Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-08-09


Let me see, said Alice Day, there
are Mary Simpson, and Arthur, her brother
Ellen Horton, the three Knight girls and
their brothers, Tommy Strang Julia Lacy,
Maria Hubbard, and Allen Bartoo they will
make twelve and that will be about as many
as can enjoy themselves | think. | don't
want my birthday party to be a mob
You have forgotten Josephine Mills, -
suggested her mother, quietly.
have no intention Of inviting her. Be
sides, presume she couldn't come, for it is
Saturday and on that day she keeps up stairs
while her mother washes out all the dress
she has in the world so she can 90 to Sunday
school, Nobody makes much of Josey, though
she's good enough in her way" So Allie
Day put her bonnet over her brown curls and
went to school, thinking all the way about her
party Of twelve and the grand dinner her
mother would prepare We will have
games, suppose she thought though con.
yersation is more dgni6ed aud I'll practice
all my music tonight Perhaps Marsh Knight
will bring his clarionet-l'l speak to him
about it,"
just then Allie raised her eyes aud saw Jo.
sephine Mills leading her little deformed
brother toward the school house.
" How good she is to him." thought Allie
" If he was my brother | should be SO NOR.
tilted They say his father struck him in a
drunken fit and nearly broke his back. I'm
sure I'm sorry for him, but he is as fretful as
he can be. All the same Joscy takes care o.
him by night and day. What a dull life SHE
must lead | wonder if she ever went to
party in all her life | am sure she never
did, and very likely never will"
A little thought crept into Allies mine
that Josey might receive an invitation to one
party at least, but she tried to excuse hersel
by thinking that the only dress could not b,
possibly washed and ironed in time for tina
birthday feast.
Miss Morton opened the Bible as the las
scholar settled himself in his place, and reaC
the fourteenth chapter Of Luke. Not lin,
of it did she hear-so full was her mind o
the evening party-till by chance she lookeC
toward the teacher and caught the words;
When thou makest dinner or a suppe
call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy
kinsmeu, nor thy rich neighbors. Lest the
also bid thee again and recompense be made
But when thou makest feast call tn,
poor, the MANNED, the lame, and the blind"
The color flew all over Allies face.
is true" thought she, " that selected th
very girls to help me eat my birthday Dime
who will be sure to invite me to see then
when they have party. That would be
recompense, surelyi and | believe | shoul'
have been quite willing to have invited Jose
phine if | hadn't known she could never in
yite me in turn. The poor, the manned, tn
lame, and the blind How Ellen Horton an,
Julia Lacy would laugh if should ask jose
and her deformed brother, and Peter Henry
the one-legged Scotch boy, and Mark Liver
more, who has only one eye, and saws WOO
for living Pshaw what a birthday part
that would be !"
Alice took up her reader and went int
the class Josey stood next to her, and Sh
could not help but notice how pale and tire
the poor girl looked 81 know, v though
Alice "her father staggered home last night
just as we were leaving school, aud all tn