Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-06-20
Summer Svveetings.

on might Jake DdShtj OI tu')Sc
summer sweetings down to Widow
Small's, Bert"
eyes. mother mine, if you say So"
sit won't take you ten minutes.
'ENo? Where does she live p
'EFollow the orchard wall, and turn
down Lovers lane, and it's the first cot
tage on your left-so the servants tell
me; I've never been there"
Bert took the basket and followed di-
rections, and just as he reached the first
cottage on the left the door opened and
out tumbled ten or dozen children OF
all ages.
SIS this the widow Small's?" he ask
ed of dimpled young person who stood
Just inside watching the children's gam
bols
Eyes" said the sweetest voice in the
world, while two luminous eyes met his
yves, this is the widow Small's."
''My mother, Mrs. Greaterex. sends
her these summer sweetings."
''Oh, thank youl Tell Mrs. Great
erex that there is nothing I like so well
as summer sweetings."
''She sent them with her cOmnli-
ments." said Bert, fibbing awkwardly,
but feeling that he owed an apology to
this vision of loneliness for having
thought of her as an old woman in a
mob-cap.
'sYour mother is very kind. Won't
YOU come in and see my flowers ?"
eyes, l will. Are these your child
rem ?" he asked.
"They are my little scholars. You
must have mistaken me for the old wo-
man who lived in her shoe ="
EDO YOU take care of all these flowers
yourself ?" he asked, while she pointed
out her favorites. ''What poetical
employment
ooh, it is not poetry, it is poverty
that moves me-" she replied II make
them in bouquets to sell. Let me give
you these for your button-hole."
'Thanks; and | will order bouquet
of you every day"
'sOh, shall grow rs rich as Cr@sus.
You are too generous. One of my little
scholars shall take it to You.
ono: if you please, will come for it
myself"
Certainly It is time for me to ring
nv bell now recess has been over these
five minutes"
Il suppose that is hint for me to be
gone. I wish / was a little chan in your
primer class Good-by, you will see me
! tomorrow"
"Where haze you been, Bert? p said
Caroline; 'Ethe carriage has been wait
inc this half hour"
81 carried some apples to the widow
Small's" answered the guilty Bert.
"Mother sent them"
"Oh, did you? Has she any child
| REM"
''There were half-a-dozen or more
playing about the premises, answered
| Bert smiling.
''Poor folks always have such a lot.
Does she have to take care of them her
self 2"
''That seemed to be her occupation.
at must be disagreeable to be old and
4 poor too; to lose your color, and see
/ your eyes retreating into your head,
vour skin growing yellow and wrink1ed,
and your hair getting gray. Is she an
awful old fright, Bert ?"
s.You had better 90 and see for your
self, !" laughed her brother, 'Fyour taste
is so different from mine. That new
panier. for instance, which you wore
yesterday, and thought so stylish, is
simple hideous to me-.
ssOh no. | hate the neighborhood of
poverty and trouble; squalor gives me a
qualm. No; / will send her some of my
old gowns-without paniers-if you
think she'd like them, but don't ask me
to 90 and see her" And then they
drove round and called on the Upton
girls, and Caroline lost sight of the poor
widow and her large family in discus
sing the new polonaise and the latest
style of chignons. But Bert made
amends for his sisters shortcomings.
All the time that he chatted with Maria
1 Upton, holding her scarlet yarns and
saying gallant nothings, he was CON-
! pairing her with the widow Small, and
finding flaws in her beauty and demean-
or. Only yesterday he had thought
/ Maria Upton the prettiest girl in the
world, with whom it would not be diff
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