Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-11-19

compelled to tell you that an old fellow who
only spoke to your wife once had to wipe his
spectacles over The Times this morning. 1t
came about this way. The lady had taken In
to dinner at the Browne Smythes gabbled about
science till 1 lost my temper and told her it
would be a good thing II women would keep
TO their own sphere Your wife was on the
other side, and turned to her in despair. She |
delighted me by confessing utter ignorance of
my subject, and then she won my heart by
some of the loveliest stories Of peasant life in
Devonshire had ever heard, so full Of insight
delicacy. II the parsons preached like that,
would be in church next Sunday. She put me
in mind Of a sister lost long ngo-who had
the same low, soft voice and honest, trusty
eyes. When she found / was a lonely man,
your wife had pity on me and asked me to cali
on her. But had to go to America, and only
returned two days ago. 1 intended to wish her
happy New Year, but it's too late. 1 cannot
get you out Of my mind, and / thought it
might comfort you to know how q fossil like
myself was melted by that kind heart Believe
me, my dear sir, your obedient servant,
ARCHIBALD GILMORE.
The third was also from a man, but
this time a lad in rooms whom Trevor
had seen at the house:
DEAR MIR. TREvoR-You perhaps know that
Mrs. Trevor allowed me to spend an hour with
her Of an evening when felt downhearted or
had any trouble, but no one will ever know
how much she did for me. When l came up to
London, my faith began to go, and saw that
in a short time would be an agnostic. This
did not trouble me so much on my own ac-
count as my mothers, who is dead, and made
me promise something on her deathbed. So
bought books and heard sermons unbelief
till l was quite sick of the whole business.
Mrs. Trevor took me to hear your own clergy
man, who did not help me one bit, for he was
too clever and logical, but you remember
came home with you, and after you had gone
to your study told Mrs. Trevor my difficult
ties, and she did me more good than all the
books She never argued preached, but
when was with her one felt that religion
was a reality, and that she knew more about
it than any one had met since lost my
mother. 1t is shame to trouble you with my
story when you are in such sorrow, and no
one need tell you how noble a woman Mrs.
Trevor was, but 1 could not help letting you
know that her goodness has saved one young
fellow at least from infdelity and worse.
You will not mind my having sent cross
to put on the coffin. 1t was all l could do.
Yours gratefully, GEORGE BENSON.
There was neither beginning nor end
to the fourth letter, but it was written
in lady's hand:
am a clergyman's daughter, who left her
fathers house and went astray. have been in
the inferno and have seen what 1 read in
Dante while was innocent. One day the old
rectory rose up before my eyes, the roses
hanging over my bedroom window, the birds
flying in and out the ivy, my father on the
lawn, aged and broken through my sin, and
resolved that my womanhood should no longer
be dragged in the mire. My home was closed
years ago, had no friends, so l went in my
desperation to a certain institute and told my
case to a matron. She was not unkindly, but
the committee were awful, without either |
sympathy or manners, and when an unmar '
ried woman wished to pry into the details Of
my degradation-but can't tell a man the
shame they would have put upon me-my
heart turned to flint, and left the place. I
would have gone back to my life and persisted
had it not been for one woman VINO followed
me out and asked me to go home with her for
afternoon tea. Had she said one word about
my past had flung myself away, but because
she spoke to me as if l were still in the rectory
l could not refuse. Mrs. Trevor never once
mentioned my sin, and she saved my soul.
am now a nurse in one of the hospitals, and
full of peace. AS long as live shall lay
white flowers on her grave, who surely was
the wisest and tenderest of women.
Trevor's fortitude was failing fast
before this weight of unconscious con-
domination, and he was only able to
read one more, an amazing production,
that had cost the writer great pains:
HoNoRED SIR-Bill says as it's tyking too
much on the likes o. me TO be addressing you
on your missus' death, but it's not her hus-
band that will despise a pore working woman
oo's lost her best friend. When Bill 'ad the
rumatiks and couldn't do no work, and Byby
wos a-growing tina. thin you could see thro'
i'm, Mrs. Byles says to me, Mrs 'Awkes, you
goes to the Society For the Reorganization Of
Female Toilers." Says I, 'Wot is thatf' and I
she declares, Its set of ladies 90 wants to |
'elp women to work, and they'll see you gets
It," So goes, and 1 saw set of ladies sitting
at table, and they looks at me, and one with
spectacles and vice like an 'andsaw arsks me,
"Wot's your namef" and '''Ow old are youf"
and 'Ow many children have you2' and 'Are
your 'abits temperate2" and then she says, ''H
you pay shilling, we ill put your nyme down
for work has an unskilled worker" 81 'avn't
got shilling, and Byby's dying for want of
food" This amt POROUS " says she.
'This is a Booro." When was a.going down
the stairs, lady comes after me. Don't cry,
Mrs. 'Awkes, for she had picked up my name.
'I've some charing for you, and we ill go to get
something for Byby." If ever there wos q han
gel in a sealskin jacket and plain little bon.
net, but the true lady hall hover, 'er name
wos Mrs. Trevor. Bill, he looked up from that
day and wos on his keb in week, and little
Jim is the biggest Byby in the court. Mrs IRE
vor never rested till 1 got three hoffices to
clean, to say nothing of 'elping at cleanings
and parties in ouses. She wos that kind too
and free, when she'd come hin with noos Of
some hoffice. "Were horganizinp you, Missls
'Awkes, Just splendid" with the prettiest bit
smile. Bill, he used to say, Err usband's q
proud man, for never saw the like o. her for
a downright lady IN 'er w-ys," and e knows,
does Bill, being a kebman. When / told i'm,
he wos that bad that e never put a match t.
pipe the ole night. "Mariar," e says to me,
''you and me as seen somethink of her, but you
bet nobody knew wot saint she wos kept
'er 'usband."
Trevor could read no more, for it had
dawned at last upon him that Christ
had lived with him for more than ten
years, and his eyes had been holden.
Royal Academy.
The members of the ROYAL academy