Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-09-25
ESSIE'S PIANO.
eff I only had a piano !"

Even as the wish rose, almost uncon-
sciously, to her lips, Essie Trowbridgc
blushed deep crimson tint, and her shy
eyes looked out half frightened from
under her long lashes.
"a pianol"
The death of sarcasm in John Trow-
bridges voice justified the shrinking OF
his little daughter-in-
"A piano! Wouldn't you like dia-
mond necklace or carriage with four
horses2 A piano! This is one of the
results of plain farmer marrying fine
ladyw
II was not fine lady when Harry
married me, only hard working district
school teacher" said Essie, land he was
kind and good, and never sneered at me
because | loved music and pictures, aud
-and-all the other pleasures had be-
fore my father died"
"Well, there, there-don't cry" said
the old man, hastily. 81 did not mean t o
hurt your feelings, Harry was"
'But there the father choked, too: for
was not Harry his only child, the very
idol of his old heart, lying in the church
yard, and the six months widow Sob
bing beside him2
She rose softly from her seat, and cross
ing to where her father-in- law sat, said,
gently:
81 will not try you again by extrava-
giant desires. ! know how good you are
to me, and will try to learn to be a
better farmers grill"
You are very good girl, very good
girl, was the reply, "and o. is only nat
ural you should banker for what you've
been brought up to having. But pianos
cost hundreds of dollars, and | have
none to spare, Essie. | can't get round
the farm as Harry did, and l have had
MIN TO lean upon 80 long that thiAsa go
crooked enough without him."
Essie sighed, caressing the snowy hair,
her shy, brown eyes full of trouble. She
knew that the farm was suffering for the
master hand and eyes, lying folded for
ever, and she longed to be of some use
to the father she had promised to love
and comfort.
But she was only twenty, city bred
and reared in luxury. Just one year she
taught district school after her father
died bankrupt. Then Harry Trow-
bridge, the handsome, tender farmer,
who met her in the country houses where
she 'boarded-round," told her his love
and won the sweet, pure hearts aflec-
ton.
Only few months after the wedding,
when Essie was conquering one by one
the difficulties of farm housekeeping,
Harry fell from a hay wagon and was
fatally injured.
In the few hours of life granted him,
his one desire was to keep his father and
his young wife together, to love and
comfort each other
"You will give Essie home when
am gone" he begged, when his father
bent over him.
"While l have a roof to cover me, "
was the answer.
"You will not leave my father utterly
childless2" he whispered, when Essie
put her cheek to his to hide the tears
that would fall.
81 will never leave him while my love
is any comfort, she answered.
And in the first days of mourning these
two were an unutterable comfort to each
other. But as time wore on they found
many rough places in this life contract,
each felt so solemnly binding. John
Trowbridge had profound contempt
for all womankind who could not fill his
own rough ideal. A woman who could
churn, milk, cook, care for poultry, keep
a house shining, wash and iron, and keen
in perfect, robust health withal, was a
woman after his own heart A starving
mind, hungry soul, were problems he
had never realized as existing.
1t fretted him when Essie, bravely
striving to do the work so new in her
experience, would faint at her post. 1t
reused his rough sarcasms when the day
closed upon duties unperformed, when
bread was heavy and cooking imperfect.
And Essie. hoping against hope to
grow stronger, made herself miserable in
the supposition that she was useless
burden where she so earnestly desired to
be comfort and blessing. She stihed
her own craving for the books and re.
finements that had been second nature
and yet she could not fill the place they
had occupied by interest in chickens,
pigs and COWS.
1t added to her perplexities to know
that the farm had not paid its expense:
in the last year. Spring was still some
weeks away, and provisions were grow,
ing scarce, while ready money was
dwindling down to pile alarmingly
small. She felt like thief when baking
proved uneatable, or dinner was
spoiled, and yet such disasters occurred
in spite of her conscientious efforts t.
avert them.
1t had been dreary day when her un
fortunate wish broke from her lips, ant
sudden craving for the music that hat
been her life's delight took possession o
her. Her penitence for the words wa
very humble, and she put away the de
sire with many another longing.
But John Trowbridge had kinC
heart under the hard crust gathered
over it in years of toll, poorly paid. Tn
longing of the shy brown eyes haunted
him.
~ s'pose it is like telling the birds no
a. o;r,r ~ obut hor nm horn y ha fhouoht