The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-08-12

ing?
And can it be wondered at that, when
only two or three months after, he told
me he was going away, | was like one
stunned and bewildered? We were sit
ting in the little front room, and | was
finishing off that diagonal overskirt for
Mrs. Chapel. Charley had gone hunt
ing in the woods, for it was already au-
tumn, and an early frost had set the
leaves ahame. A breeze from the west
blew my hair into my eyes, and put
it back with trembling hand. The
soft, warm day of golden light suddenly
seemed to cloud over, and become one
of moody sadness.
Z" l have an opportunity for advance
ment in my profession" he said,
(Which it would ill-behoove me to put
by In my native town is offered me
position of trust and confdence-no
less, | may say to you, dear madam,
than professors chair"
/ hadn't the least idea what he meant.
/ knew that one chair differed very
much from another, and whereas one
was comfortable, easy and enjoyable,
another might be for the time being a
seat of torture, but wherein profess
sor's chair excelled l could not at that
time imagine. sat quite still, and the
ruffie fell from my hand; my foot rested
upon the treadle of the machine, and l
sat and stared at Mr.. Slade like one de-
mented.
"And it has occurred to me-" he
went on, that the position l have
held here, which is an exceedingly easy
and pleasant one, might profitably and
suitably be filled by one of the other
sex; the duties are not at all arduous,
and could be performed more readily,
it appears to me, than those pertaining
to the needle. l have spoken to the
committee in your behalf, and with a
little attention upon your part to the
simple mechanical requirements neces-
sary, and little help upon mine, you
will be ready to fill the position at once!"
"Who? 1, Mr.. Slade? Why, you
must be crazy"
Then, feeling that this was not re-
spectful way to speak, added that his
kindness for me had led him to over
rate my capabilities.
Why, Mr. Slade," said I, " l never
got beyond the four first rules in arith-
metic."
" And upon these depend every
thing" he replied. " Come, put by
your work, and let us see what we can
do in first attempt"
1t was of no use to refuse. His was
one of those masterful natures that al
ways conquer. Half an hour after l
was sitting close by his side at the table,
with Charley's slate under my blurred
eyes and Charley's pencil in my trem-
| hn Inc 1,.,1,+
streamed in upon us, the soft south
wind bringing resinous odors through
the window from the woods where
Charley yet fingered.
Now, my dear Mrs. Sweet" said
Mr. Slade-and the very gentleness of
his tone, the tender rendering of my
name, made me SILVER and shake; for
l could not get the thought from my
head that when he was gone there
was nobody left to deal tenderly with
me or mine now pray try and give
your thoughts to the subject in hand.
1t is the simplest thing in the world /;
and these rudiments once conquered,
the rest will follow. Now, man sold
his farm for SS.730, and fourteenth
teenths of this is seven-ninths of the
cost of his house, and the house cost
seven times as much as the store: now
what was the cost of the house and the
store.
His voice was so persuasive, so dis
tinct, ii must have been a pleasant
voice to listen to at the school, even if
the poor little blockheads could make
neither head nor tail of his meaning.
l looked at Mr.. Slade, and then out of
the window, where the mellow light of
the sunset shone, and away over at the
wooded hills beyond, and l thought
how, such little while ago, it was a
spring landscape all bathed in tender
est green; and now it was autumn, the
grass was sere and brown, the leaves
falling, the branches like skeletons
against the evening sky.
Madam-my dear Mrs. Sweet
said the voice of the schoolmaster, g
beg your attention to these few first
rules. 1t is distasteful to me to leave
you prey to the coarse habits of these
village women, who tlaunt their finery
in an Obtrusive and unbecoming man
ner, and grudge you the poor reward
for your labor"
She said the seams were crooked
and perhaps they were," / said; for |
knew he meant Mrs. Chapel. /" / am
not very good at sewing, or-anything.
Then two big tears rolled out of my
eyes upon Charley's slate, and blurred
the schoolmaster's figures, which sc
distressed him that he got up and took
turn about the room. Then he came
back to the table again.
Dear Mrs. Sweet" he said, quite
imploringly, if you would only make
up your mind to master these first rules
A man sold his farm for SS,730" -
"And I'm sure he got good price
, for it," | broke in; "and whatever he
got for his house, it must have been all
| it was worth. AS for his store, l don't
want to know anything about it; cant
see that it's any of my business, Mr.
t Slade, and l can't bother with it just
| now. If it was a house alone, or q
store alone, or farm-but to cut them
all up and put them together again like
, a patchwork quilt is impossible for me
| to think of, Mr.. Slade. I can't do it, ]
: never could, and its ridiculous to ash
me such thing, Mr.. Slade. All l can
do after you go away is to go on work
> ing for Mrs. Chapel till drop dead
, and if it wasn't for Charley, / WOULDN'T
care how soon that would be-"
Then | put my head down on the