Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-11-10

1 once knew a dear old lady-so sweet,
so bright, so clever; wearing her eighty
years "as lightly as a flower" When you
talked with her you would have thought
her woman Of thirty, so full was she Of
all the quick sympathy of youth, the wise
tenderness of middle age. or the weak
nesses OF old ago she bad absolutely none.
Her interest in all about her was such that
she never seemed to think OF herself at all.
No complaint, no murmur at her own all
menls- aud she had ailments and sorrows
too-ever fell from her lips her only aux
iety was about tho cares OF other people,
and how she could tighten them, in great
things and small. Her bounty knew no
limits except her means, which were not
great "but," she once said, smiling, "I
need so lille; and then you see, my dear,
l always pay my bills every week, so as to
give 10 trouble to anybody afierward."
Thus sho kept house, with the utmost or
der, yet with ceaseless hospitality. 1t was
indeed the House Beautiful, from whose
gates all who came departed refreshed and
strengthened, and whence no crea ure who
came in want and grief was ever sent emp
~
living will remember 1t; and mono who
who were familiar there conld ever forget
II, or her, as she sat in her quiet corner,
with her sweet old face, and her lovely lit
lie ringed hands-peaceful, idle hands !;
since for some years before she died she
was nearly blind. Yet her blindness
though coming so late in life, II made her
very helpless-never made her sad or doll !;
she could still listen to and join in eonvef-
sa lion, and she greatly liked society, espe-
clalIy that OF the young. There was al
ways tribe of young people coming about
her, telling all their doings and plannlngs,
their amusements and their troubles. She
was fond OF them, and they-they adored
heri One girl In particular wned that the
first time this dear old lady voluntarily
kissed her she felt ''as II she had been kiss
ed by her first love-" WheL she died-at
over eighty, certainly, but her executors
had TO guess at the date, for she was an old
maid, without any near relation, and had
oflen said she did not even know her own
age, it was so long since she was born
when she died there was found among her
private papers portrait Of a young man in
a foreign military dress. No one could
guess who 1t was; the name-there was q
name-no one had ever heard Of At last
some old acquaintance recalled far away
tradition OF her having been once about to
be married somehow the marriage was
broken of, but the two remained friends,
aud, 1t was believed corresponded aud oc-
casionally met ill his death, which hap
pened when she was about fifty years old.
For his nephew-and heir, he having died
unmarried-had then been 10 see her;
somebody recollected having met the young
man at her house, aud her Introducing him
by the name on the miniature. After that
all was silence. She was never heard 10
name the name again. Yet she lived on
for thirty years more. "What do you do
when you are quite alonef ?" was once ask
ed anxiously OF her, when she was too
blind either to write, or sew, or read.
"What do l dor My dear, sit aud think.
l have so much to think about-and so ma
n.y." sand are you never dullf" "Dullf
oh, mol l am quite happy" She was,
am sure. You could sec II In her face. Her
last act-the last time she ever crossed her
remember, a visit OF
kindness, partly AZ an excuse TO take for a
drive person who was too feeble TO walk
much. She was then extremely feeble her
sell, and, climbing a steep stair, one who
assisted her said anxiously, II fear you are