Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1861-03-28

derstood it or not, the "little tings" ce ased to
shiyer or cry, and looked wonderingly about
with small editions OF their mothers great
| eyes aud the old man twIrled his moustach he
| as 1t thawed IN the heat OF the pine fire, and
| made many bows and looked the wordless
| gratitude which cannot be interpreted.
But the little wife said nothing only she
leaned on her umbrella, and gazed at my
mother as she gave her orders to the servants
Tor the preparation of a sleeping room and a
LIBERAL meal tor the way farers and she gag
ed al me, as l stirred up tho fire with im-
mense energy (between ourselves, | tried to
bustis of the recollection OF that cruel speech
with which first met their appeal), and
| made her husband sit down SO close to IL, that
his legs were nearly scorchcd through his
threadbare trousers and so continually gaz-
ing at every one, until at last she could stand
1t no longer, and throwing herself on my as
tonished mothers neck, she sobb I'd out such
heap OF Polish blessings, that if there is any
virtue IN benedlctIous, will certainly canon
lze her when she dies.
i swear to you, that when all was over and
lhey were sleeping soundly, went INTO a re-
mote corner and wept bitterly TOR the wrong
had so nearly done. Well, tney staid with
u that night and the next, and my mother
/
Aud W. rugged them all out In good, warm
clothing, bought them tickets on the cars to
Boston, aud Que hnr, frosty morning We ali
sailed down to tue depot, aud saw them Il
on their Journey, aud 1 tell you there was
wing If hands and Polish gesllculations,
aud lar, Tar away IN the distance We could
catch glimpse OF tnat great umbrella, which
The little woman still hOurIshed by way OF a
farewell.
We heard nothing of our Polish friends for
whole year. OIten, by the freside, We
would talk about them, and our neigubor,
sneereti al US and wondered IT our spoons
were safe, aud noraiized updl iorei. II iInpo.
ture and IugratItude. My mother got mu ia
Tor her charity, tut none OF US minded ioi
there Was something so true in the ways and
manners OF those poor wanderers, that ii
would be impossible to distI ust them.
Well, CHRISTMAS came. Winter again ::
snow,yule logs glowing hercely on the hrarGb,
and mlatietoe aud ivy swinging merrily III
the hall. Again the uplands were sheeted
IN white a9aIn the old oak was naked anu
sorrowlng again We were seated around the
lire, listening 10 the roaring OF the wind as it
tore over the hills like mad Steed. In the
midst OF a deep silence that fell upon US all,
th, re caue rat-tat-tat. Ii was strong, de-
termIned and eager. | went to the door.
had scarcely uuDarred it, or taken a peep al
the ne comer, when ii seemed as If a whlrl-
wind, with bonnet on its head, secured past
me and swept inio the paFior. The next
moment | heard great c9nmotion. Sob
bing and laughing, and bro ken English, ali
swept along 1t were IN a cataract Of Pol
Ish. Ii was the little, pale woman with the
great eyes. Nc longer pale though, but with
uddy cheeks; and the eyes, this time, looked
larger aud brighter than ever through the
tears They had been ever since in Boston,
she breathlessly told Us, and had been doug
we'll, thanks to the blessed lady who helped
them get there. The husba and moieled med
allions, she composed po kas, and their only
daughter taught music, and they had saN ed
three hundred dollars, and bou hit a piano
with IT, And she had sand to herself that on
Christmas she would come and speak her
gratitude to the blessed lady who had shell
tered her and her little ones; 50 she set Oft
in the cars, and here she was. And then
she commenced pulling things out Of her
pockets. Christmas presents for US all !.
There was a scarlet foTtune-teller for Lizzie,
derfuy d'GG Fg9a eaI6a aI6a nv T89 2
ther; anu there was d beautiful umbrella tor
Mr.. George, she IntImateI, producing all
enormous parachute. She knew he would
like it, because when she was here last year
thanks to the blessed lady who had shel-
tered her-she had ,een hin looking very
much at her umbrella, and she would have
offered it TO him then, but she was ashamed.
L was so old. But this was a new one anu
very large!
And then she kissed Us all round, and pro
duced an elaborate letter from her husband
to my mother, III which she was compared to
Penelope and one or Two other classical per
sonages, and told US everything that had hap
pened to them since they had left US, untI &,
having talked herself into stale Of utter eX-
haustIon, she went off to her bedroom, where
,he was heard praying in IN iItferent English,
that We might ascend into Heaven without
any OF the usual difficulties.
She and her family are still in Boston,
where they make quite a respectable income.
And every Christmas sees her arrival with
presents tor the blessed lady, and her eyes
aud her gratitude are as large as ever.
1t IS, YOU see, simple Winter Story.