Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1868-07-24
General Literature.
T.fKE.v' BI'STOR.u.

Miss Comfort sat in the doorway knitting
a dish-cloth.
Her house was so low that a lilac bush
beside the door brushed the caves: and so
green with moss that the lilacs and old
fashioned red rose bushes seemed to be a
part of it.
"Five times more across will finish it,"
said Miss Comfort, spreading out the square
of knitted cotton.
Put in the needle, over the thread draw
it through, take off the stitch. Back and
forth back and forth till the very last time /;
when the gate-latch clicked.
Miss Comfort looked up, but saw nobody.
Then she looked do,pn, and saw what might
be stalk of clover walking out on its own
responsibility but as it came nearer up
the graveled path, between the beds of
chamomile and sage and balm, the round
red bobbing clover-head took on the face
of little smiling girl.
1--WE como for you, Aunt Christyana,"
she cried. "Ma sent me, and she wants
you to come right up to her house and stay
to supper. Mrs. Dubant is there, and some
body else is coming; Mrs Small is coming,
IgueSS."
"What is your Ma going to have for sup
per?" asked Miss Comfort
"Oh, cake and honey!" replied the mite.
"Will you come? Ma said must bring
you"
Miss Comfort looked up at the clear blue
sky.
"Isn't it going to rain?" she said, doubt
fully.
"Oh no, ma'am! Mas camphor foams
when it is going to rain, and it doesn't foam
bit to-day!' answered the child.
swell don't see how l can go. Midas 5
hens will be right in scratching up my peas
sure rs | am not here to watch them. There
there comes old Speckle nowr'
As she spoke Miss Comfort jumped up as
quickly as one lame knee would allow,
and, dropping her knitting, started in chase
with an old broom which she kept behind
the door on purpose. The hen ran and
fluttered and flew, and so did Miss Com
fort, until, after deal of rounding of cor
ners and heading-of and screaming on the
part of both, Miss Comfort caught the hen
under a gooseberry-bush, and giving her a
teach her better manners, threw her over
the fence that divided her garden from Mr..
Midas's and came back to her doorway,
VIGOROUSLY, out of breath while the hen
shook out her crumpled feathers with an
indignant cackle, and went to brooding inn
aginary eggs on "A heap of sand.
"Well, therer cried Miss Comfort. "I
guess now she won't venture over here
again to-dayl But | don't know as 1 can
go home with you, Christy. Somebody
might come, too. think more than likely
Mrs. Riggs viii DO here. She told me two
weeks ago she meant to come down and
have baked aud got all ready twice on pur-
pose for her. 1t is good day to-day, and
likely she will come"
"Ma sent me for you. She said must
bring you with mo sure" returned little
Christy, true to first principles.
"Wel. | shall have to bring in some
wood first, for fear there may come up a
shower; and fix my windows and things
to leave" replied Miss Comfort, presently.
Then she set to work picking up and put
ting away as though she were preparing to
sail around the world, instead of going two
houses off, over the brow of the hill, for an
afternoon. After an hours hard work she
was readyi her starched white sun-b bonnet,
with its crimped border, ON her head, her
great black silk "work pocket on her arm,
and her hooked handled umbrella for staiI
in her hand. She locked her house door
carefully, placing upon the threshold a
shingle with the words "Gone to Barnum's"
chalked upon it; and then, with parting
look over her neighbors treacherous fence,
set forth, with little Christy trotting tri-
umphantly by her side
For fourteen years, ever since her mother
died, Miss Comfort had lived alone in this
brown birds nest, but no mother of ten