Litchfield enquirer., 1873-04-24
From The Allan ic Monthly. ANN PoTTER'S LESSON.


 much means beside the farm, Mothe was rather a weakly woman; she didn' feel as though she could farm it for liv ing. It's hard work enough for man t. get clothes and victuals of farm in Wes Connecticut; it's up hill work always; an, then man can turn to, himself, to plough in and mowin';-but a woman amt of h. use, except to tell folks what to do; an, everybody knows it's no way to have thing done, to send.
 Mother talked it all over with Deacol Peters, and he connselled her to sell of al the farm but the home-lot, which was so out for an orchard with young apple-trees and had garden-spot to .one end of 1t close by the house. Mother calculate, to raise potatoes and beans and onion enough to last us the year round, and t, take in sewin' so's to get what few grocer ies we was goin' to want. We kept Ok Red, the best COW; there was pastur, enough for her in the orchard, for tn, trees want growd to be bearin' as yet and we lotted good deal on milk to Oul house; besides, it saved butchers meat.
 Mother was real pious woman, and sh. was 8 high-couraged woman too. Olt Miss Perrit, an old widder-woman tha lived down by the bridge, come mp to SC, her the week after father died. remem Der all about it, though want but tel years old; for when I see Miss Perrit com in up the road, with her slimpsy old vel hanging of from her bumbazine bonnet and her doelful look, (what Nancy Perri used to call mothers company face, " kinder thought she was comin' to oul house; and she was allers so musical ~tl me, I went in to the back door. and tool up towel was hemmin,' and set dowr in the corner, all ready to let her in. II don't seem as if could "a been real dis tressed about fathers dyin' when I could do so; but children is just like spring weather, rainin' one hour and shinin' the next, and it's the Lords great mercy they be; if they begun to be feelin' so early there wouldn't be nothin' left to grow up So pretty quick Miss Perrit knocked, and I let her in. We hadn'tgo no spare room in that house; there was the kitchen il front and mothers bed room, and the buttery, and the little back space opened ont behind. Mother was in the bed room SO, while I called her, Miss Perrit sci down in the splint fookin' ehaiR that creak' ed awfully, and went to rockin' back and forth, and sighin', till mother come in.
 "Good-day, Miss Langdon P says she, with kind of a snuffie, "how deso you dew? thought I'd come and see how you kep' up under this here afiiction. I rec'lect very we'll how I felt when husband died. It's dreadful thing to be left a widder in hard world;-den't you find it out by this ?"
 guess mother felt quite as bad as ever Miss Perrit did, for everybody knew old Perrit treated his wife like dumb brute while he was alive, and died drunk; but she didn't say nOthin'. I see her give a kind of swaller, and she spoke, up bright and strong. |.
 q don't think it is hard world, Miss Perrit. I find folks kind and helpful, be- yond what I'd any right to look for. l try not to think about my husband, any more than I can help, because I couldn't work, if I did, and I've got to work, It's most helpful to think the Lord made sps- eial promises to widows. and when re member Him I ant afeard.''
 Miss Perrit stopped rockin' minute, and then she begun to creak the chair and blow her nose again. and she said, -
 Well, I'm sure it's 8 great mercy to see anybody rise above their trouble the way you do; but, law me Miss Langdon, you ant got through the fust pair O bars ont yet. Folks is allers kinder neighbor- ly at the fust; they. feel to help you right of, every way they yscan,-but it don't stay put, they get tired ont; they blaze right up like white birch stick, an then they go out all of a heap; there's other folks die, and they don't remember you, and you're just as bad of as though you want a widder."
 Mother kind of smiled,-she couldn't help it; but she spoke up again just as steady.
 'T don't expect to depend on people, Miss Perrit, so long as I have my health. I ant above taken friendly help when need to, but I mean mostly to help my, self. can get work to take in, and when the girls have got their schoolin' they will be big enough to help me. I am not afraid but what shall live and prosper, if only keep my health"
 "Hem, we'll p whined out Miss Perrit. 1T allers thought you was pretty mighty woman, Miss Langdon, and I'm glad to see you're so high-minded; but you ant sure of you're health, never. used to be real smart to what I am now. when Perrit was alive; but took on so, when he was brought home friz to death, that it SD fled my nerves; and then had to do so many chores out in the shed, got cold and had the dreadfqllest rheumatiz! and when I'd got past the west spell of that and was quite folksy again, slipped down on our door step and kinder wrenched my ankle, and eft hadn't a been for the neighbors, I don't know but what Nancy and I should "a starved" .t
 Mother did laugh this time. Miss Per- Tit had overshot the mark.
 ''So the neighbors were helpful after all i'' said she. ssAnd if ever I get sick, l shall be willin' to have help, Miss Perrit. I'm sure would take what would give; I think givin' works two ways. I don't feel afraid yet"
 Miss Perrit groaned little, and wiped hadn't never offered to help mother, and that Miss Langdon hadn't go no feelings at all, and she blieved she'd just as soon beg for ivin' as not. Polly Mariner, the tailoress, come and told mother ali she said next day, but mother only smil ed. and set Polly to talkin' about the best way to make over her old cloak. When SH0 WHS &Ou0, begun So edAA oOOut 1u4Ss Perrit, and I was real mad; but mother hushed me right up.
 ''It ant any matter, Ann," said she "Her sayin' SO don't make it so. Miss Perrit's got miserable disposition, and I'm sorry for her: mint of money wouldn't make her happy; she's dolefu Christian, she don't take any comfort ir anything, and really do pity her"
 And that was just the way mother tool everything.
 At first we couldn't sell the farm. Il was down at the foot of Torringford Hill two good miles from meeting, and mile from the the school house; most of it was woodsy, and there want no great mar ket for wood about there. So for thu first year Squire Potter took it on shares and, as he principally seeded it down tt rye, why, we sold the rye and got little money, but twa'nt a great deal, mo mort than we wanted for clothes the next win ter. Aunt Langdon sent us down a lo of maple-sugar from Lee, and when W, wanted melasses we made 1t out of that We didn't have to buy no great of grocer ies. for we could spin and knit by fire vNsnENk Al