Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-08-07
Strawberries and Scrip.

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should think il would melt. and drop RIGHT
out Of the sky. And Mrs. Townsend Won
give us but three cents a box for pieking se
there :"
!" Wei. it doesn't make any difference t,
her how hot it is, you know" said Mary, bit
terly. She has blinds to her house :"
" Yes, and sits there eating ice-cream,
spose' returned little Phebe "and gets sew
enty.hve cents box, but wouldn't give n
more'n three cents if we should faint t
pieces out here, and be picked up dead :"
4" o, she isn't eating ice.crcam this time o
day. said Mary, who always kept up hci
spirits by laughing at Phebe.
"Well she had some last night, serious
truly, black and bluely, for saw her througl
the door. NJ mother doesn't have ice.cream
She eats this slip stuff you boil in kettle.
Slip stuff o, you mean rye pudding
She doesn't eat thst all the time, you goosie =
" But she eats brown bread, Mary Penny
and she's great deal better woman than
Mrs. Townsend and ought to have honey
and picked lines, and mince pie every sinrl,
day she lives"
Well there. Phe she can't bear pick led
LINES, you child; nor honey, either. But
there are nice things she does like. and IT,,
too wick ed bad she cant have 'em, when she
isn't bit well, aud has to sew so hard aud
that's what | always said =" exclaimed brown.
eyed, thoughtful Mary, growing earnest.
" Some people are very different from Mrs
Townsend. Now, there's Mrs. Stillman; il
she didn't live so far of, aud we could nick
for ber.-why. once she gave Angie CIonnor
all she got for three boxes. aud told her 10
keep it, for it was hard work to pick in such
blazing sun. And Angie took the money
and bought her mother great piece of sal
mon with it,"
90 my!" cried Phebe. Let Ms tax,
the money Mr.. Potter gives us, and not le
Mrs. Townsend have it, and buy our mamm,
great big piece of-of-"
The rattle Drained child finished the sen
tence with needless Jerk of her elbow wbie
almost upset her basket
WHY, Phebe Penny !-Ilark Was tha
you stepping right behind me y
No, indeed Put back your shaker
Here am. Don't you see me 2"
But | heard somebody" persisted Mary
looking about in a startled way.
Yes, and there, not far off, was Mrs. Town
send. walking beside row Of currant bushe.
Could she be the one whose steps Mary ba,
Just heard on the gravel path. close by he
side ?
Phebe," whispered she, as the lady's 6g
ure disappeared behind a syringa tree, "Pbeb,
! Penny, she was right here a minute ago, and
heard what you said !"
" Did she ! Whatd | say ?" replied
careless Phebe, with provoking Indifference
Don't you know, child? You said Let's
steal some of the strawberry money : that's
lust what you said"
Phebe only laughed, aud picked pebble
ont of her eaky shoe. She never took things
to heart as Mary did and as for that little
speech, what if Mrs. Townsend had overheard
| it2 Shed only think children were fool
isher than she s'posed for
But when they went into the house with
their bnsket full of berries, Mary's whole face
was dyed crimson. and she could not raise
her ewes for shame.
"Move your chairs up to the drop table, "
said Mrs. Townsend, :" and help me take Of
the huls"
That was what she always said. but Mary
fincied that her voice was even sharper than
usual. They all three hulled the berries 10
silence. and then Mrs. Townsend herself took
them of the large white platters, aud arrang-
ed them in the boxes. She never allowed
any one else to do it, aud Mary always motto.
ed that she was very sure to put the largest
berries on top"
They are unusually nice to-day" said
she. as she placed the boxes carefully in a
market basket. aud gave the basket to the lit.
tie girls, And YOU may tell Mr.. Potter
that EXPECT half a dollar for them, and am
not willing to take a cent less"
Yes'm," murmured Phobe and then
they trudped of down the dusty street to the
variety store. where everything was kent from
shoestrinps and pepperminls to sugar cured
hams Mr.. Potter was in a very genial mood.
called them nice little girls, gave them each
A stick of candy, and said he was perfectly
willing to paw ffty cents box for such straw.
berries as theirs. lie took the eight boxes
out of the market basket, and put back
in their places eight empty ones, and then
gave Mary two dollar bill for Mrs. Town.
send.
twill send her the rest Tomorrow. said he.
The children sauntered leisureIy along. nib.
bling candy, and swinging the basket between
them. The sun was cooling his face behind
cloud and there was really some comfort 10
walking Mary forgot Phebe's unfortunate
speech in the garden, and thought how nice
il was that their work was done for the day,
and they could have the rest of the time TO
do what they pleased
When they reached Mrs Townseud's, that
lady had gone out riding. and there was no
one at home to take the basket but old Kate
Maloney, the maid of all work.
" The money is in one of the boxes" said
Mary :; but Kate might or might not have
heard, for lust then she was opening the oven
door to look at the custards which were buk-