Year: 1871

did not see this, and he was infatuated
with the idea of marrying wife of such
attainments. How she would dazzle his
friends How the Governor would like
to talk to her How she would shine in
his parlors How she would delight
people as she gave them tea and talk at
the same time.


Before the end of the week he be-
gan to feel warmer feeling for Miss
Janet. 1t was not in the nature of things
that John should walk and talk with
pleasant girl week, and not feel some
thing more than his first interested de-
sire to marry snowy wife. His heart
began to be touched, and he resolved to
bring things to a crisis as soon as possible
He therefore sought an opportunity to
propose. But it was hard to find For
though Mrs. Holmes was tolera5ly inge.
nious, she could not get the boys Or the
deacon to pay any regard to their hints.
Boys are totally depraved on such ques-
tions anyhow, and always manage to
stumble in where any privacy is sought.
And as for the deacon, it really SEEM
ed as though he had some design in
intruding at the critical moment


| do not think that John was seri-
ously in love with Miss Dunton If he
had been he would have found some
means OF communicating with her. a
thousand spies with sleepless eyes all
round their heads cannot keep man
from telling his love somehow, if he
really has love to tell.


There is another fact which convin-
ces me that John Harlow was not yet
very deeply in love with Janet. He
was fond of talking with her of Byron,
and Milton, of Lord Bacon and Emer-
son, i. e., as 1 have already said, he
was fond of putting his own knowledge
on dress parade in the presence of one
who could appreciate the display. But
whenever any little thing released him
for the time from conversation in the
sitting-room, he was given to slipping
out into the old kitchen, where sitting
on chair that had no back, and lean
ing against the chimney-side, he de-
lighted to talk to Huldah. She could
not talk much of books, but she could
talk most charmingly of anything that
related to country life, and could ask
John many questions about the great
city. Iii fact, John found that Huldah
had come into possession of only such
facts and truths as could be reached in
her narrow life, but that she had as
simulated them, and thought about them,
and that it was more refreshing 10 hear
her original and piquant remarks about
the topics she was acquainted with,
than to listen to the tireless stream Of
Janet Dunton's ostentatious erudition.
And he found more delight in telling
the earnest and hungry-minded girl
about the great world of men, and the
great world of books, than in talking
to Janet, who was, in the matter of
knowledge, little Jtase, if | may be
allowed the expression And then to
Huldah he could talk of his mother,
whom he had often watched moving
about that same kitchen. When he


had spoken to Janet of the associa-


tions of the old place with his moth
er's countenance, she had answered with


a quotation from some poet, given in a
tone Of empty sentimentality. He in
stinctively shrank from mentioning the


subject to her again but to Huldah it
was so easy to talk of his mothers gen.
tleness and sweetness Huldah was not
unlike her in these respects, and then she
gave him the sort of sympathy that finds


its utterance in a tender silence-so
much more tender than any speech can
be- He observed often during the week
that Huldah was depressed. He could
not exactly account for it, until he motto


cd something in his sisters behavior


toward her that awakened his suspicion
AS soon as opportunity offered he inquir-


ed of Huldah, affecting at the same time


to know something about it.


"I don't want to complain of your
sister to you, Mr.. Harlow"


"Pshaw! call me John, and as for my
| sister, l know her faults better than you
! do. Go on, please"


"Well, it's only that she told me that
d Miss Dunton wasn't used to eating a
: the same table with servants, and wher
y one of the boys told your father, he wal


mad and came to me, and said, Huldah
+ you must eat when the lest do If yol
y stay away from the table on account o
q these city snobs I'll make fuss on th'
+ spot SO to avoid fuss | have kept ol
going to the table"


: John was greatly vexcd with this
o He was chivalrous fellow, aud he knew