Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-09-28

ana the SHINING OF her black ewes on the com
pany as she gathered up the silk Gounces o
her dress and revealed variety of tape
trimmed and frillod petticoats. The fcath
ers OF ai, the ladies dropped al once, tlougl
In the absence Of competition they had fel
that they looked pretty smart not dres
in the house that cost so much as tho lac,
on Mra. Woiic 8 can. to say nothing of he
lcghorn bonnet, vail Of three yards in length
ivory-handled parasol, and boughten fnn---al
the other ladies having fans made of goose
quilts gathered in their own meadows.
Anne Iadly looked thoughtrully down at
her own washed and ironed gingham gown
and Mrs. Weed whispered to Mrs Speed
that the tears almost came into her eyes as
she did SO. She glanced at the heavy lace OF
the cap, and almost disdainfully pushed back
! her own abundant tresscs and with sigh
which che did not mean any one to hear
quilted on very fast, though she had done al
ready, Mrs. fundy said, as much as any two
other women at the quilt.
All were so glad that Mrs. Wolfe was
come for her fine dress gave ccidt, as it
were, to a quilting party and all were Sc
anxious to know why she had not come sooner
that Anne was quite forgotten presently-and
quilted, and quilted, and quilted, in the sad
dest silence.
other things, in Mrs. Fundy's house were
united, and the torn and wrinkled pieces
pressed smooth with hot iron and carefully
stitched together, in order to serve for the
patterns Of Mrs. VOLTS dress and cap and
cape. She was not allowed to work ut the
| quilt-not she-they all wanted her to tell
about what she had seen in the town, and
what she had got, and what she was going
! to get and besides, she was not used to
work, and must sit in the big rocking chair
and rest, and be an ornament.
! SO Mrs. Wolfe sat in the arm chair, her
| hounces and frilled pettcoats filling it quite
| full the rings glittering on her white hands,
which she locked indolently together, as she
/ paid back the admiration she received in gem
, ial and instructive talk for Mrs. Wolfe had
many newspapers in her house, and had read
them all. She had been born and bred in n
city, and had seen more of the world than
most of the persons with whom her lot was
cast No one asked whether Mr. Wolf had
como, or was coming for Mr. Fundy had
! frOlic as well as his wife, and the woods were
noisy with the chopping. No one expected
| HIM to come indeed, Mrs. Fundy was quite
| sure, now that she came to think of it, that
Mr., Wolfe had not been invited-if any one
| thought of him at all it was to wonder what
in the world Mrs. Wolfe ever had for him
Three happy, sunny hours, began to draw
shadows after them as they went down. and
the blood mounted red into Anne's cheeks as
she lifted her blue eyes from the quilt, not
SO much because Mrs Wolfe was asking her
if she could come and sew month for her,
as because she saw Mrs. Speed and Mrs
Weed both look at her as though they
thought she would reply very drily in the
negative so, perhaps to disappoint them,
perhaps to puzzle them, or, it may be, merely
to satisfy her own curiosity, she said, smi-
ling, she was quite at liberty and would be
glad to 60 asking. with apparent nnoccncy,
ifit was shirts Mrs Wolfe wanted made
1t was not shirts but work for herself-she
was going to town next week to get a good
many things, and she would be glad to have
Anne the next day, if she could and do some
mending and be company for Mrs. Wolfe
said that she would as soon be in prison as at
home with nobody there but Moses. All
laughed, even Anne, perhaps because the
rest did ; and all thought Mrs. Wolfe was
exceedingly funny woman as for what Anne
iiadly thought, nobody could see through
the shadow that rested on her face to tell L.
Twenty years. since she WAS a spinning girl
for the mother of Moses Wolfe, seemed only
day to her
Well, said Mrs W eed, think Anne is
right nice sort of body, if she is an old
maid. wonder she added, directly, if
she never could get anybody to have her .
and answering herself, continued, think
not, judging from appearances, for never
knew of her having beau
1t s most a pity, said Mrs. Speed, that
Moses would mt have her, seeing that he has
turned out So Mrs Weed said Yes alb
stractedly; and so they arranged the table,
feeling as sorry for Anne as they could feel
IA al mai hy hai
what hers must be, and repeating two or
| three times that it was almost a pity for her
inasmuch as Moses had turned out so bad
and she was not likely to get anybody, while
Charlotte would have got twenty husbands,
| any Of whom would have suited her better
than Moses, who was not half the man she
| thought she was getting.
! Anne is a good sewer and very nice
housekeeper, resumed Mrs. Weed Il think
she must be thirty-fvc.'
Yes, there are good many fine qualities
about Anne replied Mrs. Speed she is
good in time Of sickness, and when there is u
death she brightens up the house like sun
beam almost every one speaks well of Anne,
but she must be thirty-seven or tLirty-eight
i wonder what she would say if body
should ask her how old she is
Well do MT know as | care said Mrs
if she was forty old maids njwav, viii r..
guisc Themselves with dress md ono tb;no
and another, and il anpears as if Soma ~
them look lust about go for fer nr Jn,er
wears; she never was sick nor had anvt6;ua
to break her constitution
81 t.io tro 'olnen talked and guessed anC
surmised, called up old memories, and addcc
one to another, saying often how good Ann,
same time Keeping in vivid rec,IIertion ha,
many winters and the di.gr,cofnI Fac, tho,
she was not married, nor hteIv ~ hs ''''
The tears are falling on the inst stitches =
the quilt border as she is recalled 70 thc nrc
sent by hearing Mrs. FunJv saw. Cams
Anne, come right down to SINNER nn,r
Anne goes TO the window to nut n thread !,
her needle she says but she dries her eve
while she threads the needle, and when sh,
appears at the supper table she smiles an,
,nl, ...l =