Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-09-03

from Hanover to Merdeu by rail, nailed up
in a strawberry crate, Kissing, splitting, yowi.
ing, and sharpening his claws on his frail
prison all the way, to the terror of every pas
senger in the car. Indeed, Joe was forced to
carry crate and all into the baggage car at the
third station, and ride with it the rest Of the
way, for the brakemen refused to look after
it, so daunted we're they by the wild animal
within. Tiger was sent into solitary oonAne-
ment in the cellar as soon as Mrs Parker
reached her house. and was subdued by hun
ger aud darkness before they dared to let him
range abroad in the new neighborhood
Now Joe Parker bad not been in Meriden
long enough TO make much acquaintance
there, and was very hard at work the irst few
weeks OF his stay, no that he always went to
sleep in church on Sunday, and missed any
sight thereby OF the blooming damsels in the
choir or in the pews he was ashamed Of IT,
to be sure, but there was the change of air
from Vermont mountains to the fat meadow
land and low lying pastures about the river
and then he WAS really overworked for time
in helping to place the new machinery, move
the old, and settle his mother in this strange
place, where be knew no one to whom he
could apply for help or suggestion. 1t was
not Sunday to-day when he peeped through
the fence at Nanny, and suddenly, az IL by q
stroke, lost his honest young heart for, be.
loved reader, this is only a love-story. only
love-story only a record of the great
world song tile event Of 80 many lives the
finaity Of all.
"That passing-bell
That tolls one into heaven or hell"
as the old poet sings. When l hear people
say, Only love-slory, think Of that coup
let OF Tennysons;
zone drew a sharp kn lie through my tender throat
Slowly, and nothing more"
nuita apouoh %. onoat .,..... A.. ....-.---
reader and so il this matter OF love, be il in
the passion OF Romeo and Juliet, or the less
wordy and more commonplace emotion OF a
foreman in factory and a farmers daugh-
ter for, after ALL do the best that We may,
It's love, love, love, that makes the world 90
round yes that makes our sad old world a
merry go round.
Love will find out the way" says an an
Gent song, and Joe WAS no exception 10 the
rule OF the Pathfinder He persuaded his
mother to send him over TO the neighbours
the very next night for pitcher OF milk, and
also to negotiate for their daily supply. This
being successfully fl -cted. he went daily for
the milk be fore mill hours, and his pail was
filled by Mary Aun, blooming with the sweet
morning air, neat, trim and lovely at O'Clock
A. ~ az a city girl at her late dinner. Joe
grew worse and worse He thought of Man
ny in mill and market her face shone above
the machinery, her laugh tnkled with the
mill bell. He made friends With Peter also
for cats know lovers when they are catlov.
ers-just as well as children know their
friends. Tiger was still kept in the high
fenced chicken-yard on the Parker premises
now devoid of chickens-as a measure OF
precaution against his straying he was too
dear to his mistress to be ventured at large
yet 1t is not to be denied that NANNY look
ed with favorable eyes upon Joe Parker; a
personabe young fellow with good position
does not fall at the feet Of every farmers
daughter, even IL she is a beauty. The "anx.
ious and simless" have in their ranks many a
lovely face and capable character. Nanny
had been no farther than the district school
for her education, and her home training was
to hard, practical, thorough work. She read
no novels or story-papers the Weekly COur-
ant and the Puritan Recorder helped her
through Sundays, but on week. days she had
work to do, and ut night was tired enough to
go TO bed early. So she was simple az well
as sensible, in the best sense of simplicity,
and did not coquet with Joe any more than
WAS natural to any girl. She dimpled and
blushed when he came in, pretended TO be
ve1ed when Peter preferred his knee to her
lap, called him an ''a~ful thing" if he caught
her hand in his with the milk. pail handle, and
was always ready TO go to singing-school and
| evening meeting with him, 80 that his true
love ran ominously smooth.
But alas there was trouble coming. TiRe,
the Parker cat, hurt himself seriously in an
attempt to climb the pslings of his jail-yard,
for they were old and rickety and could not
bear his weight His mistress nursed him in
the house for six weeks with great care, and
when he was quite we'll again, and stronger
than ever with much feeding, he was turned
out-of-doors, and allowed to roam and ravage
as he would, and at once he lit upon Peter.
Dire was the conflict, but Mrs. Parker has
tened to the rescue with a pail of water, and
the astonished Peter, quite drenched to the
skin, fed, while Mrs. Parker picked up Tiger
and carried him into the kitchen, lamenting
over him a. If he were hurt child Now
Mrs. Parker was a shy and silent woman, but
very resolute she at once made up her mind
that the Mays cat should not intrude on her
| premises TO disturb Tiger She had the gar
den fence T, enforced, and even a strip OF
wire netting added to its height on the Mays
side but she could not cabin, crib or con.
fine Tiger hmself-a circumstance that vexed
| her much. Aud when Peter came home TO
Mary Ann after that first duel, dripping like
a drowned rat, she too was indignant but
what could she do2 Battles set in, howls by
night, skirmishes by day; a piece was soon
bitten out Of Peters lovely waving tail, and
| Tiger lost half an ear. Nanny made invid-
| ious remarks about Mrs. Parker's cat every
day of her life, and MrF. Parker made Joe's
| meals bitter to his soul with evil speaking OF
Peter and Peters family the Mays.
Yet they we're friendly enough except on the
cat question. Mrs. May taught Mrs. Parker
how TO knit new heels into Joe's yarn stock.
ings, and Mrs. Parker showed Manny's moth.
err the last pattern of crotchet edgng they
a., exchanged samples of cake, talked skilfully
| of pickles and preserves in fact, had a lik-
| ing and respect for each other-all but the
| cats
Before the last pleasant autumn days we're
| gone Joe had gathered courage to ask Mary
Ann to marry him, and she had prettily con-
scented they were "keepin' company" now,
and the old folks looked on we'll pleased to
think that neither of their children would
stray far from home, though Joe insisted on
having q small home of his own, II only q
tenement in the village properly remarking,
1--WE won't mix folks, Manny-it don't sue.
coed besides, want you all to myself'-a
peremptOry sort OF logic that pleased Miss
Mary Ann, and made her assent hearty and
prompt.
They meant to be married in April in no
less time could the modest array OF clothing
and house linen be made ready, for chiefly il
must be sewed by Manny's deft hands and
sewed it was, with no intervention of ma
chinery, and almost ready when-how shall
tell it!-one pleasant February day Peter
trailed into the house with bleeding ear, a
blinking eye aud one leg so hurt that he
could not even limp on it. This was the eli
max. Nanny had winked at Tige's enormi-
ties all that winter for Mrs PaTker's sake
(meaning Joe's); she had only once hurled
a basin of dish-water over him, three times
chased him with a broom handle, and not
thrown more than dozen stones at him
which didn't count, for women never hit any
thing they throw at, or at least men say so.
But now Manny's patience gave a great
gasp and died. She flew out of the door in
tent to main or slay, but Tige's black tail
just whisked out of the gate she could not
follow him, so she did the next thing, which
was to wash Peters wounds, put him to bed
in the cellar, fetch him dry catnip and warm
milk, and leave him to that solitude that the
wounded animal seeks, and the wounded man
shuns.
It was time then, and when Joe came
in at his hour for visitation he found Nanny
no longer tender arch or sentimental the
hazel eyes had a redder spark in them than
he had ever seen, the cheeks famed, and the
red lips were puckered into a lovely severity
instead of wreathed with smiles.
Joe, f" she began, rushing at once into the
fray, ''you will have 10 kill Tiger. can't
stand IT, He has chawed up Peter till he's
most dead"
MY dear girl" said Joe, In a dismayed
| 40 k.,m