Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-10-06

81 don't care what she thought. Wait a
minute amt told you the whole You'll
do WE'LL says |. she blushed up real sort
o pretty; AN hope | SHALL she says,'-
just like that"
you're great one, Dan'l" His
wife laughed, though still with round,
shocked eyes. She laid the tie over her
knee, and then held it up to the light.
'Itll be beautiful on my black silk-the
waist s palmer N they make 'em now
No other thanks were said, and Daniel was
not conscious of needing any. Without,
it was showing in heavy flakes, which beat
now and then upon the window panes, but
the two within were warm.
"What you say to driving over { the
church sociable tonight" was Daniel in
quiry few nights later, just as Nancy had
finished her work and drawn out her rock
ing chair 81 do know as we get out oft
en- enough. It's good sleighin' an we
can't count on that very long"
1t took them twenty minutes or more to
decide whether they would go, Nancy
more than once saying that Daniel ought
to have talked of it in the morning, and
given her time to think about 1t without
getting connustrated. "But you was al
ways just like that, Dan'l," she declared.
"Come right in where l was to work with
my sleeves rolled up-'Well, ready for
sleighride tonight you'd say-then,
when twas all fixed, you'd hang around as
if you never was going to GO
"Guess that was because liked to see
you that way" said Daniel "You never
looked so well as when you had your
! sleeves rolled up"
Nancy finally decided to go, and put her
| head out of the bedroom door moment
later. Don't look like snow, does it?'
she asked. Daniel shook his head. 81
/ guess I'll wear my new bonnet she said.
| When she appeared in her new bonnet
and black silk with the lavender tie, Dan
iel privately thought her a very handsome
old lady. SCOT enough on?'
"Why, yes, guess so
"No, you haven't Daniel brought a
shawl he had warmed at the stove, and
wrapped it around her. 81 amt going to
take any girl riding an have her ketch
cold He stopped down to button her
long cloak over it. 81 don't have rheum-
'tiz," he explained, while Nancy in her
turn pulled the bow of his crayat out
carefully.
The air was so crisp and cold, and the
starry sky so clear that the old couple felt
a youthful tingle of eXhiaration at the
thought of the two-mile drive. Daniel
carefully helped his wife in and tucked the
robes about her "Fees conf table she
mumbled through her veil and the muff
she was holding against her face; and Dan
iel took hold of her hand moment, pre-
tending to arrange the robe. They were
heartily welcomed at the socable, and
there were several who took occasion to
whisper to one another that they guessed
Nancy Bell want failing so much as they
supposed, if she could go out so far of a
winters night
at sort o chrks a person up TO be
amongst folks" said Nancy, on the way
home. 81 was always fond of goin'. An
we seem to enjoy ii more than some.
Dyou notice how John Sheldon an his
wife stayed tight together the whole even
ing? Well, now, what good d they get
out of goin'? You want to mix up with
other folks more, an then you have some
thing differ mt to tell when you get home. y
That's the way you used to do when
you was girl?n
"Why, yes, that's the way"
"Well, now, | can tell you that used to
make me jealous" said Daniel.
"P-s-h-h.' said his wife, giving his knee
a playful pinch-and this time Daniel
made no pretence of arranging the robe.
Whether these husbandly attentions act
ed as a tonic it is impossible to say; but as
the winter advanced, and the snow still lay
rugged and broken, but without melting,
on either side of the roads, some of Nan
cys energy seemed to come back. She
had always been "spry on her feet" but
this "spryness," which had caused her to
attempt many unnecessary things, had
lately diminished. Now, again, her old
ways claimed her. Daniel, coming in from
the barn one bleak afternoon, was made
pleasantly conscious of the odOr of wailes
before he opened the kitchen door. $50
this is what you've been up to, is it?' he
inquired, with sniff of anticipation.
at seemed, as you might say, good
day for watlles," answered Nancy.
"Why didn't you tell me You was going to
have 'em? | could have helped YOU
(The waffle iron was broken, and required
an ambitious mind, not easily discouraged,
to manipulate it.)
"Oh, l thought they'd taste better as a
prise "
Daniel washed his face and hands at the
sink, and held the towel far from him up
on his outstretched hands, as a mans way
is He looked around the room. Since
Nancy had grown so feeble they had taken
their winter meals in the kitchen. The
table was primly laid, with preserved
peaches and shaved dried beef. Nancy,
with white apron tied about her waist,
was lowering near With the impulse
which came TO him at the moment, Daniel
bent over and spoke in her better ear-for
this was not thing to be said twice over.
'Nancy-you knOw?-you amt give me
a kiss this ever so long"
Nancy had the waffle platter poised up
on her hands. She stopped. "You amt
asked me, have you?" said she, glancng
over her shoulder at him with spice of
her old coquetry.
"Well, has a man got to ask his wife ev-
cry time, after he's lived with her more n
forty years?"
"Why no, not as l know Of" She tap
ped her foot upon the ground, as she
might have done forty years before.
There was a soft flush upon her old New
England cheek. Daniel kissed the pinkest
place, and she reached up to his other
cheek and gave it a quick little peck.
"There! go long with you!n she said.
"Bless God for my husband" was what it
meant.
Later on, there came a stretch of beau
tiful days, cold indeed, but not with the
deadening cold of December. "Wen,
who'd you see up to town?' was Nancy's
IT,. n.