Welcome to sleep stories with Steph It is time to relax.
And fully let go.
There is nothing you need to be doing now.
And know where you need to go.
Close your eyes.
And feel yourself sink into the support beneath you.
And let all the worries of the day go.
Drift away.
This is your time.
And your space.
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
And let it out with a long sigh.
That's it!
There is nothing you need to be doing now.
And know where you need to go.
Happy listening.
The way of the winning of Anne.
Jerome Irving had been courting Anne Stockard for 15 years.
He had begun when she was 20 and he was 25.
And now that Jerome was 40 and Anne,
In a village where everybody knew everybody else's age,
Had to own to being 35.
The courtship did not seem any clearer a climax than as it had been at the beginning.
But that was not Jerome's fault,
Poor fellow.
At the end of the first year he'd asked Anne to marry him and Anne had refused.
Jerome was disappointed but he kept his head on and went courting Anne just the same.
That is,
He went over to Isek Stockard's house every Saturday night and spent the evening,
And then walked home with Anne from prayer meeting and singing school and parties when she would let him,
And asked her to go to all the concerts and socials and quilting frolics that came of.
Anne of course would never go,
But Jerome faithfully gave her the chance.
Old Isik rather favoured Jerome's suit,
For Anne was the plainest of his many daughters,
And no other fellow seemed at all anxious to run Jerome off the track.
But she took her own way with true Stockard firmness,
And matters were allowed to drift on at the will of time or chance.
Three years later,
Jerome tried his luck again,
With precisely the same result.
And after he'd asked Anne regularly once a year to marry him,
And just as regularly,
Anne said no a little more brusquely and a little more decidedly.
Now in the mellowness of a 15 year old courtship,
Jerome did not mind at all.
He knew everything comes to the man who has patience to wait.
Time of course had not stood still with Anne and Jerome,
Or with the history of Deep Meadows.
At the Stockard homestead,
The changes have been many and marked.
Every year or two there had been a wedding in the brick farmhouse and one of old Esick's girls had been the bride each time.
Julia and Grace and Celia and Betty and Theo and Clementia Stockard were all married and gone.
But Anne had never had another lover.
There had to be an old maid in every big family she shed,
And she was not going to marry Jerome Irving just for the sake of having Mrs.
On her tombstone.
Old Isik and his wife had been put away in the deep meadows burying ground.
The broad,
Fertile Stockard Acres passed into Anne's possession.
She was a good businesswoman and the farm continued to be the best in the district.
She kept two hired men and a servant girl,
And the 16-year-old of her oldest sister lived with her.
There were few visitors at the Stockard place now,
But Jerome dropped in every Saturday night with clockwork regularity and talked to Anne about her stock and advised her regarding the rotation of her crops and setting out of her orchards.
At ten o'clock he would take his hat and cane and tell Anne to be good to herself and then go home.
Anne had long since given up trying to discourage him.
She even accepted detentions from him now,
She had used to refuse.
And he always walked home with her from evening meetings and he was her partner in the games at quilting parties.
This was all great fun for the young folks.
Old Jerome and Anne were standing joking deep meadows.
But the older people had ceased to expect anything to come of it.
Anne laughed at Jerome as she had always done and would not have owned for the world she could have missed him.
He was useful,
She admitted,
And a comfortable friend,
And she would have liked him well enough.
If only he would have met!
That ridiculous yearly ceremony of proposal.
It was Jerome's 40th birthday when she refused him again.
He realised as he went down the road in the moonlight and doubt and dismay began to creep into his heart.
Anne and he were both getting old.
There was no disputing the fact.
It was high time he brought her to terms if he was ever going to.
Jerome was an easygoing mortal and always took things placidly,
But he did not mean to have those 15 years of patient courting go for nothing.
He had thought Anne would get tired of saying no.
She said no that night just as coolly and decidedly as she had said it 15 years before.
Jerome had the sensation of going round in a circle and never getting any further on.
He made up his mind something must be done.
And just as he got to the brook that divided Deep Meadows West from Deep Meadows Central An idea struck him.
He laughed aloud and slapped his thigh.
Much to the amusement of two boys who were sitting unnoticed on the railing of the bridge.
There's old Jerome going home from seeking Anne Stockard.
Said one.
What on earth is he laughing at?
Seems to me,
If I couldn't get a wife without hoeing a 15 year old row,
I'd give up trying.
But then the Speaker was a Hamilton and the Hamiltons never had any perseverance.
Jerome,
Although a well-to-do man,
Owning a good farm.
Had so to speak no home of his own.
The old Irving homestead belonged to his older brother who had a wife and family.
Jerome lived with them and so was used to it,
And he didn't mind.
At 40,
A lover must not waste time.
He thought out the details that night and next day he opened the campaign.
But it was not until the evening after Anne heard the news.
It was her niece Octavia who told her.
The latter had been having a chat with Sam Mitchell and came in with a broad smile on her rosy face and a twinkle in her eyes.
I guess you lost your bow this time,
Aunt Anne.
It looks as if he meant to take you at your word at last.
What on earth does she mean?
I'll stand a little sharply.
She was in the pantry counting eggs and Octavia's interruption made her lose her count.
Now I can't remember whether it was six or seven dozen,
I said.
I'll have to count them all over again.
I wish Octavia you could think of something else besides bows all the time.
Listen,
Persisted Octavia wickedly.
Jerome Irving was at the social at the Cherry Valley Parsonage and he had Harriet Warren there and he took her and drove her home again I don't believe it!
" cried Anne before she thought.
Then she dropped an egg into the basket so abruptly the shell broke.
That night,
Anne felt strangely lonely as she walked home from prayer meeting.
Jerome had not been there.
The Warrens were Methodists and I rightly guessed.
He had gone to the Methodist prayer meeting at Cherry Valley.
Dancing attendance on Harriet,
I suppose,
" she said to herself,
Scornfully.
When she got home she looked at her face in the glass more critically than she'd done for years.
And had never been pretty.
When she was young,
She'd be called Gawky.
She was very tall and her figure was lank and angular.
She had a long pale face and dusky hair.
Her eyes had been good,
A glimmering hazel.
And they were pretty yet.
But the crow's feet were plainly visible.
There were brackets around her mouth too,
And her cheeks were hollow.
Anne suddenly realised that she had grown old.
That her youth was left far behind her.
She was old and Harriet Warren was young.
Her thin lips suddenly quivered.
I declare I'm a worse fool than Jerome,
" she said angrily.
When Saturday night came,
Jerome did not.
Did she care if he never came again?
She could have married him years ago if she wanted to.
Everyone knew that.
But at sunset she saw a buggy drive past her gate.
Even at that distance she recognised Harriet Warren's handsome high-collared profile.
It was Jerome's new buggy and Jerome was driving.
The wheel spokes flashed in the sunlight as they crept up the hill.
Perhaps they dazzled Anne's eyes a little.
At least,
For that or some other reason,
She dabbed her hand viciously over them as she turned sharply about and went upstairs.
One night three weeks later she met Jerome and Harriet squarely.
She was walking to church with Octavia and they were driving in the opposite direction.
Jerome had his new buggy and crimson lap robe.
His horse's coat shone like satin and had rosettes of crimson on its bridle.
Jerome was dressed extremely well and looked quite young with his round,
Ruddy,
Clean-shaven face and clear blue eyes.
Harriet sat primly by his side.
She was a very handsome girl with bold eyes,
But somewhat overdressed.
She wore a big flowery hat and a white lace veil.
And looked at Anne with a supercilious smile.
Anne understood now.
Jerome was gone.
Well,
It did not matter,
But she had been a fool.
If I'd thought he would,
I mightn't have been so sharp with him.
Was as far as she would let herself go.
When four weeks elapsed,
Jerome came over one Saturday night.
He was fluttered and anxious,
But he hid it in a masterly manner.
Anne was taken by surprise.
She had not thought he would ever come again and she was off her guard.
He came round the porch corner abruptly,
And she stood there in the dusk,
And she started very perceptibly.
Good evening,
Anne.
He said easily and unblushingly.
And choked up.
She was very angry.
Or at least she thought she was.
Jerome appeared not to notice her lack of welcome and sat down coolly in his old place.
His heart was beating like a hammer,
But Dan did not know that.
I suppose you're on your way down to the bridge.
She said cuttingly.
It's almost a pity for you to waste time stopping here.
No doubt Harriet will be expecting you.
A gleam of satisfaction flashed over Jerome's face.
A jealous woman always gave herself away.
If Anne had been indifferent,
She would not have given him that slap in the face.
I don't know if she will,
You replied coolly.
I didn't say for sure whether I'd be down tonight or not.
It's so long since I had a chat with you,
Anne.
I thought I'd drop in for a spell.
But of course,
If I'm not wanted,
I can go where I will be.
Anne could not get back her self-control.
Her nerves were all strung up,
As she would have said.
She was on the brink of a scene.
But she could not help herself.
I guess it doesn't matter much what I want,
" she said stonily.
At any rate,
It hasn't seemed that way lately.
You don't care,
Of course.
Harriet Warren is all you care about.
Well,
I wish you joy,
Perk.
Jerome looked puzzled or pretended to.
But in reality he was hugging himself with delight.
I just don't understand you,
Anne,
" he said.
You appeared to be vexed about something.
Oh,
I'm not,
Mr Irving.
Of course old friends don't count now.
Sit down.
I've no doubt your new ones will wear just as well.
If it's about my going to see Harriet,
" said Jerome easily,
I don't see how it can matter much to you.
I'm sure I'm as much of your friend as ever I was.
And have got to the point where an excited woman must go mad or cry.
Anne cried.
She sat flatly down on a chair and burst into tears.
Jerome's hat went one way and his cane another.
He sprang across the intervening space and dropped into the chair beside Anne.
Catching her hand in his,
He threw his arm boldly around her waist.
Good gracious Anne,
Do you care after all?
I don't suppose it matters to you if I do?
" she said back.
And look here,
Didn't I come after you for 15 years?
It's you I've always wanted.
And I want you yet if I can get you.
I don't care a rat for Harriet Warren or anyone but you.
Now that's the truth right out,
Anne!
No doubt it was and Anne was convinced of it.
But she had to have her cry out.
On Jerome's shoulder.
And that soothed her nerves wonderfully.
There was a wedding that fall,
And Anne Stockard was the bride.
When she was safely his,
Jerome confessed all and was graciously forgiven.
But it was kind of mean to Harriet,
Said Anne rebukingly,
To go with her and get her talked about,
Then drop her as you did.
Don't you think so yourself,
Jerome?
Her husband's eyes twinkled.
Hardly that.
How it's engaged to that Johnson fellow out West!
Taint generally known,
But I knew it,
And that's why I picked on her.
The fellow had to do something,
Said Jerome.
And I'd have done almost anything to get you Anne,
That's a fact.
And there it was,
Caught in 15 years and nothing to show for it.
I dunno though,
How I came to think of it.
I guess it was sort of an inspiration.
Anyhow,
Now I've got you,
Anne.
And that is what I set out to do in the very beginning.
