The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1897-10-14

patsss vstt slovly back iolo The hous
oa tie threshold she tarne3 10 loot At
ihs retttslIug utgoB. Fathers grows
old, shs thought BEN be sorry TO see
sheu BE- comes
The h3es Of lbe lowei part Of Der ist
rsiaIed As she stood by the door, nl
sboved that touch Of rigidiiy, that lac
Of tenderness, 80 characteristics Of her u i.
uet sni 90 uuirae 10 htr real nsiute, Ii,
band tell cstesslbsly upon the howers
her wsist She uerded The f9wer,
btisbtsn her up she thought ior she b.
srowu somber vilh the years, like 40 ol
engraving 1t vsss picture Of Wasbin
too besr her that made her think Of th
comparison.
She looked about The room With all th
pride Of passessioc = ior 10 her eyes It va
the chei's spot Of all the world II va
large sn1 bay viudow added light 40,
broke the othervise rigid outline, 10 th
winter that vindow ~sss miniature ool
setyatory. redoIent OF pink and heliolrop
aod gorgeous wilh gersniam snd olesnder
Nov it served merely SIS shrine tJr a po
OF c.rnsllon, set Spsu by it's mistress. 81
especially worthy OF honor
TIE room bad been rather bare wheI
Oscar when away, for Dorcss had come tc
the house with a small dowfy, but nov
there was pretty carpet setting forth
bright leaves relieved by a background oil
green's sofa covered with gay Brussels,
some eminentIy respectable, tut hardly
inviting, black walnut, including table
on which were laid some OF the current
magazines, expressing Dotcss pride 10
being in the world and OF 1t; some willow
chairs, ribbon bedecked; and near her q
large, well filed bookcase her medicine
chest she called it. rs she thought Of the
purpose 1t had served,
Daring the first year OF her loneliness
she bad been angry and resenIiul; bat 10
time the anger had burned out; then had
come period Of waiting. when she sat for
hours, listening so intently that the fall
Of book or step in the house Jared up
90 her like q disoordsnt note; then had
come period OF regre; aud self accusing,
She tried TO defend herself from the
charge OF being quarrelsome, by thinking
that her theories we're not like those OF
others, iust patterns woven into the life
texture; hers we're part OF it's very warp
md wool aud she could not help trying TO
yet them forth and enforce them. any
more than she could help the color OF her
lair. she hecsms more aud more sure,
IS time went on, that il there we're ever to
1e any happiness 10 her home when Oscar
,sme back, and she made sure that be
would come back, she must somehow es
sblish harmony OF thought
1t was for tbi, purpose that she had
Fought the books, Her hand ran lightly
yer their edges as il they we're piano
.eys, while she remembered what they
Isd meant to her, She had pored early
nd late over those on the first shelf, |
hat she might unlesrn q creed ss dear 10 |
Ter as her own nature. CHANGING up. she
oticed, across the room. painted face
1st outlined 10 the dusk. II was por
RAFT Of her Aunt Dofcss, a prim, sweet
aced woman. who had looked upon |
ttinkets Of gold' and bright ribbons ss
OF the Evil One,' and had
ven mourned her own gift OF beauty ss
mare set by this same Arch-contriver to
stcb the soul.
Doross remem beted for years Aunt
,orcas had never looked into mirror.
ley said, lest she herself might be led
way to pay some slight, and as she would
ave termed it, idolatrous homage TO the
mage y fl scted there. Yet once, when
be was 40 old women, they said, she had
come upon q mirror, stood
airing a minute, then turned away, and
ss very sad and refused 10 speak for q
u time. She bad thought, it seemed,
lat the whole world had grown gray e1
.pt herself.
Ga the second shelf we're the books
hch she had studied when she had tried
unlesrn a political theory, to renouuce
hich was like trying to move ont OF her I
Fn brain. 10 time she had succeeded 80
I rs 10 give up her strong advocacy OF (
ID passion for proselytism. In the
urse Of time, too, she had managed TO
feep her minds sky OF oil cobwobs OF I
odern tsntssy, Til she FELT that there {
uld be no vrsngling wuen Oscar came
me - 7ness be should disagree with {
u on certain question OF nstionsl f {
nee. :
She had formed. through various infu {
ces perhaps the very air OF the locality /
IS Infected by it-s strong opinion upon t
is money question, Oscar had never s
oke OF 1t and her heart sank within her, 8
she isnoied that be bad been wander 9
g 10 sre4ioD OF diff Trent thought. and t
llcy. She had Tor months seized every
portonity to learn the opposing srgn {
ents, 10 hope ths 10 case be should dill I
: from her, she might quickly avail her
II OF them "to break the fall" ." She
gbt ueed them any time nov. for sbe b
lly expected bin. At 6rst shs had q
yer set times. bat looked forward
tienlly Nov her power Of waiting bad d
en- stretched to its 1tno 1t tension. She .
i that she could lot bear more. Hs /
lst come coon nov, or they sould hnd =
r there some day belpl ss, every nerve =
igerlug like a strigg when the bos Is =
avu across It. y