Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-03-13

she promised me from her Brahnns. Iwant
to set old yellow tonight. and had like to
have forgotten IL with so many million
things to worry mo; don't stop to talk DO
you hear, Henrietta StebbinsP"
"Yes'm, | do heart" answered back Eta,
and away she went cress-lots to Mrs Crunis'
fast rs she could for hor aching head and the
pain in her side which had come during her
run home from school, and which had not
left yet. but It was only little way Just
few yards--thirty or forty may be. and she
got the eggs and was home again just as her
father and the men from the field went into
the supper room followed by her mother,
who, seeing her turned to say:
" We'll you did go quick once in your life,
must say Now, child take that crock of
cream out to tho cave so It won't get warm,
and then come to your supper-hurry now !
don't keep us waiting for YOU"
Eta took the crock full of cream, and stag
gered at first under its weight, but shc often
carries heavier things than that-but 4" what
If something should happen rs ma hopes
there will, to keep me from going away from
home to school. Oh, dear! seems to me
had rather die than to-
She did not finish her sentence, not then,
nor ever, guess. She was hurrying so, all
the time, because she knew that whenever
her mother was in the mood she was in that
night she always had father wait for her to
be at the table before the blessing was asked,
and she did not want to provoke her mother
any more.
She set her crock down to open the door OF
the cave. n sort Of trap door It was, that stood
slanting so rs to shed water. and il was al
ways heavy to open, and heavy to hold while
sheIlet it down. which her mother always
babe her do carefully so Ms not TO slam II
al to pieces it was dreadfully heavy to-
night, but it was open now; and she stopped
down to raise her crock of cream. stepping
down one step rs she did so. by way of lift
ing it more easily. and also to gain time
when" what does nil my head9" she
Thought. and splash! went the cream; crash
went the crock, and into ore and on the 9TH
er fell our Eta headlong into the cave. where
she lay perfectly quiet.
In the house Mt the table they sat, Mr.. Steb-
bins looking ut his wife q little anXiously &c
SIZE whether the indications there were to
proceed or wait; they seemed to his practi
cal eye 10 be, to t0aa. So they sat silently
waiting one full minute. then another, ther
Mrs Stebbins fidgetted in her chair and ex
claimed (houghtfully for once) that Cir
can't hurry to save her life, don't wait fol
her. Mr. Stebbins, If you are in a hurry"
So the good man said grace" reverently
after which Mrs. Stebbins poured the tea
and thought she would "set it on the stow
to keep hot, and just see what could keel
Henrietta" She looked out toward thu
cave-no one therel So she stepped quick.
ont along the path. in stealthy sort of {
way, wondering the while "what can th
child be doing, not eating sour cream.
hopew
: Goodness mel what next? I'd like to ask
if she hain't fallen in and split my cream AM
broke the crock all to smidgens. the awk
ward hussy! Henrietta! Henrietta StebbthS d!
Henrietta did not even so much rs stir
0 and her mother drew her skirts up about he
instinctively to keep them from the cream
Q despatched wall, and stepped cautiousl
down into the cave. She then proceeded t.
lift up her child, and turned mp white fac
: with bloodless lips. the sight of which some
way took the strength away from her arm
: and knees. and it was full minute befer
: she found enough in her voice with which tt
shout:
D Father! Fdther-r-rr
= When father and the man who helped hin
laid the limp form on the lounge (ron
e which Mrs StebbinS had hastily taken
i great armful of dry clean clothes) Eta sigh
ed. opened her eyes and moaned so pitlfully
u then tainted again, "dead'r'n ever" MI
; Stebbins said
y The men went back and finished their sup
Il pers, all hut father; he and mother ate M
supper that night.
When the doctor came and made som
Z examinations he found Z" left leg broken il
: two places; he long time fore she's roun'
again Mrs Stebbins, months anyway-if sh
y ever gets well twill cripple her for life lik
as not, terrible fail, it's that broken crock a
done itn Something like sob choked Mrs
Stebbns, rs she thought of what she hn
SAID not an hour before, but I" indeed, d
o not really mean It, that anything 'Oould tur
Z up to keep her from going to town to school.
o In the weeks of watching that followed
when Etta's life hung rs 1t were upon tn
o tiniest thread. when in the deirium of fever
n her child-the only one God had ever en-
l trusted to her care, would throw her arm
o wildly around and cry: "Oh, motherP don
Is scold me so.n Mrs. Stebbins had ampl
j. time to repent of that one imperfection whic
= certainly kept her from d" bein' ready for tn
3 other world. and made both her husban
and child often very miserable; certain 1t il
Y they neither Of them ever heard her scol
d again, and though September had gone nm
n winter passed away. and bright spring ha
u come before y pale lame girl, (although sh
u was rapidly getting over even her lameness
left the old farm for school in town." sh
Z, went with not only her fathers permissio
II but her mothers hearty sanction -Kansa
" Farmer.