News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-02-28
Yours Truly.
BY 8IRS. NJ. L. RAYNE.

Amazin Grace" said Mrs. Pilsbury,
as she sat with her daughter at their
afternoon sewing, "be yew goin' to piece
Rquilt?"
What fur, mother?"
"Why, amt Mr.. Van Vleet been to
see you twice't runnin' lately? He's
axed ye, s'pose, to hev him?'
"An' guv him the mitten.'
"ShoI. You wouldn't be half so silly !
Why, he's with a dozen orniray men.
You might go futher and fare wuss
f'Jest what I'm goin' to dew"
''Did yew tell him SO ?"
"No, I writ; now, mother, let me be;
amt goin' to marry no man thet thinks
I'm jumpin' ct the chance. I'd heap
ruther be an old maid"
There was nothing said for some time;
then the widow asked:
'Wken did yew write, 'Mazin ?"
ga day or so past.
Where did you git pen ?"
81 borrered one. Mebbe you'd like
to know what said tew him."
"You've guessed rite, said the widow,
eagerly.
''It amt nuthin' to nobody but us,
mother, s'long es 1 didn't have him,
said the girl, curtly, and no more was
said, but the widow sighed heavily and
held her hand to her left side.
Amazin knew that it meant her heart,
for she had been brought up to respect
that organ rs an intimidating power.
This time she did not relent, but Won
dered why she could not like that big,
good-looking Van Vleet well enough to
marry him, for they were poor, poor as
that historic church mouse, and he was
well off.
But they were not mercenary. People
called them simple folks: perhaps be-
cause they lacked education, and be-
ieved every thing that was told them.
But they were good as gold. The widows
face and form, lank and ungainly, were
familiar in every sick room. They rem
dered unto Caesar the things that were
Caesars. They owed no man anything,
though they worked early and late to ac-
complish it. They were good to every
body and everything, and Amazin Grace
her mother had named her after the
hymn beginning, Amazing Grace, how
sweet the sound"-was really pretty. So
thought big, hulking, shame-faced Van
Vleet, when he came ACQUIRING her.
with his trousers tucked into cowhide
boots and coon-skin cap tied down over
his ears. She was the only girl he was
afraid of, and he wasn't afraid of her,
come right down to it.
He was an honest, decent chap, with
a fist like a sledge hammer and heart
like child's. He wanted Amazin Grace,
and he couldn't imagine any reason why
he should not have her. When he got
her simple little letter of refusal, written
out with infinite difficulty and spelled on
new plan of phonetics. he read it over
and over, smoked his cob pipe, read the
letter again. grinned a good bit, then
folded it reverently. and put it in the
pocket nearest his heart.
''That's all rite, my girl, " he chuckled
A couple of months passed away
One popularity of time is that it treats
all people alike. 1t does not fly from
SOME and stand still with others. /
was spring at the Van Vleet farm, whicl
was one mass of apple and cherry bios
SONS, and it was spring at the Widow
Pilsbury's little lean-to house, without
shrub or blossom. The widow looked
out of the window and sighed. She
had never heard the "Song of th,
Shirt" but she had sung it all her life
1t was her bread and butter.
"There's Van Vleet !" she exclaimed
looking up from her lap board. "Well
declare What brings him here ?"
''P'raps he's comm to ask yew to he
him, mother, said Amazin Grace, laugh
ing, while a sweet flush of pink staine
her round cheeks.
81 wish he should p said the widow
devoutly; 81 should consider it wa
fiyin' in the face of Providence not t
marry such a man-if he asked me. /"
But Mr.. Van Vleet stalked in with
brief ''good-day," threw an armful {
blossoms into the lap of Amazin Grace
and said:
'1'm ready for weddin'"
'Did you get my letter." asked th
girl.
"Ye2i 1t warn't. to say, lovin', br
I took yer meanin'. I've fenced in th
hull north lot, and furbushed the hous
up, so yer wouldn't know it, an kalcr
late eff we kin get married next week.
won't interfere with my spring work
hey ?"
Amazin Grace sat back and looked Il
picture of surprise. The widow though
she heard the cat in the pantry and di
creetly withdrew. As the door close
Farmer Van Vleet took two little re
hands in his, and bending forward ga7
Amazin Grace an awful smack.
"That seals the bargain, he said, b,
the indignant girl jumped up an
ordered him out of the house. To ht
astonishment he didn't bulge a step.
''Not mutch reckin I've right
kiss yer now" he said boldly-then 1
stepped to the door and called loudly
Mother kun here 70