Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-03-31
An 0ld-Fashioned Remedy.


about Susan. All summer she had been
in pale, languid manner, half-alive con-
dition, with no strength, no appetite. no
interest in anything.
Mrs. Whitaker. having a never suff-
GENTLY gratifed passion for doctoring,
had at first rather enjoyed this oppor-
tunity of trying the virtues Of the vari-
Gus roots and herbs that hung IN dusty
bundles from the garret rafters. Susan's
life had been made burden to her with
doses of thoroughwort penneyroyal, tan
sv, dandel1on and burdock There was
always a big bowl of black, bitter herb
tea standing in the pantry, which it was
equally the object of Mrs. Whitaker's
life to induce Susan to take, and the OBJ
iect of Susan's t, escape.
And still Susan lay around the house
in an exceedingly. limp state, reading
novels with a languid interest, studying
her symptoms in the Family Adviser
and cutting out such scraps of poetry
from the newspapers as dwelt on the hol-
lowness of the world, unappreciated love-
illness, and earthly death.
Ned Whitaker, Susan's younger broth
er, was decidedly skeptical on the SUBJ
iect of her Illness Its enough to
make any one sick to do as Sue does,
said he, energetically. "Lf she'd get up
earlier in the morning and do a little
house work she'd get we'll twice as quick
as she will now, dosing and coddling."
ga great deal you know about it, - re-
torted Susan, with considerable vigor
for an invalid 81 like to hear boys talk.
They know so much-in their own esti-
nation
''See here, Sue What if that inter-
esting young school master should hear
you speak so to your dear brother? ? 1t
don't sound very angelic"
Sue said nothing, only blushed a lit
tie, and assumed that plaintive, meekly
injured look, which says plainly, you'll
be sorry for this when | am gone
Fudge, Sue p said Ned, quite i'm
pressed. Don't look so spoony and
off he went, whistling and banging the
door.
1t was fact that there had been a
good-look1ng young school-master, the
previous winter, a school-master that had
not loved, but firted and rode away
Perhaps Susan, having nothing else to
do, had pleased herself by fancying she
was in love with this gay deceiver. A
girl must do something. Mrs. Whita-
ker was one of those indefatigable, irre-
pressible women, a scrupulously neat and
exact housekeeper, who loved hard work
for its own sake, and didn't want any
one bothering round
At one time, Sue had quite mania
for cooking, but Mrs. Whitaker, after
witnessing her awkward struggles with
the bread dough, said "Come, let me
take it. It's easier for me to do it my.
self than see you. If you'll keep the
sitting room in order, and take care Of
your own room, it's all I'll ask
And now Mrs. Whitaker thought Su
san so delicate she relieved her of ever
these light duties, and left her with moth
ing to do but realize, in her own expe
rience, the truth of the saying,
ga milestone and the human heart are ever drive
round,
If they have nothing else to grind they must themselve
be ground"
September came, and yet Susan re
mained in state of discouraging about
!, the sameness. Mrs. Whitaker though
she would drive over and consult Aun
Debbie Dunbar
Aunt Debbie was woman of vast ex
, perience IN sickness. She had brough
large family of her own successful
through all the mumps and measles, an
, other ills infant flesh is heir to, and wa
now experimenting on yearly increas
, ing circle of grandchildren, besides ACT
! ing as adviser general for the Who'll
neighborhood. What Aunt Debbie die
p MT know about doctoring was general
o considered not worth knowing at all.
i AS Mrs. Whitaker drove up she d.
scried Aunt Debbie's ample form out
; the garden, bending over the sage bee
+ At the sound Of wheels, she straightene
a up, pushed her sun-bonnet back and pee
n ed sharply through her spectacles to ST
e who was going by.
V ..Well. never p she exclaimed.
n Mrs Whitaker drove into the yard g
e it amt you. Mrs. Whitaker | was je
it thinkin' about you How dew ye do
e Seems as if l hadn't seen you for an az
N Cum right along in, and kiah'll put |
.e your horse. -
or Thank you, but I've only come for
~ call; i cannot stop long"
ne well, how dye all dew at home
id asked Aunt Debbie, after she had ushe
te ed her visitor into the sitting-room, 70
On ed up her green paper curtain, and ST
a. tied down with her knitting-work
us hand
a Pretty we'll, thank you, except S
san. came over partly to see you abe
her. She don't seem to be getting alo
tn as | should like to have her
id, Miss Haskell was tellin me, last ST