Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-08-11
The Leisure Hour.
LE.V.N BLI'THEi.

A STORY OF a NEW ENGLAND FARMHOUSE.
The sun looked over the shoulder OF East
mountain Just as the clock struck four.
The great squares of light lay out on the
kitchen floor, and across them stepped Mrs.
Samantha Pike, walking briskly, and talk
ing, in default of other audience, to her
self.
"Four o'clock. Why upon airth don't
that creeter git up! She'd lay abed till
noon | s'pose, if didn't start her. 1t does
beat all how lazy some folks be. Lazness
amt one of my faults, bless the Lord.
I've got my failin's, but that amt one OF
'em. There was my sister Carine now,
Carline she"
What 'Carline she might have been was
not told the period being rounded to con-
clusion by the fiinging wide of the stair
door, and shrill call sent up the dark pas
sage.
"Linn? Linn Blythe"
"Yes'm."
1t was a drowsy little answer that came
sliding down dusty sun-bar.
"Well well. Come. Time you was up
and dressed. Fly round and be spry now.
Mind"
"Yesm,' again, and tangle of heavy
hair stirred up there among thin pillow and
coarse cover. Then two hands, long, slen-
der much tanned, were raised to part
away the falling locks, two sleepy eyes
looked out, and little figure set up on the
bedside
so dear I'm so sleepy" moaned the
child, but sudden thought came to her
and she sprang up and set busily about her
dressing.
a bare, attic room, without plaster or
paint. There was about it also, in spite Of
open windows, a musty odor born of dry
herbs, old feathers, and spiders webs ma
ny times multiplied an unfurnished, un-
lovely room. And yet many child has
slept and walked, blithe and happy, in
rooms more rough than this, But Linn
Blythe, in spite of her name, was neither
happy nor blithe, because where she was
love was not, and that was why, as she
looked about, the room was so undesirable,
so unhappy place.
"Well. You've got along at last, have
ye?"
Mrs. Pike was frying salt pork over the
stove, and she turned with this greeting to
Linn as the child entered. If Linn had
stood less in fear of this great, red-faced
woman, she might have called the old
clock to witness that it was but ten min
utes since she had been called. But in this
lonely farm house Mrs. Pike was as abso-
lutely monarch as the Grand Mogul in the
midst of his slsves She was the court be-
yond which there was no appeal, her SER
vice, the service from which there was no
discharge. And, in the case of such greet
ings as this, the utmost stretch of courage
which Linn could conceive, was the reply.
meekly spoken:
81 tried to be quick"
"Tricd to he quick, did you? Wen, you
must learn to put on your cloes in jihy
d not be all day bout it. 1t never takes
me more'n five minutes to get dressed
Not grain over five minutes" Mrs. Pike
| raised her voice to accommodate the noisy
sputtering fat in the frying pan. But SHE
raised it unnecessarily high as she snapped
out-"Well come now! Fly round, seein
you've got here. Ther IS work to be done
in this house today, | can tell ye. Then
city folks air II comm on the afternoon
stage. So, be lively now. Put a stick o
wood int the stove, can't you? An mine
| you shut the damper'n not let the heat al
| go up the chmbley. Woods worth mon
ey tell ye.pn' ther aint no sort o. tryin
| to heat up all out doors. Well, now Sor
| ful heart, what have you contrived to do
| Well, it's yer own concern"
1t was large stick, and Linn was
small girl for twelve years. In her nerv
Gus haste, confused, too, by those sharp
watching eyes, she had given the wood /
wrong turn in tho stove, and crushed he
slender fingers against the red-hOt iron
| She made no outcry. only, as the purp
blood settled under the bruised nail, he
| face turned quite white with-which wa
ii? The pain of the smarting, throbbinl
| wound, or the smart and sting of tn
| words3
"Never mind. You must learn to lool
arter your own fingers. dunno who's go
in to take care of 'em eff you don't. TAX
care o yerselfer nobody'll take care of We. ;
In this was wrapped up the whole philoso
ply Of life for Mrs. Samantha Pike, an,
she dnned the same into the ears of he
charge until the child had learned to eI
pect IT in case of any accident whatever t.
herself. The truth upon her side, doubt
less Mrs. Pike had, and the wisdom of tn
world commends those who do well fo
themselves. But none the less for the lit
little girl moving about the great kitchen
and laying the table that June morning,
great world, and the life only just begun
] to know that the trouble of il all must b