Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-08-09

since ceased to interest him. 1t was con,
cealed after his favorite fashion-tacked
under the bottom of his desk. 1t was
written forty years ago, by Maria Woods
two years before my fathers marriage
and il was a refusal of an offer of his
hand. 1t was written in the stilted fash,
ion of that day; it might have been copied
from complete letter writer"
My father must have loved Maria
Woods rs dearly as | love Henry to keep
that letter SO carefully all these years.
| thought he cared for my mother. He
seemed as fond of her as other men Of
their wives, although | did use To won
der if Henry and | would ever get to be
quite So much accustomed to each other.
Maria Woods must have been as beauti.
fui as an angel when she was Il girl.
Mother was not pretty-she was stout,
too, and awkward, and | suppose people
would have called her rather slow and
dull. But she was good woman and
tried to do her duty.
Tuesday evening. This evening was my
first opportunity to obey the second of
Mr.. DiXs orders. 1t seemed to me the
best way to compare the average length
of arms was TO 20 10 the prayer meeting.
/ could not 20 about the town with my
/ tape measure and demand of people that
they should hold out their arms. Nobody
knows how | dreaded To 90 10 that meet
ing, but | went, and | looked not at my
neighbors cold, altered faces, but at their
arms.
l discovered what Mr.. Dix wished me
to, but the discovery can avail nothing,
and it is one he could have made him
self Phoebe Dole's arm is fully seven
inches longer than mine. | never noticed
it before, but she has an almost abnormal
ly long arm. But why should Phoebe
Dole have unlocked that door,
She made a prayer-a beautiful prayer.
1t comforted even me little-she spoke
of the tenderness of God in all the trou-
bles of life, and how it never failed us.
When we were all going out | heard
several persons speak of Mr.. Dix and his
Biblical Cyclopaedia. They decided that
he was theological student, book can
vassing to defray the expenses of his
/ education.
| Maria Woods was not at the meeting.
| Several asked Phoebe how she was, and
she replied. Not very we'll"
| 1t was very late. l thought Mr.. Dix
might be over tonight, but he has not
/ been here
| Wednesday.-I can scarcely believe
| cations seem all to point to one person,
| and that person--it is incredible! | will
not believe it, Mr.. Dix came as before,
at dawn. He reported, and l reported.
| / showed Maria Woods letter. He said
| he had driven to Acton and found that
the jeweler there had engraved the last
| date in the ring about six weeks ago.
81 don't want to seem rough, but your
father was going to get married again."
said Mr.. Dix.
81 never knew him to go near any
woman since mother died." protested.
Nevertheless he had made arrange
ments to be married." persisted Mr.. Dix.
"Who was the woman?"
He pointed at the letter in my hand.
"Maria Woods"
! He nodded.
l stood looking at him-dazed. Such a
possibility had never entered my head.
He produced an envelope from his pock-
ct, and took out a little card with blue
and brown threads neatly wound upon 1t.
LET me see those threads you found, :"
he said.
got the box, and we compared them.
he had number of pieces of blue sew
ing silk aud brown wooden rawlings, and