Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-07-31

meant by the hull ont Adoniram Dill she's
got kinder sick Twin thar alone with Becca,
without any man 10 split up kindln' wood
an bring in water, an she's tryin' 10 get you
back Rgin. She jest the same a. said she
hedn't no objection TO II. / guess she thinks
you've been doin' pretty well, too. She
thinks il would be q mighty nice thing now
to hev you step in thar with your money an
wait on EN-. / see through her"
"P'rhaps Il amt 30, mother"
"Yes, tits. Adoniram Dill, you don't
mean TO say you'd hev any idee OF mArryin'
Becca Wheat, arter you've been treated as
you hev 2"
"You aint heard me say any such thing,
mother"
II thought you looked kinder queer. You
wouldn't, would you, Adoniram ?"
mot IL II didn't seem for-the best. l
dont-know."
All of q sudden Adoniram Dill sat down be-
side the little parloT table and leaned his
head on II as he had forty years ago.
whats the matter Z" his mother asked,
with a scared start, looking at him with aved
eyes II was almost like the coming back of
the dead, this rising Of her sons youth from
its snowy and grassy grave in her sight.
'Oh, Adoniram, you poor boy, you 'ain't
felt Jest the same way about her oil these
years It's awful. / hadn't any idee ont"
"Never mind, mother. james callin' us TO
supper you go right along, and IN come in
a minute"
"Thar amt any need Of your havin' any
more frettin' about IL, anyhow, Adoniram.
Her mothers willin an l Amt doubt but Bee
ca is. I've seen her look kinder down. hearted
sometimes for all she's 20 good an uneom-
plainin', l guess she's been worried a. well as
some other folks. You jest sliok up arter supper,
an 60 right over an ask her. Thar amt no
reason at all why you shouldn't. You amt
nuther Of you 30 very DID, not mOrsn sixty.
An don't know As Mis- Wheatu be 90 very
bad to git along with. dessay she's meant
all right"
Adoniram said nothing. He rose with an
effort and went out TO supper with his moth
er, who kept gazing ct him with loving, ques-
tioning eyes.
"Ain't you goin'? ?" she whispered when
they we're in the sitting room again.
81 guess not tonight, mother"
"Well, mebbe 'ts jest IS we'll 10 wait till
to-morrer l don't want Mis- Wheat 10 think
you was in too much of q rush"
After his mother had gone 10 bed, and the
summer night was complete with all its stars
QUITO doors, he sat down on the front door
step alone, and thought. He felt IKE wan
derer returned 10 some beautiful, dear CONN.,
try, the true home of his heart, which he had
golden gates OF youth swung open with sweet
music for Adoniram Dill, with his gray locks
and his hard, scanned face, and he entered in,
never knowing he was any different
The steadiness with which he had kept to
his ideas of duty for the last forty years gave
his happiness, now that the long strain was
over, an almost unesrthly, holy character. It
was truly the reward of virtue. The faithful
old man who had taken what be considered
A.. l.. -
woman he loved, without question or appeal
TO that mandate OF obedience which he read
so literally, was capable ct sixty of being as
freely happy "a child.
The sordid motives which had possibly &C.
tuated Becca's mother to withdraw her oppo-
sition at last did not fret him at all. He was
far above it. That hard, shrill voice which
had rung of out that sitting room window for
him for the last forty years was still The voice
had truly said cruel things, more cruel than
its owner would own TO now. The poor hon.
est young man had gone away that day with
the full and settled understanding that his
sweetheart's mother was bitterly opposed to
him, and that must be the end of it all. he
never dreamed OF such a thing as urging her
to marry him without her mothers consent
So he had never been in that front yard,
full OF roses and pinks and butterflies, since.
he and Rebecca had met in the village So
cisty like kindly acquaintance for all these
years.
Adoniram, looking across the little country
church, Sunday after Sunday Rs the years
went on, might have seen the woman grow
ing old who should have grown old by his
side, with bitter regret and Rebeoca, with
patient sadness, have marked his entrance
among all the congregation but no one had
known.
The day after the meeting Adoniram had
to drive over to the store on business. On
his way back be passed house where an aged
sister of Mrs. Wheat's lived, and saw, with
start, the latter's thin face at window. "I
wonder If Becca's homer" said he. Then he
drove on quicker, with gathering resolution.
About four o'clock he was going across lots
through the field toward the Wheats He
had his Sunday coat on. When about half
way across he saw q woman's figure approach
ing. Soon he saw it was Rebecca. He stood
in the narrow foot-path, between the tall clo-
YER and daisies and herd's-gTass which came
up to his knees, and waited.
She greeted him, when she reached him,
in her usual good, placid way. "How do you
do, Mr.. Dill?"
II was coming to see you, Becca."
She looked at him, and the calm lines in
her face changed q little. "Ill go back. /
was going after mother, that was all but she
mN. ~ -'
NO, here Aln any nee9 OF your goin
SAoA' S eau say NnA' WSnteu 70 Jest - ven
nere, au tnen you can Keep LIgnt ON AIter
yout no'ueI' peooa, suPPOsin Twas Iory
year Aeo, Au you an ne was IeIe, an your
Inp.ner was Wlilln Wnas "ouid you say Oh
AS6eu you 70 mart me .,,.
IRAN, it wouldn't be fair"
you tninA your motner Wouia DC
"iihn
uon .n,IH sue 20 SET agin ~ As sue
was ou' Noui1nt Do iAir' I'm sixty year
-
She shook her head. "No Adoniram II