Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-03-16
d r + A MING.

Hf cIAH, w. 0. rRY.
"Do noble desds--uot l-sltl them 900 day long
The sun was going down behind gold and
crimson clouds, one evening, half dozen
years ago, just as it always had before, when
there was no sound Of war in the land. And
looking out at the sunset window" as She
called it, Fan had been dreaming half an
hour.
Busy Nell, with one eye on the sunset and
the other on her knitting, began to be tire /
Of silence and routed the dreamer.
Now Fan, do come and sit down and
we will read Frank letter again. Come !
! believe you will keep staring into the sum
set and never know when it goes. Come !
what is it Hoic "
"Oh nothing special" said dreaming
Fan
There don't say so I'm not vexed.-
It's all bark and no bite, Fan Now what
did you dream about 20
Well, I'll tell you" Fan always did
tell Nell, finally. 81 was thinking about
poor, dear Frank, and all the soldiers, and
how l should like to 90 and take care Of them
in the hospitals | should feel as if | we're
good for something then"
Why you are good for something now
fannykin Don't You make all mothers
caps and dresses, and keep the plants alive
and blooming all winter, and teach Fraukies
Sunday School class-three things never
could do, with all my trying
Well, yes, but that's nothing. Nell. You
see keep thinking how much should like
to do if | only had a chance, and it really
seems as if what | can do never amounts to
anything If / could only take care Of the
soldiers shouldn't feel So 1t would be the
next best thing to being a soldier. Oh dear
| wish | was man or at any rate l wish
Mrs. Dayton would take me with her. She
is going right into the hospitals, you know,
and just think how much good she can do
should be happy if | could only do some such
thing l should think you would feel so too,
Nell"
" | don't q bit said Nell, sturdily.
Why Nell | should think you would
want TO do something for the soldiers. just
think how much they are doing for us"
" do think of them, Fan, but couldn't
take care Of them | don't know how to do
anything Of the sort, neither do YOU Mrs
Dayton docs know how, and she can 90, but
we must stay with mother. For my part, |
expect to cook, and sweep, and sew as long as
the war lasts. 1 can knit army socks, mean
while, you know
"Oh Nell, what does pair Of socks now
and then amount to 2'
They amount to a great deal when
hundred thousand women knit pair now and
them persisted Nell, stoutly " tell YOU.
Fan, its Of no use always wanting to be
somewhere else. think every day how nice
1t is for US both to be here with mother. You
can do just what my stupid head and hands
won't let me do, ard-and-
And you, you good old Nell, you do all
the ten thousand things that I'm too lazy and
careless to do, or even think off, ! know |
am-Oh dear sighed Fan, aud then turned
around again to the sunset sky, with little
twinge as she happened to think how Nell
had worn her old bonnet ribbon and flowers
all summer and quietly spent her " bonnet
money y for blue yarn, which she was at that
moment knitting up.
Fan could not knit She had tried, but it
always gave her a side ache, and she always
mixed the scanning shockingy, so she finally
gave up, declaring that her over sock was "A
sight to behold" and so it was
But Fan must dream her dream so she
kept on thinking about the hospitals and how
she wished she was there, and how happy she
should be, and how much good she could do,
only she had no chance noio.
1t is easy to be absorbed in building cas-
flo d tho nj fo1-
So Fan had not noticed that Nell went out of
the room long ago. She did not hear little
Mike Wady come up the lane crying
1t was Nell who went out to see what was
tina matter, and found him rubbing his eyes
with his jacket sleeve, and swallowing the
lump in his throat
The sky was very dim, and Fan turned
round with a start-the room was dark-and
nobody there, She drew the curtains and
lit the lamp, aud tried to find her mother and
Nell, but they were gone. She ran up stairs
and down stairs aud called, but nobody an
swered. She was frightened. What did IL
mean? What could have happened2
She went to the front door and looked out
they were not in sight. They could not have
gone out for a call
Oh dear - said poor Fan, what does it
mean?"
Mike Wady rushed out of the house op-
posite with bottle in his hand and dashed
away towards his mothers little house down
the lane, singing as he went;
1.-TWO little Inluns playin' wild gun,
They shot each other and then there none.n
Fan could not tell how long it was or
what she did, before her mother and Nell
came quietly in at the back door, and into
the sitting room. The first sound she heard
was her mothers pleasant voice. saying
"Why, Fan, is all ready for us, and how
bright the room looks with the little fire in
the CRATE. That's very thoughtful, Fan, we
are SO chilly"
ooh where haze you been2 what is the
matter | toas so frightened A" aud poor
Fan fairly cried
"Why2 didn't Nell tell you ?"
Why ? didn't mother tell you 2" exclam-
ed they both at once.
Nobody told me anything" sobbed Fan
So they told her then. Little Mike Wady had
come after them. His mother had fallen down
the steep, tottering stairs that led to their own
little attic chamber, and she was killed
sure" Mike said. SO they hurried of to help
her. They found her insensiblc at the foot