Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-05-05
THE SQUIRE'S APPLES,

ILL NQO1Itu ID al L DLN'
"such pretty applcs!' cried Linnct
Dessoir ccstoticolly. "With red checks,
just as if fairy pencil had painted them,
and delicious, bloomy strcaks here and
there! l should like to copy them on a
plaque or panel or something, if only
one could be sure of reproducing those
delicate tints of rose and whitcm
"yel', l dcclarc!" said Rose Hebron,
the country cousin, whom she was visit
ing, laughing with merry, thrush-likc
laugh, as The two girls sat on a moss
cnamcled boulder under the boughs of
the lady-applc-trcc, with here and there
yellow leaf futtcring drcamly down at
their feet. "Nyho would dream of such
a poctical description applying to the ap-
pies that grow in Squire Sandlord'S or
chardM
"Wasnt it good of him to allow us to
gather thcm2" said Linnct, trimming the
side dc.lcafets off a lovely branch of yellow
goldcn.rod.
Il shall not believe that they are alb
solutely ours though" declared Rose,
"until | see them in the old apple-bin at
home"
"Nhy not?"
ooh, Squire Cedric is ccccntric.' Rose
answered, carclessly.
"Ccdric2 Is that his namc?"
"Ycs. Isn't it an odd relic of the
Saxon timcs?' laughed Rose.
'Tt's very romantic name" remarked
Linnct, wrinkling her brows in pretty
consideration of the epithet.
"Ib isn't romantic" observed Rose.
"Isn't he? But why not?'
'IIc's so old Thirty, at lcastw Ros'
responded, with an emphatic nod of Tho
head.
'IIorrid ogre." said Lnnct, who was
in her seventeenth year. "Comc, Roscy,
let's 90 home. Pm as hungry as a canni
bal! Gathering apples is such hard work.
She skipped ahead, with her yellow
trcsscs floating behind, like stray strands
of sunshine, and her white dress rustlins
over the drifts of pcrfumcd leaves that
carpctcd the path.
Rose followed, with affcctionatc eye
of admiration.
"What is the difference between M
and Linnct2n she asked herself. "M,
dress is white also; my hair is as COLDER
rs hers. Why is it that she is like {
dancing spritc-I, plodding human be
ing?'
Poor little Rosy, She did not realize
that Linnct Dcssor had grown up in al
altogether different atmosphere; that Lin
net hal unconsciously modelled her dress
from the graceful robes which her father
the artist, kept to drape his lay-fgurcs
that her eye had been trained, her tast,
cultured, in every possible point.
Giles only a poor struggling artist. =
Farmer Hebron had been wont contcmp
tously to observe, when he saw his broth
er-in-law's name among the lists special
ly honored by the Academy of Design.
Giles good follow enough" Eugcn
Dcssoir airiIy remarked, when his agricul
tural connection happened to be men
toned. "But he hasn't an idea be
yond his own fat CATTLE lie don't live
he only vegetables"
Linuet, however, the bright, mother
less young beauty, was a great favoritc o
the kind-hcartcd Icbrons; and when sh
had so enthusiastically admired the beau
tiful pink-andwhitc lady-applcs on Squir
Sandford's tree, Mr.. Hebron had gone S
far out of his way to ask the squire for
barrel.
"Just to please the little girl" said he
"She thinks deal of pretty things"
"Shc is quite welcome" said SOUR
sandford, with formal politcncss. 81
you will send barrel to the tree to-mol
row, Mr.. Hebron, it shall be filled fc
your niece"
And when the squire said this he pict
urcd in his minds eye the aforesaid nice
as romp of eleven or twelve, wit
shingled hair, frcckles and prcternatural
ly long arms.
All night long Lnnct Dcssoir drcamc
of the lady-applcs, and when the su
rose, sphere of rubbed fire, above til
eastern hills, she jumped out of bed an
dressed herself with haste.
81 can't sleep another minute sal
she. ''lt's just the very sort of mornin
to walk out across the woods and look {
the lady-apple-trec, with the little sprin
gushing out so close to its roots, and Il
blue asters, and thickcts of goldcn-rot
by the stone fence. | won't wake Ros,
Rosy was up late last night, putting Il
bells on the ounce jelly. I'll let h'
sleep, and go by myself"
But Miss Hebron was no more Of a Ia!
gard in the morning than was her cit