Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1884-03-05
A Love Story.

|
am going to tell you love story, or :
story, of "love in cottage" and very
small cottage it was.
A friend of mine recently bought an ole
farm, and while laying out plans TO i'm
prove it for summer residence, he found
that a tiny little house he had noticed was
on his own land. He found on inquiry
that it belonged of right to nobody, bu,
was occupied by a worthy couple whom
the neighbors would be sorry to see dis
possessed.
My friend being mercful man, resolved
to let them and their cottage remain; and
the old tenants received his decision with
as much delight as Adam and Eve would
have done reprieve from their sentence
of expulsion.
While | was on visit to thu remodeled
farm house, my friends wife and | made
a call at this tiniest OF cottages, and there
were entertained as the Queen of Sheba
was by Solomon-by sight of the treas
ures, and by the following love story.
First, old Polly Van Valer took us to
her garden, which she called "the sass
patch"; then to the beehives and the
chicken coops, telling us, with an air of
triumph, that besides laying in all her
own vegetables and honey and eggs, she
sold last year thirteen dollars worth of
produce.
Having examined the estate, we were
asked into small castle. The one room
it contained was the perfection of neatness.
The floor was glorious with new rag
carpet; the curtains of the one window
smiled with cleanliness. fresh from under
the iron; and the cooking stove, not SO
big as an old fashioned bandbox, shone
like jet. Her closet was only corner
boarded off, and, when opened, it dis.
played a fine array of crockery ware and
medicine bottles. She then opened the
folds of u red and yellow bandanna hand.
handkerchief, and showed US time
dimmed volume, originally bound in scar
let and richly gilded.
That Bible" she said, my dear father
gave me when | was eightecn-nigh on to
fifty years ago now. Here's all our deaths
and marriages"
There was only one marriage, that of
Jacob Van Valer to Polly Bruen, Dec
10. 1866.
"Why," exclaimed my friend, II heard
you hadn't any children"
There's him and me; and the amount on t
is, ladies, that's enough! We two are so
satisfied with each other that we don't
want any more folks about; they'd only
be hndrance and a distraction like
"Well, but who's this Jacob Van Valer,
if not your son? Whose marriage took
place only four years ago?" asked my
friend.
The CHEEKY little woman broke forth into
IL loud laugh, and replied, why, dear
lady, that's him, himself"
"Whop'
"Why hin, himself; Jacob. my hus-
band; that dear old man that you see
there, bendin' over that onion bed-there,
away off-d'ye seep'
"And is that your marriage to him?"
asked the lady in surprise.
ITO be sure it is-and like enough you
think we were two old fools to marry at
sixty. six and seventy; but we don't think
so. can tell you. We were late jinin'
our lives together, but reckon We'll get
about as much comfort out ont as them
that married earlier and lives long
together. Oh, ladies', if you only knew
how happy we be together you'd envy us!
This was love match; and there's good
many marriages in this world that isn't!"
We all three laughed at this amusing
ardor, and my friend asked:
"How did you both happen to fall in
love SO late in life?"
"Be you fond of hearing love stories9"
asked Polly innocently.
"Oh, yes, l read every one l can get
hold of; and now must hear yours"
Polly Strengthened herself, smoothed
down her gray hair, and began:
'I had my chances when I was girl, as
we'll as other folks; but was bound not
to change my situation till l see reason
fort. What would have made by mar
ryin' Abe TraphagenP I'd have got big
dairy to work, and had all my arnins
swamped by buyin' cattle 10 make more
work If I'd took Chris WestbrooS, I'd
inst had man to wash and mend for
without no return fort. He was man to
look al. but there was no soul of man in
him. | hadn't half the respect for him
that had for Tige, the watch dog; and II
I'd married him I'd despised HIM, and
been an awful tyrant, l know! was SEN
Sihler than most women, and was content
10 "let well enough alone" till | could do
better. l wasn't grain afeard oil being
booted at for an old maid. l knew that
folks is always honored for what they be,
either married or single. If a body's