Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1872-11-13

ncnlhu one OF tucm. ntI oius OVatret
homemade hanel skirt hardly covered her !
poor, rough. red knees She wore no stock
ings. and her ,hOes we're much too large.
A yieee Of an old blanket shawl piuned !
over her head completed the attire Of the
iorloru little creature on that bleak No
ven her day.
Rob planted her on her two feet beside
the stove in a stiff, awkward fashion. for
all the world as if he we're setting fence
post, aud looking at Sadie with qseer
twinkle IN his eyes, said,
Il thought I'd take girl to raise
that is. just to raise till next .louday It's
Widow Spinner's little girl, you know.
Widow Spinner came from the poor house
last winter to work for Joshua Grubbs'
folks aud when she died in the spping.
folks said she'd had 20 work herself to
death. Mrs. Grubbs said she guessed
she'd raise the little girl, It would be a
cheap way of gittir' help in few years.
And, Sadie, you just ought to see how she
raises her! I'm sent over to Grubbs'
sometimes, on errads. aud I've seen things
that fairly made me grit my teeth Sizes
gone barelooted, this ittle mite here, in
the frosty weather. till her feet are crack
ed, and chapped, aud blistered, aud bleed
ing. I've seen bloody specks in her little
bits Of footprints, myself" Rob was in
no mood tor joking now he stood up very
straight and earnest, telling his story with
fever of pity and Indignation heating
his brown face-so deeply in earnest that
he didn't know how queer some of his
words sounded. II do believe they hav'
ent pulled the snarls out Of her head foi
months and months, he went on, IN hi'
eager voice, nor washed her face and
the, just push and scat her around, ''i
she were some good-ior-nothing little cat
And YOU see, Sadie, got to thinking
wien was over there this morning
What If that was our little kitr and il
made choking in my throat, somehow
inst to think OF it: and bv and bv 1t cam
ol :...o my head to bring her home, Just 10
- little comfortable visit with us over Sun
day. and | asked Mrs. Grubbs about II
~ , and she Just laughed, and said, 'all right
~ Aud, Sadie, [ want you to doctor up thos
, little feet .,
nu Sadie seated the child comfortably b
y the fire, and listened to Robs story wit
'o' her big gay eyes flashing, and eVel
ne now and then shook her head in an om
up GUS way, just as she always did when 81
yS heard anything that horifed OIL excite
'a' her
his "rd show 'cm, if | ever went there
Ks. she said when Rob had finished. 81
be tell 'em | was astonished at people dol
oc- such cold booded actions! just becau
les, her mother came from the poor house
ats, work for them, and they don't know
ork any relations to come around and ind
LII how they re carrying on. III cure up
as feet. Mrs. Bennett gave me some sa
ked that cured Davy's stubbed toe in two da
and it's wonderful, She got it of an
iul- neddler woman whose name was Mrs.
ring ". and we call it Lilly salve,'"
lear Then Rob went out to see about
lght wood for Sunday, and presently Kit CO
wing out of her nap, full of wrinkles and d
face ples and fun, and tried her very best
for make her visitor talk, but she wou
rked -ouly once, when Kit said someti
get that sounded funny, she spoke out stu
ken, ly Just one word, +" Well!'
cam, There was the usual Saturday n
rials serubbing time after supper, OF cou
She not scrubbing the floor, but Johnny
cloth Dayy, and Kit, from the crowns OF
lossy heads to the soles of their teet and v
dam they were all tucked in bed, Sadie oa
: big Nancy Rob said that was the little "
IS in, uame-and tenderly dried and anol
d be the sore feet with her famous .
rhaps salye." then bound them with soft bar
minis es. and rubbed oil on the poor cha
real, knees and when that was done, Or
t the her in one Of Kits clean white nightg'
,eople and held her upon her lap till the
selves cheeks or w rosy in the warm lire
lways and poor wee Nancy fell into the sw'
To be, sleep she had known since her mo
,ry for arms had sheltered her. BY an
hap Sadie laid her in bed and got her :
cracks of patching Rob was trying to save
prret ey enough out of his wages to get a
re SOL roof nut on the old house, and one
nd SOL # weather boarded, for it was dres
hard to keep warm, even now IN the
','all Of November weather anu 80 'n'y ~
Not buy new jackets and aprons, and
for he had to sit up nights and mend and
,poous, till her eyes grew heavy, and her
,,aer- and her back ached like some poor
f a girl old woman with the rnu''a'''"'
=, and That night when Rob came IN
q her talked about Thanksgiving while