall, aftera pause. IN
which she had been taking counsel with
herself whether Dora was old enough 10
be talked 10 on such matters at all. and Il
flashed upon her that the ''child was
nearly twenty years old. Perhaps you
like Seth well enough to marry him. only
you don't know it. "
Tell me about the two kinds OF love. '
said Dora innocently. ~ thought love
Was love the world over.
II have never known but one kind. /
think, Dora. When married David Hall
be was the most well.to-do young man in
these parts, aud we never had quarrel
while he lived He was good, practical
sort OF man, and never asked me to do
anything unreasonable.
What il be hadf' asked Dors. iEE
"well, guess | should hare argued
him out OF il. But there is kind OF love
that will draw women through fire and
water. 1t makes them throw themselves
away on poor, shiftless men, who will pew
er provide for them nor their children,
and they know II as we'll as anybody else
does. 1t is the greatest wonder to me why
such useless feeling should ever have
been created. ~
| Dora bent low over her work to hide
her roguish smiles at her sisters discourse;
but at this point she fixed her deep gray
eyes on Prudence, not smiling, but simply
earnest Such love brings happiness
sometimes, suppose?" said Dora.
"Next to neyerr' said Prudencs, with
great decision. .'Wo amt made 70 be
happy, and everything that's too good a.
ways leaves bad taste in the mouth.
Comfort is bird in the hand, and you
don't gain anything by letting it fly on the
chance Of happiness.
"Did you ever know any one about here,
Prudence, who threw herself away for
love? 1t seems to me that they won't look
at man unless he has house and farm
already for them"
That's where they're right, said Pru.
dence You're rather given to high-fy-
ing notions, and it's time you found out
that bread don't grow ready buttered. Yes,
/ did know one girl who was pretty and
smart. and had no end Of chances TO get
married II think my David esnfied her a
spell, but he never would own itl and she
would have that shiftless critter Joe hay
mond who never could make one hand
wash the other Even when she was dy-
ing she pretended that she had been hap
py, aud that she wouldn't have done no
other way if she had it to do over again.
.Was she our Joe's mother?" asked Do
ra quickly.
Yes, to be sure; and when she died we
took him to bring up and work on the
farm. He's more than paid his way, bnt
he's rolling stone like his father, and
won't never come to anything. forgot
to tell you--he's going tomorrow.
"Going tomorrow cried Dora with o
great start II thought his time wasn't
up for another month.
4 "well, il amt ont rightly till he's twcn-
ty-one. but he's in such q hurry to be of
that gave him the last month.
Then silence fell upon them.
i These two women had the same father
and mother, though score OF years lay
between them. Prudence had been born
in the early married life OF her parents,
when they were struggling with stony
New England farm, and there was work
for even baby hands. The lines OF duty
and patience we're deeply craven in her
rugged face. which yet beamed with q
kindly common.sense. But Dora had
come to her mother laie in life, as an old
tree sometimes blossoms into loveliness
after every one had forgotten it. Her lit
tie feet had walked in easy paths, aud
Prudence yearned over her like mother.
She sa. now by the open fire. bending
her graceful head over some delicate work
that Prudence would never have found
time for; her red dress and the fickering
freight made her a picture too lovely for
that dull room. Prudence" she said
suddenly, las this is Joe's last night
think / will go down and say good bye to
him. =
"You might call him mp here.
NO, think will go down myself.
II believe haven't ever told you, Dora
how mucn you pleased me by giving up
that childish way Of going on with him
that yon used TO have. 1t did very well
for You to be fond OF each other when you
we're little, but OF course it Is out OF the
. question nov"
II might have been the red dress and th'
= freight that brought such vivid blusi