Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-05-08
Che family Circle,
How a Cloudy Day Grew Bright

" I'm Just as wretched as | can be, and
that's what's the matter, Aunt Patsy
The girl having delivered this little
speech with an hysterical sob, threw her
self into the nearest chair. laid her head
on the table, and cried with passion that
showed how her nature was moved.
Aunt Patsy looked about the disorderei
room, and then glanced pitlfully toward
the weeping girl Half uuconsciously t.
herself she began putting things in their
places restored the books to the little
shelves that had been rifed by the chill
drcn, eveued the wrinkied cloth, pushed
back the chairs and lifted Martha half
empty work basket to her lap.
How horrible it must look here, 10
YOU, who are neatn,ss itself sobbed the
girl. slowly wipins her tear filled eyes.
q. l don't know what you Will think OF me,
but I'm so utterly discouraged
3" No matter what may think, dear,
said Aunt Patsy, in her sweet, mellow
tone. Tell me why you are 50 discour
aged, aud see If | can't be Of some help to
you, Are the boys getting unruly Doe
father expect too much ? OF are you not
well ? You are generally such nice liz
tie house keeper
Martha shook her head
! am as well as ever, Aunt Patsy. but
some way things 20 all wro- 2 Father
don't say much, but | know what ne ex
poets, and mother, dear mother. had such
a knacN of doing things easily aud having
them Just right. The boys won't mind IA
as they did her, and Robert hasn't been
home for two nights till past ten OF
course he wishes me to screen him but
am frightened at the way he it going on.
John expects me to get his jacket done by
this evening that he may wear it at par
n and between them the children put me
+ * passion this morning, and | said some
things I'm sorry for. Then | caught Fldo
stealing, and in springing away he upset
the churn, and I've worked myself into a
real fever. 1t used all to be so different
suppose" she added, 9" the letter / re-
ceiyed yesterday, from my room mate
at school with whom 1 should have grad
uated tomorrow, helped the general IN.
happiness
Aunt Patsy smiled.
d" That was the little straw that upset
you, | suspect, poor child she said pity.
ingly " 1t does seem very hard that you
couldn't stay and finish your education.
But your mother was called most myster
ously, in the midst of her duties and the
prime of her life, and who shall dare say
it was not His will? You know you might
have stayed at school ; your aunt Betsey
I Morland would
90 Aunt Patsy :" cried Martha, with
a look Of pain, L" could | have given the
children into her keeping ? They would
have hated her in a week, with her strict
rules
- Let me be sewing the Jacket, dear.
while we talk" said Aunt Patsy cheerful
\ y. " I'm an old tailoress, you know, and
| can stay just as well as not. Now don't
look so anxious, I'm not going to let you
get any dinner you must rest, and | am
quite sure | shan't starve. [ know Just
how it is the children took their dinner
and your father took his we shall do very
well on bread and butter and tea, and
JOHNNY shall have his jacket this evening.
So you find the burden little too hard,
my poor child p
Martha looked up with quivering lip.
* Aunt Patsy" she said d" it don't seem
as 1t ala before you came IN. L think the
dear Lord must have sent you to comfort
me. All day yesterday l had such dread
full thoughts. 1t seemed to me that had
taken things upon me which did not belong
to my years. | regretted having left the
academy | almost accused God for tax
ing mother away. l felt old, and injured
and unwilling to work. That made things
90 wrong, partly. When the boys came
home, | took up every little thing they
did and said, and they grew cross and
quarreled with each other. L went so far
as to shake little Nelly when the child
cried at hurting herself, and papa seemed
uneasy and went out o Aunt Patsy,
after all, don't know but L have my
wicked self to blame as the sole cause OF
all my trouble. You can't imagine how
gloomy everything looked this morning"
" Sometimes think your father should