Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-03-07

VI am sorry that you should think it,Rn in
suit. l can hardly see how a man could give
you a better proof Of his respect than to ask
you to become his wife Aud as for your call
ing making you sacred. we don't believe in
the celibacy Of the clergy, you know" In
spite OF his evident modification aud distress,
thore was a sly twinkle in Mr.. Ericsons eye
as he said that.
but II am a woman, " said Miss Burton,
sitting down again, and covering her face
with her hands.
THE more reason you should be married,
said Mr.. Ericsson, calmly. "You need pro-
tectot."
81 am perfectly sufficient for myself. And
shall never care for anybody
but my work"
Mr.. Ericsson arose. 81 am sorry to have
troubled you, he said gently, "I love you,
and have never known what it was to love
a woman before that is all my excuse"
Miss Barton watched him as he went down
the road, with the yellow leaves falling upon
him. She observed, as she had never done
before, how finely his head was set upon his
shoulders, what a manly grace there was
about his strong, well-knit figure.
"But he had no business to love mo" she
said, drawing her brows into tight frown.
Then suddenly she remembered Lysander's
stocking, and went down in the grass to look
for it. II hnd blown over tho fence into the
field. She stretched her arm beneath the
stats and drew it back. He was gathering
| squashesan pumpkins on the little south hill
she saw his figure in silhouette against the
sky. Ha started to come toward the house,
and she waited for him-waited until sud
den thought sent a fame of color over her
fa3e
1T can't be-" she said half aloud, inquir-
ingly. II WW keep that out of my life.
won't be failure l won't bel" And she
rushed up to her room and locked herself in
She came down again as calm and grave as
ever when the tea bell rang, and after tea she
and Lysauder read their daily quantity of
| Greek, for Lysander was pursuing his studies
With renewed avidity since he had a compan-
ion to help him, and had not given up his
! long cherished hope of studying for the min
istry, though there seemed no prospect of be-
ing able to leave the farm.
After that day Miss Barton devoted herself
more zealously than ever TO her work. She
darned no moro stockings. When she was
not writing her sermons, she was visiting the
sick and poor and making or suggesting and
| inducing others to make improvements, sani-
tary and moral, as well a. religious.
"She is as practical and efficient as IL she
was not woman" many people said and
old Jeremy Grimes, who had wished to tell
her when she came that she didn't want
woman preacher, said They couldn't have
| had such women in st. Paul's time or he
never would have written what he did"
But Mrs. Hewitt had a grievance, Miss Bar
| ton didn't seem to make herself one of the
family as she used to. She was shut up in
her room most all the time now, and she and
Lyslnder didn't seem to get along together
as they used TO. She never came into the
kitchen aud wanted to help mako cake, or
sat with them around the fire in the evening
while Lysander read aloud She didn't seem
to have anything against them, but she wasn't
free and sociable any more"
Lysander was teaching school this winter
| aud attending to the farm work in his leisure
time. His habit Of studying with Miss Bar
ton gradually died out. To his mothers per-
sistent questioning Lysander replied that
neither Of them had any time for it now.
Mrs Hewitt could not make it out. PA, )"
who prided himself upon being long headed,
limited that he could, but he would not say
outright what he thought, and his wife re-
garded his hints with lofty scorn.
One afternoon, after school hours, Lysan-
der went to the woods back of the house to
superintend the operations Of some men who
we're cutting timber. Just at dusk Miss Bar
ton coming home from visit TO a sick pa
rishioner, encountered four men carrying on
Hn improvsed streicher Lysanders apparent.
ly lifeless body He was lying white and
|
snow all the way that he had come. Down
on her knees in the snow fell Miss Barton,
and threw her arms around him.
"Oh my love my love have you gone so
far away that you cannot hear me say do
love You 2" she cried. II was cold and hard
because thought it was my duty, but if you
could Only come backY'
And then they had to raise Miss Barton
and carry her into the house, for she had
| tainted.
That's just what could have told you
good while ago. il had had a mind to-" said
"Pa," as he rehearsed the scene to his wife
an hour afterward. She's terrible sight like
a woman if she is q minister. And Lysander
well, calculate he won't complain of hav-
ing his foot cut, if it does lay him up for a
while. l can't say whether she'll let him
do the preaching, or whether they'll both do
it, but you'll see them married before sum
mer."
II don't want anyb body to think its because
I'm a woman" said Miss Barton, rather in
consequently, when Lyssnder led her, blush
ing and fearful, TO his mothers arms. "But
didn't seem able to help it. And Lysander
says l needn't give up my work. '-S0phie
| Wilt