The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-07-22

place did not prevent her from visiting
Mrs. Lamson upon terms of perfect
equality. She was fond of the weak,
amiable woman, strongly as she CEN
sured, in her youthful strength, the easy
going Incidence that made her home
such scene of confusion and discom-
fort; and in her gentle, pleasant way,
she endeavored to brighten the home
by suggestions and offers of help that
fell to the ground. 1t was like fighting
a feather bed to try to arouse Mrs. Lam
son to any active improvement, and re-
buffed there, Essie could only help
Mark by words of sympathy that were
like wine of life to his love.
"And while am here l must do the
work that lies under my hand" he said,
"hard as it isl But Essie," and his face
frightened, "do you know that already
have made the farm pay double what it
has ever donep Next spring l can hire
help out of money saved from the sale of
last years crops"
Essie, all eager interest, entered into
the discussion of the capabilities of such
a lot of turnips, such patch of wheat,
the possibilities of dairy, the best
culture of fowls, as if she had never
studied music or filled her head with
French and German verbs.
But the horror and wrath of Judge
Lennox, when after two years of mild
courtship, Mark took his fate into his
hands and asked his permission to mar
.ry Essie, cannot be described.
"a Lamsonl" he cried, when having
dismissed Mark he returned to his
family. "a Lamson for Essie's hus-
band! The fellow wants my money to
send after all his father and grandfather
have squandered."
"Do you really and truly think that
Mark is a spendthrift, papa?" Essie
asked quietly. docs he ever lounge
about the stores or taverns as Harry Car
ter and James Raymond do?"
'I-well, no, 1 never saw him." was
the reluctant admission.
ibid you ever hear that he drank or
gambled, or even smoked?"
''N-o-I never did"
'Is he not regular at church,"
"Ye-es."
But, oh, Essier' struck in Mrs. Len
nox, "what shabby, half-washed shirts
he wears, and his fingers are all out of
his gloves, and half the buttons of his
coat gone"
poor Mark!" said Essie gently. He
needs wifep'
"Well, he need notlook here for one,"
growled the Judge.
81 heard Mr.. Thompson say last
week." said Essie quietly, that there
is not better farm in Green county
than Lamson's.
''Such palace of a house!'' the Judge
sneered.
Mark is hoping to put up new house
on the place next year. He had builders
over from B., but they say the old
house is beyond repair, and it would
cost less to have new one"
"And where is the money to come
from?"
'Where the improved farm came
from" said Essie; from Mark S industry,
perseverance and energy, in the face of
the hardest discouragements ever a
young man had to fight"
"Eh?" said the Judge. what!
what?"
"See what he has DONE" said Essie,
still in an even, quiet tone, that carried
conviction far more than an excited
tone. Eight years ago, when he was
but boy, he put his shoulder to the
Mheel and took his playtime between
school hours to weed and clear away
stones. Nobody helped him. He was
ridiculed, sneered at, discouraged on all
sides. He had the poorest farm in the
place, and he has made it one of the
best. He has put every spare dollar in
to books on agriculture, improved ma
chimes, good stock. He has now four
men at work for him now, good
horses, good cattle, goodpoultry, and he
will have good house. Papa do you
think it will be pity to have the new
house in the care of Mrs. Lamson to
ruin as she has the old one? Out doors
the management is all left to Mark, and
see what he has done? But man can
not make home comfortable alone; he
needs wife,
"Well," said the Judge, let him have
one, but not my child"
"Still he loves me-" said Essie, "and
love him."
"Pshaw," said the Judge, and marched
out of the house.
But prompt as he was he was Just, and
he loved Essie. He had let prejudice
influence him again against Mark all his
life; now he took pains to find out how
much of his dislike was we'll founded.
Grudgingly enough was the verdict
given in Marks favor. Maysville did
not willingly acknowledge it had been
wrong in its estimate, and shouldered
upon Mark all the faults of his ances
tors. But the facts were strong and
Judge Lennox found himself confronted
by them. Slowly, for he was not easily
convinced, to took respect into the place
of contempt, and, after a month of pa
tent investigation, sent for Mark.
The interview was a frank, manly
one, the old gentlemen not being given
to half-hearted measures of any kind.
He admitted his former predjudices, and
heartily commended the young man who
had struggled so nobly.
"When your new house is finished"
he said, 81 will let Essie be your wife,
A man who can make his way against
wind and tide as you have done deserves
happy home.
The Judge being a power in Mays
vile, public opinion veered round as
soon as the engagement was announced.
The new house being completed, Essie
became housekeeper, Mrs. Lamson
gladly resigning her feeble reign. And
under the new reign it was wonderful tC
see how even the old people smartened
up. They had no chronic objection tC
cleanliness, if some one else did the nee
essary work; and with Mark and EsslC
to govern and direct the Lamson farm
and Lamson household so lost its ole
name that you could scarcely find to-day
any one in Maysville to repeat the ole
saying that mark Lamson came of bac
stock. ''-Annie Shields in NeD YOrI
Ledger.
LITTLE THINGS THAT TELL.
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