Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-05-17

wore an old, patched, and what was worse.
soied calico. She had up stairs new pink
glngham which was 10 be her meeting
gown this summer, and what the child want.
ed was permission top put on this pink gineham
for this afternoon. But how should she
raise the courage TO ask Aunt Samantha 7
low state the question in the most agree.
able form Never did diplomatist more
carefully study surroundings and measure sp
proaches
"I'll wait till she comes ont Of her room
with her cap on said the child to herself
Then,
" lll ask her when she takes her knitting
work INTO gra'ma's room. She's sometimes
pleasant there"
What are you hangin round here for ~
asked Mrs. Pike, as Linn changed nervously
from one position to another.
Nothing" answered the child, fear con.
quering truth, as is usual in case Of such
household discipline as Aunt Samautha's.
III wait till the minute hand of the clock
gets to the six, aud then I'll count fifty, and
then III ask her. said our little diplomatist
to herself
"Aunt Samantha2"
"Well, WHAT" snappishly.
" Don't you think | might put on my giug.
ham dress l'
Put --on-what?"
Mrs Pixies needles stood still, and she
looked as though the child had proposed to
put on her own wedding silk, which had lain
in lavender for twenty years
90 dear. It's no use, thought Linn. She
said, " thought this dress looked bad, and as
there was company coming--i thought"
" Land sakes Who cares what YOU
thought Things have come to putty pass
ct a good caliker gown amt fine enough for
you to wear emmy day Z home. Dreful smart
we re gittin' all at once. I've got my fall
ms, but I'm thankful vanity hain't one of
EN-. No, nor never was. There was nv sis.
ter Milissy, now Miissy She"
" thought, perhaps, because Mrs. Innis
was going to be here" said Linn, determined
to strike one more blow against the hateful
old print.
+" Miss Innis Marcy to me- what O. Miss
lnni sP' 1t may be well to explain that the
mother was referred to, and not the daughter,
here. Wha' d you s'pose they'll care bout
you You amt nothn' to 'em, only TO wash
dishes clean, and not break pitchures all to
pieces. Put on your gingham gown That's
a fine story :"
Samanthy."
A voice from the bed, where grandmother
lay, and had lain, for six years A cripple
though she was, her ear was as sharp, and her
will as strong as ever, and what was more
important to her own comfort, with such
daughtcr-n.law she was a rich woman, as
riches 60 in these parts. She owned the house
and farm, and she was not person 10 be ig-
nored, you see, in the family economies
We'll, mother"
" You might as well, just for once, let the
child do it. She's worked we'll to-day n then
that old gownd amt quite tidy"
"Wel, don't care" and Mrs. Pike, jun.
ior gave little uncomfortable giggle, which
said the lie to her affirmative. :" Go 'lonQn
change if your gra'ma says so. But mind,
what tell ye Yer city folks hant goin'
to know whether you wear satin or linsey.
woolsey-I tell ye that"
No, they wouldn't care for her. Why
should they Nobody seemed to care. Per.
haps she hadn't common sense" And
thinking over the weary day, poor Linn took
of the old calico and brought out the pink
gngham, with sob for every movement.
Did all children have such sad times, she
wondered, leaning Ker forehead against the
window sash. She had cried against every
pane Of glass in that house, suppose, and
now, as she looked out through her tears, she
saw robin-fat and yellow throated-pick.
ing seeds in the garden.
80, | wish was a robin" she sighed,
and then she remembered once that the Sun.
day school teacher had told her that il was
wicked to wish herself anything that hadn't
soul.
What's the use Of n soul if it feels 80
bad ?" she said, and just then she heard the
stage wheels rattling down the hill, and rumb.
! ling over the bridge.
Linn is not your child, think 2"
1t was Mrs. Innis who asked the question,
as she sat with Mrs. Pike on the porch one
afternoon, month later. They we're watch.
ing for the stage tonight again. Mr.. Innis.
kuih's father, was coming to spend Sunday.
My childl D, bless you, no. She amt
nothin' to me no ways. He had a nephew"---
This personal pronouu agreed with conju.
gal antecedent always with Aunt Samantha
A." an he took to books, and got eddicated.
Then he went off down country, some'ers to
try n find n openin', n married q leettle
young thing, n she died when Linn was born,
then her father he went to the war, an got
shot, and they sent the orphan to u.s."
." Poor child" said Mrs. Innis, softly. She
was motherly little woman, who, accord
ing to her own story, never ventured 10 visit
an orphan asylum, lest she should come away
with the whole institution in her train---her's
by adoption.
Wall, yes. Tis bad thing fur child
to bury her relations" remarked Mrs. Pike.
Linn? It's not a common name" said
Mrs. Innis, and she lifted herblae eyes from
the apron she was embrodering for Ruth,
and looked away to where the two children
were making daisy chains under the great
maple. Linn had confded to Ruth the pre-
cious memory of the beautiful gentleman
who had sat here in the shade, and talked
with her.
No. 'taint Christian name, 'cording to
my thinkin' but 7 was her mothers, m so
they chris'nd her by it,
had school friend of that name"
Well, the child's mother come o. big
folks, they say. But they'd run down, m
got poor, m died, m one thing mother. They
was the Cannings." -' 7nl
"Cannings Linn Canning Do you
m can this is her child qr
She hain't nobody's else's, l guess"
Mrs. Samantha Pike dropped her knitting.
and looked, with wide-eyed wonder, as the
little blond-haired woman sprang from her
seat and tripped off down the slope to where
the children sat. What happened them, it
isn't necessary for me to describc---to try to-
but imagine yourself finding, in the much.
abused, much-enduring drudge of a lone farm
house, the daughter Of your girlhood's best
loved friend
As they stood there the stage came. Mrs.
lnnis and Ruth ran to the gate 10 meet it,
and to meet a bearded gentleman who sprang
down. And Linn stood little apart, and as
she caught glimpse Of pair Of kind eyes.
gave ntterance to delighted
"Why-e-er
- And this Ia nv little fr;eud 7'' aid NJ