The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1855-10-04


Mrs. Weed 6 I shouldn't be surprised
though, if she was forty old maids al.
ways will disguise themselves with dress
and one thing another, and it appears as
! if some of them look just about so for
ten or dozen years; she never was
sick, nor had anything to break her con-
stitution.'
So the two women talked and guessed
and surmised, called up old memories,
and added one to another, saying often
how good Anne was, and how well they
liked her, at the same time keeping in
vivid recollection her many winters, and
the disgraceful fact that she was not
married, nor likely to be-
The tears arc falling on the last stitch
es of the quilt border as she is recalled
to the present by hearing Mrs. Fundy
say, Come, Anne, come right down to
supper now Anne goes to the window
to put a thread in her needle, she says !;
but she dries her eyes while she threads
the needle, and when she appears at the
supper table she smiles and talks with
Mrs. Smith about the new school in
which she has placed ber children, the
fashion of summer dresses, and the
prospects of an abundant apple-harvest
and Mrs. Smith regards Anne with q
tsort of tender compassion, and insists
that she shall visit at her house. POO
Anne,' she says to herself, { she has no
anybody to care for her.
The choppers are all there; merry
even boistorous, laughing loud for they
have been drinking something stronger
than the tea, occasionally, during the
afternoon. Anne glances timidly down
the long table at first, afterward fearless,
ly she does not see him she looks for
Moses is not there. Mrs. Wolfe sits at
the head of the table complacently dis
pensing smiles and agreeable nothings !;
she does not look for Moses she knows
well enough where he is and what he is
doing he is at home milking the cows !;
how he will get his supper she does not
think she supposes he will find some
thing in the cupboards. When Mrs.
Wolfe goes home, one brings her shawl,
and another ties her bonnet strings one
gives her her fan, and another some
flowers; nearly all have something to do
for her except Anne-shc don't seem to
see anything she can do for Mrs. Wolfe,
but she tpromises to 60 on such a day
and do the sewing. Passing over time
and events till that day, let us accom-
pany her.
1t is midsummer, and the days are
long aud hot and weary long and wea-
ry to Moses Wolfe, for he is up early
and works late, and no one says to him,
Are you tired = or, 'don't do SC
much ; or, am sorry those phrases
so magical to ightcn burdens and short
en- time.
1t was after breakfast when Anne ap-
peared at Mrs. Wolfe's door, with bask-
ct and scissors, and thread aud thimble,
and dressed with more care than at the
quilting. Why should she not be- No
one there would care what she wore ;
for at such parties she is expected to
come early and work late, and 60 home
before the fun, or make herself useful in
the kitchen, for who wants old Anne
Hadloy in the play-room, or wants to
90 home with herr OF course, mob ody
Now she was dressed with more care
than she had been for years, for nothing
so stimulates the ambition CT woman
as the thought that her little efforts
please somebody solely for herself she
cares to do nothing, and only in anoth-
er's pleasure can she find her own.-
She has put up her hair in quite a girl
ish fashion to-day, and the walking or
tho fast beating of her heart has sent the
blood to her cheeks, aud taken the look
of many years away. She opens the
gate noiselcssly, and treads on the grass
softly, for there is no paved walk lead
ing to the door aud she half fears to
attract the attention Of Moses, whom,
though she has spoke to, she has not
talked with for twenty years.
Why she has taken such pains TO look
we'll /; why, indeed, she has come to the
house at all, she hardly knows it may
be to avsuge herself; it may be from