News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-06-11
Caleb DlSGlbQTy's C0uTtShip.
BY NJ. CADY.

tired from business, putting his
nephew into the place he had filled so
long, it had been very thoroughly
understood that he was in search of
a wife. He had certainly no reason
to believe that he could not win one,
for he was handsome and well-man-
nered, exceeding amiable and not yet
fifty.
Every much more agreeable than
most young men," said the matrons
of the land; and, indeed, the girls, if
they did notsay so, behaved as though
they believed it.
Now Penny-christened Penelope
Alboro was not in the set to which
Mr.. Dusenbury belonged. Her father
had been a good, honest mechanic,
and her mother had very little educa-
ton. She could read the Bible; that
was about all. But Penny had pick
ed up a good deal of the speech and
manner of fashionable girls, had been
to school with some of them, dressed
well on very little, and was the ac-
knowledged beauty of Bridgewater.
This is not land where the rules
of caste or the laws of social position
are very well refined, and Penny said
to herself that the fact that Mr.. Du-
senbury lived in a magnificent man
sion while she occupied a small frame
house in the suburbs, and that her
mother found it hard work toprovide
for her children by taking in sewing,
while he was rolling in geld, need not
prevent her from making him under
stand that he had but to ask to have
her for wife.
The church was their only meeting
place. to be sure, but they were on
common ground there. Penny con-
trived to pass and re-pass Mr.. Dusen-
bury, to seat herself within range of
| his eyeglasses, to teach the class in
Sunday-school which was next to his
own, and to meet him very often in
the library. The end was exactly
what she desired. Before long an in
PRODUCTION was requested, and given
by the librarian, a deaf old gentleman
in near-sighted glassed, and from
that day the acquaintance progressed
delightfully."-.
Soon flowers and fruit were sent
from the conservatory and hot-house
of the Dusenbury place to the little
cottage in the suburbs, and Mrs. Al
boro, having said, ''Laws-a-massyl" "
several times, finally uttered it with
even greater emphasis on seeing the
elegant equipagc, that was the admi-
ration of the whole village, stop at her
humble gate.
"Massy' sakes, Penny! here's Mr..
Dusenbury; what ken he want here?"
"To call on me, ma, . replied Penny,
with toss of her head. "What is
there so very wonderful in that? You
Tom, open the door and show Mr..
Dusenbury into the parlor-why can't
those little wretches be taught to
wash their faces?
Il won't go, so there, now! | amt
a little WRETCH" yelled Tom.
"I'll give you six cents worth of
taffy, if you will, said Penny. "Ma,
don't show yourself in that patched
gown and green gingham apron.
The old ladies of his set all wear black
satin and real lace caps and white
hair puffs. "
81 amt got 'em to wear, or mebbe
would, too" sighed Mrs. Alboro.
And as for that, l amt but two
years older than him. | remember
him a little boy. My mother used to
wash for old Mrs. Dusenbury, his ma.
She is old if you like, nigh onto
eighty"
"O6, do hush," squealed Penny.
"Tom has opened the door"
A red rose from the bush in the gar
den in her hair, another in the belt of
her black alpaca dress, clean linen
collar and cuffs, surely Penny looked
very well and very lady-like, as she
went into the little parlor.
Beauty is a valuable possession,
make light of it as one may, and in
nothing more valuable than in its
power of winning love. The old bach
elor was not an old man; his heart
was as young as ever, hewas quite as
capable of love and of romantic faith
in the woman he should love, as the
Youngest man could be. He was not
only a catch, a rich man who would
inevitably make a woman happy.
Penny scarcely understood what a
prize was about to be placed within
her reach, but she smiled and blushed
and made her dimples come and go,
and peeped out of the windows at the
horses which stood without the gate,
and admired them ecstatically, and
| gave Mr.. Dusenbury the idea that
she admired him also, though not
quite so plainly. Thegentlcman went
t away thoroughly bewitched. He
| knew all about the Alboro family;
J that John Alboro had been a jour
; neyman carpenter, that Mrs. Alboro's
mother had not been ooproud to do
laundry work, and though he felt a
little too much like King COphetua
/ for a republican he resolved never to
: be ashamed of his wiie's relatives, OF
E worthy Mrs. Alboro or of Tom and
jim. He would buy them u pretty
, cottage. They should be cared for.
Jim should be sent to school. Tom
should be a merchantile man. With
these benevolent ideas in his mind he
took his leave.
Penny was overjOyed. She danced
, about the house for the rest of the
day, and forgot to box her brothers s
ears or scold her mother; for, to tell
the truth, Penny had temper of her
own and at times rather resembled a
maniac than Il sane person. Her fits
of rage were well-knOWn in the neigh
} borhoOd, which often rushed to doors
! and windows to hear Penny AlborO's
voice singing shrill and sharp in de-