Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1903-08-01

OF marriage or the least indication that
she would ever experience either. Once,
indeed, when she was quite a child
only twenty four-there had been a
young man, a very piOus, well-man-
nered young clergyman, who-but that
seemed like dream to Miss Sophie now.
She might have doubted whether he
ever lived If he had not given her that
little old Book of Common Prayer and
the faded daguerreotype of himself in
that little folding case in the corner Of
the what not" He had been her one
possibility" remote always, but now
quite out Of the question since he had
married his cousin to please his father,
and was now fat bishop as we'll as
the father Of large family.
For four years now Miss Sophie had
been "mothering" the two children Of
her dead sister. Until Matte grew
old enough and strong enough to go to
work Aunt Sophie had been hard put
to it to make ends meet in the little
household. She had sewed and mend.
ed, MIXED her COW, tended her own
chickens, cooked, secured, and saved
to keep Matte and the boy, Harry,
decently at school. She had even
found time to do some plain sewing
for the neighbors, and it was agreed on
all sides that Aunt Sophie hadn't "a
lazy bone in her body" Mattie's
wages as a machine girl" in the but
ton factory helped wonderfully in this
small household, but it made the old
maids heart bleed to see her set off
for the shop every morning, and poor
Harry, who was ten, looked very dis
consulate lettering away to school
without his sister.
Mr.. Kingsland, the button manufac-
turer, had been very kind to Miss So
phie and to Matte. In fact, he had
made place" for the child, and had
gone out Of his way to advance her
in the works, with corresponding in
crease Of pay. But he was practical
business man for all that, and the
hours were long, the work hard and
the wages not over much. 1t little
towns like Belleville everybody knows
everybody, and Mr.. Kingsland had spe-
cial reasons for knowing Aunt Sophie.
Her brother had worked In the fac
tory, and it seemed quite fair and nat
ural that he should be kind to the
orphans. But this kind of interest
hardly explained his first visit to the
old maids house, nor the repeated at
tentions which he showed her. He was
forever asking her advice about the
treatment Of the girls at work in his
factory and Sunday seldom passed
without visit, long or short. from
Mr.. Kingsland.
He was pleased to take tea with
them once or twice, and he showed
such an interest in ''her children"
such a fatherly regard for Matte, such
an amused friendship for little Harry,
such a frank and generous desire to be
kind to everyone, that little Miss So.
phie came to regard him as something
less than wealthy patron, something
more than mere acquaintance. There
was no nonsense about him, and his
presence in the house, though cause
Of restraint at first for both Matte and
her brother, came to seem so natural
that the cheerful little housekeeper al
ways laid his plate for Sunday supper,
and the girl and her brother always
dressed In their finest and smiled their
sweetest when they knew he was com.
ing.
Sometimes when the children were
not present he would sit in the veranda
with Miss Sophie and tell her old stor.
les of his past life-plain, unvarnished
tales Of his struggles for an education
and q living-an unromantic story full
Of the grim realities Of a poor boys
hopes and disappointments. He had
never married. He had been too busy
with the harsher affairs of life.
II don't know that anyone would
have me-" he would laugh. I'm sixty
years old, plain old bear; now, DOM
you think so, Miss Sophie?"
And she would reply with some tritt
old sophistry, as Handsome is al
handsome does" or Never too late t.
mend" But when he was gone, Q
lonesome giant trudging away to hi:
furnished room in the hotel, she w0uli
sit alone for hours after the children
had gone to bed and wonder If hi
visits, If his confidential manner ant
talk, If his extraordinary interest II
her and the little ones meant any
thing And If so?
Suppose" she would say. looking
into her little mirror at her own round
cheerful, handsome face, Suppose HI
should? What? Ask you to marry
him. What would you say?"
And she would smile little doubt
fully, as she shook her head, and, put
ting out the light, lay down to think 4
all over. There was nothing parti
cularly romantic about Miss Sophie
She was a demure, modest little soul
but, being woman, she could no
avoid bordering such q denouemen
for this persistent friendship of mai
whom everybody admired and respect
ed. 1t was in such terms that sh,
thought Of him. He was no hero IL
her eyes, for the little old maid didn'
"go in" for heroes. She fancied tina
he would make gentle, considerate
"safe' husband for any woman
and
"He's liko n father IN tbo childro,