Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-02-24
5tll5rrllanRUu5.
tfon the Den Annual
SUSAN'S DOWnY.


a one end oil the cluster OF Gotta
ges, and coltage-lke houses, which
formed the hule street OF Hilton
Cross--a prelly but secluded village
IA the north OF lidmpshue--slood
the SHOP OF judith Kent, widow, il
censed, as tie legend imported, TO
vend tea, coffee, tobacco and snuil. ,
Tea, coffee, tobacco, and snuil, form
cd, however, but small part
OF The mulularious Merchandise of
Mrs. Kent ; whose shop, the only re-
posuorl ol the hamlet, might have
seemed the cpuume OF tie wants aud
Injuries oi humble HE. la her WIN
dow - candies, bacon, sugar, mustard
and soap, tlOufisned amidst cahCocs,
oranges, dolls, ribbons aud ginger
biead. Cfuckefy was piled on one
SHE OF her doorway Dutch cheese
aud IRISH butter eucumbeteed The
olner brooms and brushes rested a
galnst the wall ropes Oh Onions and
punches of red henlngs hung from
the ceiling. She sold bread, butch
er's meat, and garden sluii on com
mission aud ensrosscd, IA ii word,
the wnuie trade Vi Hilton Cross.
Notwithstanding tins monopoly,
tic world went III win poor Juulth.
she was mud, pleasant-looklns,
miuule-dgeu woman, with d heart too
soil Tor her calling. She could not
say No, 10 the poor creatures VIM
came TO her on saturday nSti, 10
seek bread lur Their children. nOwcy-
CT deep they might bc in her debl,
or however CERTAIN II was that Their
husbands were at that moment spen-
ding, at The Checqucrs, or the -Four
norse-snoes, the money that should
nave supported their mlNcs aud lam
lies Tor IA this village, as IA others,
There were TWO iiuulsnug aic-nOus-
Is, although .ut one tll-accu,lomed
shop" but one hah-peunl worth OF
bread 10 tins iulolefaDie deal OF sack -
she could not say No, Us prudent
Woman might have saId and accor-
dlusiy, han the poor people IN the
pausn mirnt be found ia her books,
mlsl she herself was gradually
seung III arrears wtth her
bakeG her grocer, and her lama
lord.
iier family consisted OF Two chll-
dren-May, Prcuy, ialf-haued,
smiling lass, oil Twelve or huleen,
and hobcrl, a hne youth, VINO "orK-
ed ia the gardens Of a uelshbounS
gentleman. Robert, CONSCIOUS That
ms mothers was no saniul trade, OF
ten pressed her to give up business,
sell OF her stock, rehnqulsh he, home,
and depend on his labor for her sup
port but of this she would not hear.
Many motives mingled IN her deter
mlnallOn a generous reluctance TO
burden her son with her maintain
ance-a natural fear OF losing caste
among her nelghbOrs-a strong love
of the house which Tor five and TWEEN
~ cars had been her home, a vague
hope that times would soon mend,
and all come right again wiser per-
sons than Mrs. Kent have lulled rea-
son to sleep with such an opiate)-
aud, above all, want Of courage To
look her difficulties fairly IN The face.
Besides she liked her occupation
lis petly consequence, lis hustle, aud
lis gossipry aud she had sense of
gain in the small peddlng bargains
the pennywortLs of needles, aud
balls OF cotton, and rows oil pms, and
yards of tape, which she was accus-
toned to vend for ready money
that Overhalanced, for the moment,
her losses and her debts So that IN
spite OF her sons presages aud warn
ings, the shop continued in lull acily-
itv. In addition TO his forebodlngs
respecting his mother, Robert had
another mlsioriune-the poor youth
was in love about quarter of a
mile down the shady lane, which ran
by one side of Mrs. Kents dwelling,
was the pretty farmhouse, orchard
and homestead of Farmer Bell, whose
whose eldest daughter, Susan-the
beauty Of the parIsh-was The object
of passion, almost amounting 10 l.
dolaIry And, in good sooth, Susan
Bell was well fitted to inspire such a
passion. Besides a light, graceful
figure, moulded with the exactest
symmetry, she had a smiling, limo
cent counlenance, complexion col
ored like the brilliant blossoms of the
balsam, and hair of a shining, olden
brown, like the fruit of a horse chest
nut. Her speech was at once mod
est aud playful, her temper sweet,
and her heart tender. She loved
Robert dearly, although he often gave