Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1876-11-01
woman's in the world-at least so Tom

itht NOuHlcI IGl.u VI uct lttlltI, dIu lCI
judgment was far in excess of that pos
sessed by most girls of her age. She was
of Industrious habits, was thoroughly do
mesticated. and, above all. possessed Il
heart which as warmly responded to the
appeals of the suffering as it echoed the
joys of those it loved.
Polly's usefulness was not confined to
the two rooms on the second floor. She
had served her apprenticeship to the MILL
merry business in the house possessing the
services of her father, and, strange to say,
Tom Smith was one of those young men
who served " at Me>srs. LOO>tring II
Fools. OF course, the love affair WAS
kept very quiet. and sometimes poor Pol
lv's heart thumprd wi h fear lest the secret
should be discovered, for. in the eyes OF
their employees. L"o>tring Il Tool were
terrible people indeed Abel and his
daughter, however. kept nothing from each
other. so that the simple hearted old ware
hot >cnIln was speedily made acquainted
with the state Of ~atltirS. and by no means
DISAPPEARED of the match, although he de-
voally hoped it would not be brought to an
Issue until be was freed from the burden
which had 50 long kept him, by his own
free will, almost prnnile>s.
The ascent to Mr.. Webb's apartments
was, TO Il stranger. an experiment attended
with many difficulties. As in most DOR
localities, children were in great force;
and on wet DAYS it was the pleasing Gus
tom of the juveniles belonging to the
house in which Abel resided to employ
their infantile leisure in games upon the
stairs or on the landings OF the two floors.
| he house WAS let out to several families !;
and, as the ladies of the establishment
more closely rcsembled Leah than Rachel,
4 degree of mirth and reckless gaycly per
vadcd what might he termed the lungs of
the house. The children, too. (being nat
urally of a h, spitablc and social DISPOSE
tom were in the habit of inviting neigh
boring Juveniles to share in their eXhilara-
tive plclSure-a circumstance tending III
no small degree to increase the nose com
mcncing at davbroak and ordinarily ceaS-
ING abOu midnight.
In total darkness it was certainly very
confusing to have ones ears >tlutcd with 4
Very Babel of voices; to find the balustcrs
occupied by aspiring young gymna,t>; to
place ones foot upon Il warm. yielding
mass of humanity that would, tAerenpon,
send forth IL Yell of remon>trance, speed
lily bringing from the retirement of the
wasIl-tub and ironing-table toiling. per>-
plrin~ mammas; OF to lose ones balance
by trcading upon marbles or other awk-
ward distractions by the way. With these
little difficulties. however. one soon be-
caIe familiar. 50 that when Abel Webb
had opened tue street door he speedily
reached his apartments.
How cosy the little place looked 1t was
Il pattern of ncttne>s and domestic com
fort. The table was laid for supper, a
nice cri>p loaf being thanked by a piece OF
cheese (placed upon Il small plate in order
to make it look more than it really was),
and, yes Il really gigantic cucumber.
Polly, who was kneeliny before the fire,
vigorously plying the bellows. and melting
the Goals to Il perfect fury of flame, had
not lighted Il candle. and certainly non
WAS wanted. The bright blaze brought
into full view the ncttic ycranium occupy
inw the table in front of the window; it
lighted up the photograph of the mild
boxing woman (Pollv'> mothcr) on the
other side Of the room; it showed the
brlss-knobbcd piece of furniture. to out
ward view a bureau. but to (he initiated
fr,Qucn;cr If Abcis apartments. nothing
more nor less than a ;urn-up bct!>tead in
which the father himself slept: and it re
tlcctcd its brightness upon tie sllc-hoard
with its ornaments of ware. a few books.
Nv II. ~ H''' I". w 'nI W. I'".L
ter: among other a tiny Haby> shoe,
once worn by that boy. tnow drld) on
" ~ NI' ~" $50 ~
Why. Vou'lr rather late, f,thcr. aim'l
r'"' ",I"':" ~ =
,t''' anu !lNln- o." N''I 1"'n = >u","'nI
N,>, / III IT. ,,,'-'' ',i,''>' "'n ,r','
on Il' ':N''''I' i ~" T. "!H"o'4 '''
~ " .''- ''"
IN u - ="
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III III ~
" w. p,. iinii,' w.,
anu ", - ~
l." "'"' "I"' "'I
= ~ n w. ~
~ ~, ,L..I p,I,,N n,;nr h., f,th
~ ,,,,b,, hi.r1x Li..at' Il. nvnrnI NV.
,~vnnl,r rnmforrr .nrir.Iiu~ III, neck
rhn e., -. ,n,.I..7 .n.rn.
,lr,t n,,tn rinitv ,nnnIs ynn have n,i13-
.T.. ,in.t, ,nnruI. It., .,n,I ,l,,1
.iu., ~ Az c.l.J ,nn ly ,nn anal va.
rn1I,:
.n f,.h., don't !, m,.b 70 # +
,on v.r,n:t ,n Irnrivr ynnr-.1fo eff conn
t.rts. why. we Shouldn't have paid on
tv..,,v =, ~"
n,nH ,r ,,.+ p,'1v If # w.r. rn,
for vow r,rninrs how cnnIJ f,nt nv
,v,,o. into Mo .,vinrs hank * In n..r
~ rvorv mon1h9-
;. W,IL, ,,ddv. dear. Won know j1's on
~ Won Eve rnt to live for" siiI fine OH
.,Tr,.hlr
Wh,,,. that Won sav9- r.,1i.,1 Ola
Anal LirbIv ,L.,.rl win his j,urL,ar..
,.n,a,l h,, .Jnt.rminrj mot 70 M. hn,l.
vinL.I How ,hnut Tom Smi,ho Nv.
,,nan ~ vrnn .lnn-, r,rn fnr h;m 81,
:. UnsL Dont sn,,L so Ionl
pollv finished. and looked half fyiobt-
NAL ,oyx,rJ MT cnrner ofthc room vLero
the h;r hnrc,n cast is shadow
;. Whv ,hore., nobn Y can hear"
Yes f,ther the children nirh,. and
oh;ljr.n snn,.tim.s m,Ln I,f If n;-
ohi"f - sor,o1 ,h,t Et,ln vj,n,rrn pn
-. Thon Nm a.snor,,. ;ntnntion nf
y ainr ,ha e,h;nc, ~. .,iJ. Ynn