The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-01
AN OLD APPLE-WOMAN.
A Reminisconco of Boston Commo,


woman who has lived since the birth Of
| Eve-the first of apple-women; but she
loved and served her country, and so in
| spite of her ugliness, | feel bound to give
her half a dozen pages Of history.
At first she served it by vending green
| apples and striped sticks of stOmaCh-ache
to the hungry lawyers and ragged urchins
who congregate about Court Square; and
at this time was mistress of peripatetic shop
"a huge willow basket, going about on
two legs and open at the top, except in
rainy weather, when ii was rooted in by
big cotton umbrella.
She was meagre anatomy, with sharp
nose, a sunken chin, and a Ratchet tace.
covered all over by shrivclled skin of the
| precise complexion of peeled potato. In
winter she wore a faded hood, blanket
shawl, and a wooden gown-shori enough
to show pair Of corrugated stockings, Tar
whittier than the snow in the streets OF Bos-
| ton, In summer she was clad in dimity
cap, calico frock, and a cotton bandana,
| pinned closely over her bosom; but, sum
mer and winter, she was always elongated
| by pair of stout brogans, with heels and
thick soles-thick enough, one would say,
| to be imperyious TO all the moisture that
human feet are heir to, But they were
not impervious to the rheumatism That,
one day, got into the legs of the old We
mans appe-basket, and forced her TO shut
up her peripatetic shop, and TO open one Of
a less rowing character.
Then she pitched her tent upon the Com
mon or, more literally, she planted there
a three-egged stool, the big umbrella, and
a rough pine table, heaped high with rus
sets, pippins and gilly. flowers, which she
was ready TO dispense to all corners, at the
| rate OF one cent Tor one, and half dime
for half dozen-so several paper placards
floating like flags of truce, from as many
golden pipplns, told all ana singular who
frequented the Common.
Business here throve with the old wo-
man; for, in pleasant weather, the Com
mon is "a great resort for young couples
who bill and coo under The spreading elms,
or on the ron-cad benches. There is no
telling the quantity of stomach-ache and
cholera.morbus that the old woman daily
dispensed to hungry lovers but it must
have been large, since it was often noticed
that however high her table was heaped in
the morning, it was always low down at
night, when, with her basket on her arm,
she rambled homeward.
One evening gentleman passing that
way, just at dark, found the table almost
untouched, and the old woman in great
deal of trouble. 1t had raintd all day, and
few lovers had come upon the Common;
SO, with apples and clothes weeping in SYM
pathy with her sorrow, she sat there with
no one to help her home with her basket.
1t is said that evil loves the dark but it
Is quite as true that many good things avoid
the daylight. Others eyes are then open,
and the fear of what linen say" often sends
us sneaking by oa the other side, like the
priest and the levite in the parable. But
| ha eho
dered the apple-hasket and went home with
the woman. She lived in 4 small room,
on the top floor of an old rickety house at
the North End and as he went uD the
| stairs the gentleman was in mortal fear Of
tumbiing down, and spilling both him and
the apples. AT last, however, he reached
the room setting down the basket, he sat
himself down to rest his tired legs and
shoulders. 1t was narrow, mean apart
ment, and so low that when he stood up
right, his head almost touched the ceiling.
Two young children, hoy and gill, who
were spreading the table for the evening
meal, and thin, emaciated woman, with
sunken eyes and palid features. who was
| lying on bed in the corner, were its &C.
cupants. The floor was bare, the furniture
plain and poor, and everything indicated
that its tenants lived on the very verge of
starvation but on their faces was cheer
full look that showed that they imbibed of
that divine elixir which gives to the most
| wretched comfort and conientment. Gu
rious to get at the secret of their happiness
the stranger asked the old woman about
her history.
Twenty years before, she said, her two
sons and her husband had died, leaving her
destitute and alone, with one remaining
child-a little daughter. Too weak to work
ard unwilling TO beg, she then resorted to
street vending, and, by twelve hours OF
daily toll, managed to support herself and
bring up her daughter. AT twenty, the
latter married worthless fellow, who
broke her heart and then cast her penniless
upon the world with young son, the little
boy who was then setting the table. The
old woman took them in, and about this
time also, adopted the little girl who was
| the orphan child of poor neighbor.
"And were you able to support them all
by vending applesf" asked the gentleman.
mo, sir" she answered. II tried to;
but couldn't My darter was sick, and
couldn't do nothing, and we soon got into
debt twenty dollars. Then, as if 10 make
bad worse, | was taken down with the
Iheumatics. ! was down with them fort
night; and when got up l couldn't get
round like could atore so, not known
what to do, went with my basket on to
bench, nigh the Frog Pond. Folks came
to me amazin that day, and at night had
two dollars clean profit Then ! saw the
Lords hand; He knowed | couldn't make
a Twin going round, so He gave me The
rheumstics, to show me il was best to open
a stand on the Common
"And since then have you made both
ends meet?'
"Yes, sir; since then I've been prospered
wonderful. I've paid off the debt, and
now when want TO can lay in n stock Of
ten dollars, and that, you know, brings ap.
pies cheaper"
"But have you no fear for winter?"
"No, sir. It's two months off; | can
make thirty dollars afore it comes, and
that. with what sewing and washing | can
do, will take us round to VAIN.
And how old are your asked the gen
tleman, looking at her furrowed face and
white hairs, which seemed to say CEN
fury.
"Seventy next Christmas. But We
wouldn't think il to look at me- | feel al
most as pert as when was thirty"
"And at your age, and in such poverty,
can YOU always LOOK hopefully at the fu-
ture?'
"Yes, sir. The Lord is my Shepherd,
shall not want. He maketh me to lie down
in green pastures. He leadeth me beside
still waters"
The stranger looked at her with reverent
wonder. He had heard those words before,
but now they had TO him a new sound and
a new meaning. All at once il dswned UP
on him that "The poor are blessed" be-
cause of their faith; which, of itself. is ,he
"kingdom Of heaven Drawing roll of
bank notes from his pocket, he handed one
of them 10 the old woman. She took it,
held it up curiously to the candle, and then
said, with a smile that made her ugly fes-
lures absolutely handsome;
"lt's more money than | ever saw at
once atore; 'twould take us clean through
the winter. Ye is good gentleman, and
while we can. don'l like to take money
from nobody"