Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-02-02
From Old and New foi February
l. ! = T Ing L p.

hl HANhltI p, INT
If Susan Powers had any idea about the
phrase, word in season. il was Of some
startling warning sentence, which should strike
her dumb with sorrow and shame some aw-
iul rebuke, that should rouse her, and frighton
her out Of all this weakness and misery at
once.
/ For truly il was q poor miserable life that
She was living now; and the way out of il
did not appear. Ten years before, o man and
woman had stood up, aud promised fidelity
aud nonor toward each other, with as high
hopes as any two people, with the world an
before them and their home to make in it.
could have Five years of honest, hearty eff
fort, home just beginning to be theirs, four
/ days Of illness,-and a widow, with a mort
gagged house and three babies, was left.
AT first grief for her loss remorse for the
| light appreciation Of what had been hers. the
desire to do for his children what he had
meant, sustained her and she worked hard
and necessarily. Firstin factory, where she
had been a weaver before her marriage. The
trouble was about leaving her children. She
LET her house, all but three rooms got a girl
to come III through the day, but it did not an
swer Annie was burned Harry fell down
the cellar stairs and the baby got sick. AZ
ter several trials Susan found mddle-ared
woman, who was out Of work, and had no per-
manent home and who agreed to stay through
the winter, on condition that she could take
in sewing and knitting when she could get
them to do. So here the case stood Susan
had sixty dollars rent for her house twenty
five dollars she had topay for interest twelve
more for insurance and taxes leaving twenty.
three dollars for repairs on the house. which
were sure to come, and for clothing for her
self and children. She earned five dollars,
sometimes, when the work went well, six dol
lars week; that went for food and fuel.
Five people were to be warmed and fed.
Mrs. Marshall, the old lady. soon came to
love the little iatherless things, and took good
care Of them. She made the most of their
mothers little means cooked comfortable
meals, kept the house tidy, taught Annie her
letters Susan washed and ironed evenings,
and felt as though Paradise-all that could
be in this world without Henry-was regain
ed ; and dared not think of what would be
in the spring. So winter passed they had
known the real comfort of home. Spring
came, Mrs. Marshall was called to good
place. and the reign of disorder began again.
Very young girls were the only housekeepers
that Susan could afford each made fresh
havoc and each change was equal to a re-
moyal. There is a saying that three romoy-
ais are equal to one fire. Poor Susan; her
crockery was broken they had barely dishes
enough to put on the table, odd things at
that. The childrens clothes were scorched
spoons We're, thrown out in the dish-water
knives and forks had their handles taken off
by hot water; towels disappeared, and lef
no trace. Susan had not been an economist
or good manager, she felt that; but she
had that interest which ones own property
inspires, and had never thrown her things
away.
The last attempt at a housekeeper was a
foolish girl, who was said to be teachable and
good-tempered. Alas for the teachableness
only while you stood over her, to point out the
very place and work, could she do anything.
And very soon the whole matter eliminated
by her letting the baby fall out of high
chair
must give my notice. and take in sew
ing" said Susan; which she did She sewee
for sale shops, and for such persons in the mill
as she know, who could afford to put out work
For month or so all went well she had
little money left Of her wages, aud some months
rent she did not owe. After that the pull be.
gan. BY working all day, and some hours in
to the night, she could earn three dollars
week, and get through with her housework
But it is hard to support four people on three
dollars; it was, | should say, for this was be-
fore the war. Then there were weeks when
she had Improbable work, or when there was
work only part of the time so that she only
earned two dollars, perhaps only one dollar
and half. She then took extra work when
she could get it, and sat far into the night to
get 1t done. 1t was new, and, for her, harder
than mill-work, this sitting hour after hour
with cramped limbs, strained eyes and weary
fingers. Soon there were little debts that she
couldn't meet; she grew discouraged, became
irritable the childrens noise crazed her. she
gave them push sometimes, in her hurry
and anxiety to finish her task.
About the middle of the following winter
her tenants moved, and the house Law ompty. |
She spent much time in showing the rooms, .
and in talking to applicants but as time
passed, and nobody was suited, Susan's heart
sank. One Saturday night, at the end of a .
most unfortunate week, her grocer pressed .
her for the payment Of his bill, and almost .
refused to trust her for more goods. 1t was
the first time in her life that such thing
had happened to her, and she was ready to
sink under the milation-though thankful |
that one drop Of bitterness was spared-the /
clerk who usually waited on her,
was not by; she could not have borne that .
Yet when, an hour later, largo package was
brought to her door by the peasant-faced boy
of the establishment, and she was asked hum. |
bly, to accept it, Susan did not send it back, |
as she had done things from the same quarter
before. The children's necessities, hor own
iaded, discouraged state, prepared her, when
this hour Of temptation came to yield. What
was the use of pride while her children wanted
bread when soon the house that their father
worked so hard for, would refuse them shell.
ter 2 And could she ever earn enough to pay
rent, and feed and clothe them all So be.
fore summer she was married to Mr.. Powers,
the middle-aged clerk at Mr.. Ransoms and
the old life became thing of the past. Mr.
Powers paid off the mortgage on the house
he bought new furniture in place Of the brok-
en-, disabled stuff but he let some rooms, in
stead of having all to themselves, as Susan
had hoped.
No two persons could begin life together
with less realization of what each was to bear
and to forbear. The husband, now past forty,
had been bachelor, waited on as a person Of
consideration in the house where he had board !