Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-07-16

SOPHIA HAS THREE CouNsELoEs.


nothing of The kind. III wishers and well
wiShers sometimes are equals in making lis
uneasy And thus it was with Sophia, for
/ while she was shut up with her mother in the
! sick house variou, persons found opportunity
to disturb her with counsel or warning The
/ indefatigab,e Mrs. Hands, who had fully
made up her mind that the young woman
must and should marry Young John Done
managed to work her way into the house
several times Sophia now feared and hated
the widow in equal parts, although she could
not deny THAT, in telling her the truth about
PercivaL she had acted the part of a friend.
My dear SOPHIA this energetic dame
said, 81 hear that Bron, is coming home
bankrupt, they say; character and cash both
gone. should like to see you comfortably
settled before that time, and in position to
treat him as he deserves. Now while your
mother is still living, AMI able to be com
forted settle yourself Sophia settle your
self. My dear. I know one Young man. at
least, who would b. at your feet in an hour
after the time told him there was a hope
that you would change your mind and say
yes know the young man"
Thank you,' Sophia replied. hastily
Her cheeks were on fire at the bare idea of
seeing Pcrcival again. II shall stay with
mamma to the last and l am not going to
marry any one'
Certainly not man who ha, treated you
badly" the widow said, resolved to pledge
Sophia TO this much, at least.
81 am not going TO marry anybody Sophia
repeated tartv.
She had other counselor. Egerton. hav-
ing heard that Pcrcival was returning, ven
tured to advise Sophia on the whole sub
ject
1T is not his being little wild, Sophia,
that | would 50 much object TO-" he said
"We are all hat sometimes. | mean all
young fellows not girls though said we
had what we call an affair with Miss John
son at that glove shop myself many years
ago, and it went so far that once or twice we
were on the point of going out walking to-
gether, and all that sort of thing-vou know
what | mean, Sophia; but it was the time for
the equlnoctlal gales, and the weather got
unsettled and that stopped it; and then got
engaged to Caroline, and she was such n ire
mendOusy fine girl that she steaded me- |
don't want to find fault with Percival Brent
who is rot half bad fellow, ! think But
you are not the woman for him. Sophia that
is whore it is-you are not the woman for
him. In every case a woman ought to be
the woman for n man. A man of Percival's
sort ought to be engaged to a woman with
whip in her hand. Some of us-I mean the
fellows with 'go-want to be Influenced, and
things to lie brought to bear on Us, and we
want forcible feminine character about us
ard the rest of it, and in such cases there is
nothing like a woman with q whip in her
hand"
More solemn and wcjghty words were ad.
dressed TO the poor heart sick girl Goldmore
N h.an tlot
back than he became sincerely alarmed for
Sophia's future.
81 tremble for that girl, +" he said to his wife
one morning, "kind, impressible, virtuous az
She IS ! wish she would accept Premier.
CAST who is rs much in love with her as ever,
and to whom fortune will make no difference.
fear very greatly fear-that Sophia will
toe very poor at her mothers death Every.
thing points tina. way. But she is the sweet
est of girls, he added in tones Of solemn ap.
proval "she is a sister you may well he
proud of, and she shall never want brother
while live, Sibyl She shall live here if she |
will make this house her home"
81 don't know that Sophy would care to live |
here" Sibyl answered curtly "She is fanc |
full and quXotic. Perhaps she will marry
Percival Hrent after all"
Not alter his improper behavior" Gold |
more rent kod, with the solemn morality of |
n Great Brton.
Sibyl lauel ed a little "Women forgive
that sometimes she sad
Accordingly Go!dmore, in fear of some
thing which he could not quite define to him
self, resolved to give Sophia the benefit of his
experience of life. His kindness and his good
intentions were undouhted and his words
were those of a man who knows"
J.. Il.
heart of yours into marrying prohigate
Sophia he said "A young man may fall
INTO many errors and come out of them. and
he as good rs ever but profgate nerer re-
turns to the state Of his youth. He may seem
respectable, hut he is never truly restored.
tie has lost that which he can never regain.
There VIII always be a hardness and a coarse
ness about HIM, and he may any hour relapse
INTO cNl ways. such men make a prctcnSe
OF reforming when they want to marry, and
perhaps even believe themselves reformed.
but, sophia, proiligate can no more reform
and he what once he was than a man who
has lost AN eye can see again as perfectly as
when he had two. Bc finn, Sophia! .e true
to yourself Hear nothing the young man
says
Poor Sophia began to cry
81 am not saving this thou. htlesslv, my
lear girl Goldmore continued. taking her
hand 81 admire young woman who loves
a man and will make a sacrifice for him. and
may take the liberty Of assuring Won,
Sol hia $50 great is my interest in yom, that
had resolved, had the young man been hon
)rahle, that 40 little difficulty of pecuniary
kind should have stood in your way. But
now, Sophia Gollmoro said, with all the
magnutc upon him once more, Il must inter
'pIp IA tuita o,,,t b..t e,rt ,f ,,-o,.