Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-09-06
The Leisure Hour.
DORB.u.f,S TIv.Iyv'S.

"Those? No, they amt my grand-chil-
dren !" said Widow Blatchford peerinp
through her spectacles at the picture of two
chubby, staring babies which l held up for
her inspection. "Those are Doremy's
twins"
"Dorema ?" repeated I, inquiringly,
knowing by the italics in which the word
was spoken that a story lurked behind it,
"Doremy Fletcher; her mother was
cousin 10 my first husband. You've seen
Doremy, surely"
So had, if my memory was correct in
connecting with the name vision of hard
featured spinster whose angular figure
was in queer contrast with Widow Blatch-
ford's fat proportions.
az thought'-I began, when the old lady
snapped the thread of my hestating speech.
"They wasn't her own really, you know;
she took em. / declare! so you never
heard about Doremys twins. It's kind of
a curious story
81 should like to hear it," said ; and
my KIDD old hostess settled her glasses
with genuine satisfaction at my request.
swell, the babies belonged to Roxy
Hapgood. She was always weakly, and
when her husband was drowned II seemed
to beat her ri ht out. She never held up
her head again, and died when her babies
were fortnight old. Doremy went and
took care of her for a month before that I;
and when she saw the poor woman's tears
dropping on them little pink faces that was
never going TO look up knowingly into
their mothers eyes, she just up and said !:
There, there Roxy, I'll take care of 'em.
Don't you fret SO, with that comfort in
her cars, Roxy went to sleep smiling,
and woke up in a better world than this, l
do suppose"
"Were there no relatives to care for
them?" l asked.
"No. Eben Hapgood came from the
West year before he married Roxy; no
body knew any thing about him. She was
an orphan without so much as cousin to
her name, either. As for property, none
ever stuck to Eben Hapgood's fingers if
there had, he'd have made out TO let some
one else eat it off, Well, after the funeral,
folks began to talk of the poorhouse for the
babies. Then Doremy spoke right out |;
says she, I'm going to take those children
If that didn't raise breeZe!' Have you
inherited 4 fortune, Doremy?' says jose
phine Frye. Josephine's one of the folks
that speak real soft and smiling, but always
contrive to carry nettle hid in their words.
Fact was, Doremy and her mother hadn't
hardly Iaid Off the mortgage on their little
place, and pinched themselves to do 1t, too.
Deacon Quimby held up both hands when
he heard it.
"Actooally, call that flyin' in the face
of Providencep says the deacon. IF there
was property now, and guardeen wanted
to be responsible for the interests of them
babies, should feel duty rested'-bHt
Doremy took him up pretty short. Tfyou
could make money out of it you d take 'em
yourself said she, but Pm going TO max e
something else.'
"'The poor-house does seem a dreadful
cold place forlsuch little dears, says Mrs.
Quimby. 'Our Hezekiah was just as help
less once.' You see the deacon's wife was
just as soft as lie was hard, and she'd have
taken all creation into her heart If he'd
have let her.
"'The sins of the fathers shall he visited
upon the children says the deacon, real
solemn-like. 'Eben Hapgood was'-but
Doremy never gave him a chance TO tell
what he was. IF that's so, says she, Il
think, deacon, you'd better go home and
look out what portion Hezekiah'll have,
and leave me to tend TO these orphans
That's the way 1t went. The neighbors
buzzed like a swarm of bees, but Doremy
just held her own way as steady as clock"
"Dld her mother agree with herr" 1 ask
ed.
"Well, fact H. Susan Fletcher never had
no more decision than a pink-eyed rabbit (;
she always pinned her faith on Doremy,
and where Doremy got her will can't see, "
answered Mrs. Blatchford, reflectively rub
bing her nose.
"However, she always did rule at home,
and so she kept the babies. L must say !
was one that thought ii was foolish thing.
One baby fills house clear to the roof, but
twop
Mrs. Blatchford completed her sentence
by sniff moro expressive than words,
ohh ipNhbh th'hShtiuliN a. ""
before continuing.
AT last people got settled down that
there wasn't much use in opposing Doremy.
Mrs. Quimby kissed her kind of sly, and
says she, THE Lord'll keep his eye on you,
dearie : she gave her lot of baby-clothes
that used to be IIezekiah's, too, when the
deacon didn't know it. Some folks do get
mated so and go round piecing out each
others shortcomings. | rather think that
was all the help anybody gave, for all the