Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-05-07
COTNCIDENCES.
The storr Of an Ererr.nar IN

Inc young thing was pretty, shy, demure
and delicate and all agreed, that, as hum
ming birds are not tit to be in eagles eyries,
she was not worthy to be the mistress Of the
great scholars home. The president said it,
the minister said it, and Mary Smith said IT,
Mary had hoped to become Mrs. Ransom, but
week after she had pronounced on the pro-
fessor's blunder she had married Joe Blake,
the engineer. This was another mistake, peo-
pie said, for Mary was a plump, matronly
girl, aud Joe was too much in love with bis
bottle to have very deep affection for a
wife.
But the modern gossip is removed some
ways from prophet, and all in due time
Mrs. Professor Ransom proved herself worthy
Of her position, and Joe Blake demonstrated
the fact that be could be good husband. or
course the professors wife never did make
light bread, and Joe spent no small part of
bis time at the slehouse but taken all in
all, the Ransoms and Blakes got on very
nicely. The last shadow OF the gossip was
removed when Mrs. Ransom stopped her car.
riage on the street to ask Joe what he had
named the baby, and some months later when
Prof. Ransom called at Mrs. Blake's and com
pared the wee thing in the engineers arms
with his own little one.
After this the professor bought the little
cottage across the way from his own fine
house and sold il TO Joe and Mrs. Blake did
sewing for Mrs. Ransom and Hattie Blake
and Tommie Ransom we're playmates togeth.
er.
Sevon summers bad been purified by seven
winters, and in the eighth there came chill
and dreary day. The day had free zing
night ard out of it's shy sivery moon look
ed upon the cold white face OF the professor 8
wife, dead, and tiny infant but week old
by her side.
Mary Blake went through the snow to robe
the lady for burial and sat by the body
through the night Then the morning came,
and with it came an electric pusation Of the
thrill OF sOrrow There had been an accident
out on the Central, and the engineer he'd met
frightful death. Joseph Blake aged forty
two-and Professor Ransom sent the widow
message Of coincidence
Mrs. Blake went forth to the coming years
wise woman. She had the mortgage, and
she had her child she paid the mortgage,
and she made the child her all, her hope, and
her strength. Over the way the professor 4
Vermont sister was installed and the master
was far away in foreign lands. The babe was
Aunt PhUbes charge, and Tom was growing
q boy who had a heart for mischief and a
hand for youthful will Grave and refined
like his father, and with his mothers features
and sunny hair, he WAS child, yet had not a
childhood. He had played with Hattie Blake,
but before he had passed into his teens the
two studied together, and the boy led the
girl through the mazes of school day life.
The widows daughter did not love her books,
but learned easily, and the boy had to recog-
nize her at the head of the seminary class A
fairy girl, she a quiet lad, he.
The widow had planned Hstties future az
teaching The professor had marked out the
law for his son. Aud the two children were
in accord with both of these plans
Tom was fifteen when his father came home
from his foreign wanderings aud took up his
former work al the college.
There are two things to come" the pro
lessor said to his sister, methodically. TON
must leave school and be fitted for college by
my own hand, aud must marry again"
The two things came. Tom was disap
pointed because of his private tutelage, bu
he had nothing to say. He wanted to be
come the man his father wished to see him
aud be had no idea Of any way of objection
And matter of marriage was as well mp to the
fine fact.
Mrs. Worthington S. Clair was a lady o
Paris, of fashion and of wealth a lady quite
well fitted to be the scholars second wife
No one said that the professor had blundereC
this time. The minister called at an early
day the president commended the profes
sors choice and Mary Blake lent the cool
the recipe for her best gold and silver cake
All went smoothly.
Tom liked the lady from the first, and sh,
liked him. If he was a model step-son, sh,
was model step mother, and there was no
the least friction between them. He had re
spect for her ways, her manners, and he
friends with one exception. And she likeI
the lad, and all that was his and Of him. will
hui 40 ,zla -
her own before she had been Mrs. Ransom
twelvemontb. In her opinion Hattie Blak
was not fit person for Tom to be intimat
with and in Toms opinion Marion Flint
his step mothers niece, was not worth
thought.
But Mrs. Ransom had foreOrdained tina
Tom should marry Marion-and Marion wa
an heiress.
The professor landed his son in the sophie
more class, and had the pleasure of seein
him do brave and noble work in his course
Mrs Ransom had induced Aunt Phoebe to tax
Mrs Blake and her daughter with her to be
Green Mountain home. Aud Mrs. Ransom
was properly provoked when Tom though
best to spend his vacation at Applefield wit
| his aunt, in preference to going to Saratoga
where Miss Flint was the belle of two ga
| seasons.
Five years gave the sixth Mrs. Ransom
on her return from the White Mountains, tai
ried at the homestead at Appleield to say I
| Aunt Phoebe that Tom and Marion were I
marry as soon as the young man had entere
upon the practice of law.
Hattie had naught to say. She had hope
but girls hope too often. OF course it wa
true, for Tom had written of the gay summer
and had not had time to come to Vermont, {
late
Marion was pretty and rich, and Hattie ws
a widows daughter and a school teacher. Sh
said plaintive Never mind !" and went
her school with a faint heart. Perhaps sh
bad come too near to loving her old schoo
mate.
AT the time when the naples redden wit
bloom, the persistent and ambitious studer
was admitted to the bar. On his way to A
bany, where he was to locate with his moth
er's brother, he had few hours to spend
Applefield.
But Hattie was away among the mountains
"troubled with little cough" Aunt Ph@t
said He felt his love for her. At the tim
when the naples redden with the blush {
autumn's oarnation, they sent her love to hi
her farewell love She whom he loved WI
dying.
He went and found her kissed by consuml
tions cold lips. He heard her mother calm
say that when the leaves fell she would go.
mol" he said she should go with him
the fair Bermudas, and leave the foe behint
Would she go-as his wife The inspiratio
of long-deferred love was all too potent me-
icne, and she consented. The man of &c
came, and once more the sun shone into Il
maden's life.
The maple branches came bare too soo
She did not suffer much or long She spe
nothing on the future. The pale fair chez
caught contrast in the dTear nighttime vii
a scarlet thread that came from the thin lip
The young husband and wife were alone b
gether. The chill of her death touched hin
and they found her senseless hand holdiI
his nsensible The February win
heaped the maple leaves over the newly mat
grave.
The coming of the snow mantle found Il
young man hard at his work. Thus it is th
true heroes are made. Work done in sorro
is the work of heToism
Thomas Ransom was a rising lawyer
ardent worker, man of notable will. A
that he did was done with success and
! that he looked upon prospered Each ne