Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-06-03
Patty'S MiSta he.

You would never have dreamed it.
r,nvar in tho would hnt my sister Patty
was really one of the most impusl,v r,or-
sons have ever met She was always
plunging headlong into some scheme that
seized upon her fancy or into which some
designing person, knowing her weakness,
had inveigled her Itinerant impostors
with eyeess needles, pins as pointless as
the Jokes of woud-be wit, shoe-laces
from which the tags departed upon the
first trial-all these seemed to land at our
door and victimize Patty.
You will perhaps smile as you read this,
so may | ; but true tears shine in my eyes
as well. | glance at this sister of mine as
she sits with the fre-light ginting on her
busy needle, darning with consummate
patience the most trying orifces IN the
stockings Of the writer. Who but she
could make those gaping holes neat and pre-
sentable? You would hardly imagine,
from her face, what sort of person she
might be for the lines are very clear and
quiet, the eyes tender, gray, the whole
expression that of peace rather than re-
pose-the peace that ''passeth all under
standing" But then the mouth? If you
would read character with any degree of
accuracy, always observe the mouth My
sisters is as sensitive as that of il child
just as eager, Just as credulous, as full OF
faith. But never, never around any child's
mouth is such an expression Of pathos, OF
yearning. All never such a record OF
deep suffering patiently borne, as stands
written in lines of untold loveliness about
/ . ho month af this alIar
You will understand, then, why it was
that the little urchins in the street asked
her for pennies" and put out their
hands, frosty, and red as winter apples with
the cold, sure that the penny would be
forthcoming. You will understand why ii
was that people who were sick or in trou-
bic always sent for Patty.
She knew as well as any body that
people imposed upon her but then she
liked them none the worse for it ; the mair
idea that animated her life was that oi
helping other people along" Let hel
help you In some way, and she was The
obliged party, and felt grateful to you fol
T the privilege. Perhaps there had been a
time when her life had held other hope.
besides these beautiful season when i
was early spring time with her heart, ,wher
the birds sang, and the violets bloomed IL
sunlight. The birds had stopped theil
singing, maybe, and if the violets bloomed
one guessed it was above a grave; bu
since she said nothing of all this neithe
shall I, except as | must tell the story o
what befell us in our quiet home.
} 1t was very quiet home, in littl
/ country town, where we had always lived
, Our house was rambling, old-fashionet
affair, built by my father years ago. Their
J had been plenty of birdings in the nest, ,bu
they were all gone now, only Patty ant
. myself left. So we lived in the old rook
: cry still; poor as church mice we were
} but we contrived to be happy after a fash
ion of our own We made roaring fires Il
the old-fashioned CRATES, but what becam
of the heat it was hard to say [ suppos
it all went up the chimney, just where
wasn't wanted. So Patty and | wrappe'
: shawls around ourselves, and made light 0
the matter. The doors, too, wanted to b
re-hung of cold winters day; how tn
draughts came in, biting ones feet . and
it showed what white fakes would drift il
through the cracks, and lodge in the great
barn-like entries Well, well; this wa
all very healthy, laughed we; plenty q
! fresh air, at all events. @
, This philosophy answered the purpos
, until one afternoon-I shant say one I'm
; lucky afternoon, because that's bad ex