Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-06-16
THE LOVE OF :.
=. A LONELY LIFE.
BY Adelaide D. Reynolds.


A PRIM little house, discreetly alooi
~ from the dusty road of Vermont
:oMn-this was the home of the Widow
Thurber, and it faithfully reflected the
character of its owner. The white clap
boards and green blinds of the house
were always as glaringly immaculate
as fresh paint could make them; and
perfect order was the first law of the
garden. A profusion of sweet, old
fashioned flowers filed the neat beds,
laid out with careful exactness as to
shape and size beneath the sunny south
windows. The fragrance from banks
of sweet peas mingled deliciously with
the aromatic breath of the pine tree
that stood, tall, dark captive, in the
narrow little front yard, always whis-
pering softly and yearningly of its far
away forest home.
The Widow Thurber, with her smooth
hair always compactly coiled and her
cleans well-starched garments scented
with dried lavender, matched her sur
roundings. She was thrifty and indus
trious. born manager, and she had
paid for the little home by her own toll.
with the help of small pension and the
occasional days work she could get out
of Elias, her only son.
Elias depended upon his mother, as a
dreamy, careless nature will, upon a
forceful, energetic one. lie liked to
have her boss him." as he called it, and
scold him into activity. He felt that,
in this way, he might do his duty in life
without mental or moral wear and tear.
Elias had a yellow. weather-beaten
look. ard listless, dropping Shoulders;
his gait was Longing and awkward,
and he spoke in weary, drawing mon
otone: but his eyes were warm and
blue, and his manner so gentle and kind
that he was liked by all. Fathers and
msthers agreed that there was "nothin'
bad about 'Lias Thurber, an he'd make
some girl a mighty good husbun' if he
only had little more VIM" He had
drifted on in life in an easy, aimless
way, tending his mothers garden, car
ing for her horse, cow, pig and chick
ems, and occasionally working out for
a day OF two in haying or the rush of
springs work.
He attended all the social happen
ings of the place. The young people all
treated him with the familiar conf
dencc one feels in brother. He made
for the girls willing and delightful
second fiddle" when favored beaux
failed to come forward to escort them
to ball or party; and many unwelcome
attentions were turned aside by the ac-
commodating devotion of Elias. Yet
1t bad always been said that he was GER
tainly ''cut out for an old bach. He's
good, clever fellow. but he amt got no
energy" was the general opinion.
His life, commonplace and seemingly
emotionless as il was, had nevertheless
been full of quiet romance and smoth-
cred besrtache. At 90 he had wooed
a gentle, dove-eyed girl, who favored
his suit in spite of her parents warm
ings. He never'll be nothin' nor no
body. an you'll al'ays be poor" they
argued; hes good Teller enough, but
he's too slack" But she loved him and
promised TO marry him. The next sum
mer she faded quickly away with con-
sumption and dropped out of his life,
with all the bright hopes he had built
about her.
Elias made no sign of grief or disap- |
pointment. He kept up the irregular
and languid industry of his life, and |
drawled out slow jokes in his half-mer-
~. half-weary way. as usual. People |
soon forgot that he had ever thought of |
"gettin' married"
A few years later he began to keep |
company" with the young daughter of |
a prosperous farmer. She was bright,
vivacious and well educated, and she /
had ambitious plans for her future. |
Everyone wondered that she should /
fancy slow, shiftless, obscure Elias
Thurber. She would have married him /
at once, but her parents, who knew
their willful daughter too well to for
bid the marriage, urged that she was
too young and should wait few years.
They crafty extolled Elias good quail
tiles. 'He amt got no bad habits, an
he's got an awful good disposition. OF
course, he'll never set the Connecticut
river afre; but, for all that. he'll make
her a good. kind husbun'," they would
say.
She soon went away TO her studies,
and year later she married rich man
from a distant city whom she had met
while visiting friend.