Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-10-18

grudge nothin' | carried back. either.
except one thing, and that was baby's
picture, that took one day when the
folks was out of the room, an it lay
smilin' up at me, on the table. I'd
kept it so long it seemed like mine, but
done it, and the woman was so glad,
and cried, that was, too, for the baby
was dead then, and that was all she had
of him, you see.-Yes," he repeated.
looking up at the notice again-''I shall
take the left-hand road and go round by
BloOmdale tonight"
The little school teacher began to walk
away toward the house, wishing she
were not so timId and foolish, and knew
how to say or do something to comfort
the lonely old man.
do you live about here, little girl ~
he said, turning quickly again, with that
childlike. questioning look
"Yes," she said, IL have been stay
irg here for the summer. Would you
like to come up to the house here where
| board and have some supper before
you start ?''
mo, no, l had good bite back here
piece. l suppose you've got tired of
hearin' me talk. / am great talker,
and everybody in this world almost is
too busy to talk with me. So talk to
the weeds and butterflies, and all kinds
of still things, as | 60 along the road
And when they are all dead l talk to
myself. 1t amt much comfort to talk
to birds and bees; they're always too
busy to listen. and are apt to break right
in upon you with song, as if they did
mt care to hear" And here he laughed
happy, careless, childlike laugh. "But
l do git good deal of comfort out of
the live, growing things in summer
They are all so silent, and kind O. ten
der like. They've got kind of whis-
per though, among themselves, that [
understand, and there's deal O. pity in
it, too. Now, that yarrar you've got
there-I couldn't no more pull any o
that than | could pull baby's head off; /;
for long this time o year, when most
everything else is gone, that hangs by
ye, and will, till the snow covers it up,
and sometimes, when you are on lone
some bit of road, and lay down to rest.
them little soft, green feathers'n fiutter
round your cheek as gentle like as if
you was little baby, and then you can
hear their little lovin' kind of poor pus-
sy whisper till you drop off to sleep.
But them should like to have child
ren talk to me the best of anything, and
sometimes Oldish kind of boys will talk
bit, questioning me sort o curious like,
but the little ones are alrus shy of me,
and IL edge off as quick as they can.
spose they've all heard somethin' about
that time jest told ye about. Don't
ye spose. now, that must be it %
But the school teacher was crying. in
spite of herself.
"Why, little girl" he exclaimed,
pityingly, observing it. "Have yOu got
troubles, too ?''
"No;" she burst out. as timid people
will sometimes, "No, but would rath-
er have the power tonight to give you
and all the homeless, kind-hearted, old
people like you home and some body
to love them. than to have all the gifts
l have ever coveted"
He reached out his hand with the odd.
est, most awkward gesture, as if to place
it on her head in blessing; hesitated
opened his lips as if he were going tc
speak again, but turned, at last, and
walked away, slowly, his rags huttering
in the wind. The teacher dried hel
eyes and went home