The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1886-03-18
AN OLD FAsHlnnED CoURTsHrP
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For sofissss sLs. and sweet attractive graca.
In small gray Midlandshire town
there stood small gray house. With ia
street door opening into the paved mar
kcs place, On entering II you sicod in q
wide, low ocilei room, With q Hoor oi
brilliant red bricks. aud great gliitering
/. fireplace. The door was coversd in lhe
uhser by carpet. and !. dcst ssSss ~
I mimson cloth. and The broad windoS ~,
twm filed with aossaa Ihe rooa X
called neither Kitchen nor parlor, but the
"house place" There was great eight
day clock 10 one corner. aud an oaken set
Of shelves filled with china another. For the
rest. the furniture consisted Of an old
carved oaken settle and high backed
chairs; and all aud everything was
wrought up to such perfection Of house
wiieIy thai cleanliness. from being the
mers absepce Of dirt. was, elevated into a
positive quality. glittering ID every parii-
Gle a nAltsr. n ssA A4s& VIZ
No exception in this respect was TO be
made in the person and attire Of the two
occupants Of the room on this crisp 0cto-
Der afternoon. On one side the fire. erect
OF figure, straight Of back. and determined
Of nose, sat darnnipg stockings fercely
aud swiftly. the mistress Of the house. in
snew white cap and muslin ,ksrchisf fold.
cd o. her bosom. On ths otber side, 80
ths ts6sdisd cubio1 Of seta@ -
her husband, an old and reverend man,
whose hair made silver fringe round his
polished head, whose face was mildly hu-
morons, seriously genial. and whose blue
eyes pored through spectacles over the
works Of Richard Baxter. White volumi-
nous neckclsth, black tail coat and knee
breeches. tight black stockings over plump
legs, and neat buckled shoes adorned his
outer man. His inner man was furnished
as scrnpulously and irreproachably. This
was Josiah Hawthorne, minister OF the lit.
tie meeting house at Melby, and opposite
sat Dame Hawthorne. bis wife.
A long silence had reigned in the room
before Mr. Hawthorne, pushing up his
spsclacles to Wis forehead, and Directing a
gently beamipg glance teward his wife.
asked:
And where is Bessy this afternoon, my
dearp
Nay, you must not ask me. It's not the
fashion nowadays for mothers to be con-
suited about their daughters doings.
Come, come, mother, our Bessy goes
not with such new fashions, as you know
full we'll. Has she left any task unful-
filled.
Nay, I'll not say that. And am not SO
sure but what she did just mention that
Mrs. Hassop had made her go up to the
Hall to sit with her this afternoon.
She'll not take harm there; for though
the woman's tongue is to me wearipsss,
yet verify believe her to be good Chris.
tian, and that she judges her riches Is but
lent unto her by the Lord. She has taken
our Bessy greatly in favor, aud she'll
take no harm there, she'll take no harm,
and Mr.. Hawthorne nodded his head mus
ingly.
The girl is well enough, Josiah. But
mothers heart is exercised concerning |
her offspring as none other can be-
And l greatly misdoubt me concerning
the young Mr., Hassop who lives with his
mother.
Y Int tut, mother. p Trvst ur.Bessy to
keep bin, or any other young man q his
fitting distance. II be has honorable in.
tentions, and the Lord wills it, the thing
will come to pass. The maiden is worthy
Of the best, and he is o good pious young
man, and We may safely leave such things
in the Lords handssA u
Atthsk pointthe Iasch n IT, oetsr door
was lifted. and the dialogue $as inter
rupted by the entrance OF the subject oft
Bessy Hawthorne, the minister's youngest
laughter. and the only one remaining un-
Ter his roof, stepped into the room with
,ertain daintiness only communicable to
be gaitsby 4 foot and a hesrt equslly light
3he glanced atths clock eagerly, and ex-
:laimed.
That's right! It's not struck four I've
such race to be back in time to get
I'd
u ferrous movements, and di-
70" deA nkeen pelisse aud poke
,,ssaa. i whicAl u. y ~ !. .ns1s shs
70 jewel 10 anime, shs ne hornespunI
willow pattern china on /, .taid de-
zen, maintaining the while a b her
eanor befitting tho handling, unde. "a
others eye, Of property so perishab.
d so precious. n,
That evsning was the occasion Of the v,
'ekiy prayer meeting. The meeting or
use was low square building OF gray 10
me; inside we're whitewash walls and n
sh pews lined with green baize. On th
@ side the aisle sat the men, the women mi
the other. Bessy with her father and M
'ther entered the little chapel a few CO
nntes before the appointed time. II w
$ rare thing to see a stranger in that
lie friendly community. Bessy's eyes hi
re downcsstsna hsr demsanos rsyer- "A
iial, yet hooking up invoiubtariiy she II
zane aware Of strange young man who vi