Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1905-12-16
LOVES WILLOW
BY DBRA RUSSELL.
Y y Y Y Y Y

Tine grassy Triangle had never been
fenced in from either road. Eight
magnificent NAPLES grew in a SYM
matrical row on it Outer edege. lie
ymd them the dusr rose whitley IN
summer Il q wagon on a cart rOlled
by Bun under them spread a de-
lici0uE golden checekei'sd shade dear
10 the hearts Of every Eennart born
within those walls
The mouse was 4 wide framed strue-
1ure Of implanted wood. with q mon
sirnus chimney fnI Its centre, and VAST
1ireplaces il all the spnrsely furnished
rooms
Squire Bennett was considered by
his HeiglihnrB and by his Iirtle world NJ
large "a fOre-handel man And, a.
though the great hnmse owned no car
pets. and its infreanent guests did mn
conscious nenance f0r their sins by
sitting in the hardest and most uHcUm
lfnrts,lsie OF gvnadan loltairs- 'HtiIl I1aHsy
Bennett. his dnugirtsr und only child
WIS called an heiress lly her COM
paniOns, and wOOed aF such by ali the
more cIreful Young men within tine
town.
But Hapsy Tins far had laughed Ht
lovers and AT love alike.
Sine WAS q trim, active Eir4 of eight
zen. with soft. dark brown eyes, and
4 pensively pleasant smile, fair com
plexinn, and regular features, and q
color in lier cheeks Ike the heaT1 o.
nanlask rose.
Somewhat shy in manner and re
firing in disposition, ii was hard al
FIRST 10 make her acquaintance: but AZ
terward II YOU were worthy OF 1rHe
and earnest friendship, no staHnler
friend than Hapsv could be found
Tie idol Of her father, and IL her
own guiat WAY the village fav0rite and
belle. ] think she had in her early
years bur one trouble That wHs her
name
II seemed 10 iIsr Very ETaviOus
thing fhat she siouid have hean
christaned 'Hapsllonia 4" Al tire whim
Of maiden aunt who invented the
name after seven weeks Of hard men
1al effort, ana WHO left To the child
in owing, one hundred golden dollars
for its every letter.
Oven the Thousand golden REASONS
fnr the haired anpellHfinn could not
console the child as she grew older.
Size wnuld so gladly have been called
''BiaIirhe' - 9r Edith OF Ethel" Bun
VINO ever Heard NJ heroine of re-
nance with a name liiEe haTB!
Al seventeen. however Hapsy's p.ssz
mmE suddenly ceased.
Sine was sent by heT iHdBlgent faith
er, 10 famous boarding school. Or
rather, an academy" in n neielilBoT-
Ing State. There. betwRan the dusk
OF one summers Any and tie dawning
of another. life took on q new meaning,
and WAS Invested with glory before
unknown
AND there. among many Gtlfer start
ling discoveries she learned that tine
name of 'THapsy" lJreathea IL lowing
tones, hensath n harvest moon wRE
quite as sweat rs any Ethel" Of them
ALI
HaDsy returned from THAT faIal acafi-
envy an altered beinE Always quiet,
she WIS now as shy and silent as a
hermit fhEush ana nnly when Philip.
Oliver mad followed her 10 the h0ms
stead and greeted her as no man
slIHuld ever greer q woman whom he
does not MEM 10 win Tor MS wife
nnly then did she regain hcT iOst clfeer-
fulHess and rat0in her old friends and
IilaymHfeE with her lover Ivy her side
Philip Oliver WIS yuI1IEs and 1snor
But he WIS also ardent, and deeply
ambitious. Al 0ue-annsrwsnty he nj
ready lived in the future. ana those
vino knew him hest shook their heads
and said that HnpEy's uuiet beauty
would never have Itfr8cteu him IL II
had not bean rendered still more an
Iractive NY her fatlIer's broad acres
in the background, and Ivy the GlowTy
of her Own strange name
No one was hold enough 10 hint this
To Hapsy.
Sine chung more and HI0Tn f0Hdiy TO.
her lover as the day OF separation drew
near
On the Eput where they parted, she
planted a shoot Of tAe golden willow
as soon as Phillip had gone.
THE willow grnwE quickly" sfIe
though as she laBOred over her INST
This will be JaIl young tree 10y our
wedding dry"
Alas, poor Hapsy! Tine willow grew
INTO a massive and mighty trunk And
vet tlIa1 wedding day had never
aaWnsn
Twenty years had passed slowly and
sadly by.
During the last ten Squire Bennett
had besn lying il his grave IN fha
4iritlaafOTd churrlyard, sent there he
fore his time-ir was Eaid-hy the -aE-
clltty Of q Young townEman. fnr whose
benefit lac had signed iIeayy notes.
nnly 10 he LEFT to pay them without rs.
Bisrance, and even without svnuafhy 4
on ktnhHess from the man wllo had
been his rnin.
Black, indeed. mad been tine flBy when
Phillip Oliver entered the .olH home
stead with lying promises upOn his
Tcttiy I0liglle.
One Rinr1 year had loft the father
lmnn'ered with mortgages HnH other
HnIbarrHssmentg which lIe had never
lived 10 clsar away, and the Iiaugiffer
bankrupt in falth and love forever
Poor Hapsy
On the evening 81 har thirty eighth
birtlIday size sat in tie open door 81
the old homestead looking out across
the grassy triangle. at tine light maple
trees. and the road bey0nd-.fIat road
Ivy which Phillip Oliver had 80 often
hurried 10 meet her during that one
beautiful year, when tlEs world WIS
SO bright and happy, when her Ieuri
and her lr1me together were SO fnll OF
life. and light, and dove.
Ter SON was full OF bitterness ms she
Eazed at the willow tree. now wnvinr
its widely spreading branches high ND