The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-10-14
ESTES Piano.
III ONLY had a pianoln

bridge blushed deep crimson tint, ana
her shy eyes looked out half frightened
from under her long lashes.
A piano!'
The depth of sarcasm in John Trow-
BRIDGES voice justified the shrinking of
his little daughter-in-law.
" A piano! Wouldn't you like dia-
mond necklace or carriage with four
horses? A piano! This is one of the
results of plain farmer marrying fine
LADY,"
q was not fine lady when Harry
married me, only a Woodworking dis
trict school-teacher," said Essie, " and
he was kind and good, and never
sneered at me because | loved music
and pictures, and-and-all the other
pleasures had before my poor father
diedr'
" Well, there, there-don't cry," said
the old man, hastily. did not mean
to hurt your feelings. Harry was"
But the father choked, too; for was
not Harry, his only child, the very idol
of his heart, lying in the churchyard,
and the six months widow sobbing be-
side him?
She rose softly from her seat, and
crossing to where her father-in-law sat,
said, gently: g will not try you again
by extravagant desires. l know how
good you are to me, and I'll try to
learn to be better farmers girl"
"You are very good girl, very
good girl" was the reply, land it's
only natural you should banker for
what you've been brought up to hay
ing. But pianos cost hundreds of
dollars, and l have none to spare,
Essie. l can't get around the farm as
Harry did, and l have had him to lean
upon so long that things grow 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 forever, 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 had taught village school after
her father had died bankrupt Then
Harry Trowbridge, the handsome, ten
der farmer, met her in the country
houses where she "boarded round"
told her his love and won the pure,
sweet hearts love.
Only few months after the wedding,
when Essie was conquering one by one
the difficulties of farm housekeeping
Harry fell from 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 gomez" he begged, when his father
bent over him.
while / have a roof to cover me- u
was the answer.
"You will not leave my father utterly
childless?" he whispered, when Essie
put her cheek close 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 unutteratle cOmfor
to each other. But as time wore OF
they found many rough places in Thu
life-contract each felt so solemnly bind
ing. John Trowbridge had a profound
contempt for all woman-kind whc
could not fill his own rough ideal.
woman who could churn, milk, cook
care for poultry, keep house shining
wash and iron, and keep in perfect, 70
bust health withal, was woman afte
his own heart. A starving heart,
hungering soul, were problems he hat
never realized as existing.
1t fretted him when Essie, bravel,
striving to do the work so new in he
experience, would faint at her post.
reused his rough sarcasms when tn
day closed upon duties unperformed
when the bread was heavy and cookin!
imperfect.
And Essie, hoping against hope I
grow stronger, made herself miserabl
in the supposition that she was use
less burden where she earnestly wishe
to be a comfort and a blessing. Sh
stihed her own craving for the book
and refinements that had been secon
nature; and yet she could not fill tn
place that they had occupied by interes
in chickens, pigs and cows.
II added to her perpleXities to kno'
that the farm had not paid its expense
in the last year. Spring was still som
weeks away, and provisions were grow
ing scarce, while ready money wa
dwindling down to sum alarmingl
small She felt like a thief when
baking proved UNBEATABLE, or a Dime
was spoiled, and yet such disasters o.
cured in spite of her conscientious e
forts to avert them.
1t had been dreary day when hi
unfortunate wish broke from her lip
and sudden craving for the music tn;
had been her life's delight took posse
sion of her. Her penitence for I'll
words was very humble, and she pl
away the desire with many anoth'
longing.
But John Trowbridge, though he WI
narrow-m minded, and often rough, had
kind heart under the hard crust gathere
over it in years of toll, poorly pai
The longing of the shy brown ey'
haunted him.
81 s'pose it is like telling the bir'
not to sing to shut her up here"
thought. "But to give her plan
How in the world"
Then sudden thought almost too
away his breath. He got up from h
chair, and, kissing Essie, went to ii