Year: 1874

You have known me--let me see
something like dozen years and you
must have known Tuftsboro' and its
neighborhood for about the same length
OF time. 1t has changed very much,
however, i'll the few years preceding.
Twelve or fifteen years ago the whole
region was wild, rough, bleak, and in
hospitable.


Tho house which | now occupy had
been inhabited by my father and grand
father. Where it stands was then y
wood, just before the hills commenced
to rise toward Holdane and there was
not then single other house within
two miles on the Holdane side, and
something like mile and half on the
other, toward Burn


1 courted and won a wife at Holdane.
had my wedding day, or rather we'd
ding night, fixed, after two years of
have been madly in love with Milly Col
younger than myself; ] thought her
very handsome, and quite worthy of
even all the affection | that could bestow
upon her 1 certainly thought | could
give more of that security for welded
happiness than most men of my age.


Alilly Golden was the eldest daughter
of Il partially-invalid widow lady, living
at Holdane, pinching along little, L
was often afraid Though 1 did not dare
insult them by limiting at assistance, or
even making a direct inquiry, on n
small life annuity left her by her de-
ceased husband, clergyman and
something of habitual sadness being
connected with the family history and
traditions, through the loss Mt sea, many
years before, of no less than three of
the brothers of Milly's mother, all sea-
faring men, and more or less scape-
graces, perhaps remembered but the
more fondly on the latter account. 1t
is necessary again to be particular in
saying that Mrs Golden was not an old
resident, but had accompanied her hus-
band, some years after marriage, from
the coast line, her family history being
far less known, and her circle of visiting
acquaintance much more limited, than
they might have been in the event of
her original residence in the neighbor-
hood.


How 1t was that my wedding night
was set for Christmas, l forget, il |
ever really knew.


AT all events, the marriage was fixed
for Christmas night, in the room in her
mothers house where we had so often
sat hand-in-hand to talk over the love of
the present and the hopes of the future.
And never did expectant bridegroom
look forward to any one period with such
certainty of happiness, as | to that
Christmas evening


Nature meanwhile Voc nc nov, ,c -, =,
hopes, and as pure as those of nv bride.
for the snow lay deep over all the
region, shrouding everything that might
have been ugly or offensive. Then a
long period OF clear cold weather seemed
to have set in, lasting for many DAYS,
with only the change of its gradually
growing keener and keener, until at the
verge of Christmas the atmosphere must
have touched zero and gone far below it.


What was cold weather-nay, freezing
weather, however, to a heart as young,
as warm, and impetuous as mine? Was
not Mllly to be mine on Christmas
night, and comfort my life thereafter :?
L well remember the warm, blushing
kiss she gave me as 1 left her on Tues
day morning, after making the excuse
of carrying her up II pair of shoes and
some ribbons, while the fact was, sup
pose, that l felt the impossibility of
waiting two whole days without sight of
her, the proprcities necessarily keeping
me absent on the last night of unmarried
life.


How fearfully cold that last night shut
down ! | remember its chill as if it had
been but yesterday. The snow crlmched
under the foot with that peculiar me-
tallic sound indicative of every flake
being frozen anew the stars winkcd
with chill glitter that seemed stcely
and pitless and the northwest wind
bit home like the driving of sharp icicles
into the flesh. 1t was an awful night,