Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-05-31
Aunt Patty's Balance.


" No, Martha, didn't quite promise"
But ran every step of the way, indeed
did Auntie aud made all the beds and
busted"
There was tremor in Martha Parker's
voice, aud the tears came almost into her
eyes.
an tell You at noon. There, it is ten
minutes to nine, and YOU will be late for
school if You do not start this instant"
But, Aunt Patty"
ii YOU stop for another word You cannot
60 at all. How often have told you about
answering back :"
Martha picked up her two books and
whired herself ont Of the door like "a tor
na1o. without word of good-moniug.
"The cross old thing She half sobbed,
when she was out Of hearing. "Shenever does
let me do anything ! may try aud try, aud
it doesn't amount Toto a row Of pins. And
If can't 60 to that croquet party III bee just
as bad as ever | can be-"
think Martha commenced right away.
She climbed over the fence and ran down in
the lot for an apple. and what with that and
the eating of II, She was late for school.
My aunt sent me 10 do an errand, she
said to Miss Lewis,
Nh lllhNl llllia a. llNN'f Nil'Is w lNN'' "a
mark | want you all TO understand that
school begins promptly at nine"
That made Martha still more cross She
slammed the lid of her desk and then hur-
ried out TO take her place in the class. It
was spelling and at the very first word
she missed and had to 60 down one. And
then she didn't care " in good earnest, and
was a very troublesome child until twelve
o'clock.
When She went home to dinner she found
Grandma Fields sitting by the open win
dow in Aunt Patty's tidy kitchen. Now
Grandma Fields really was not grandmother
TO anybody, but she was old and sweet and
pretty, with q wrinkled face and snow-white
hair; a gown of soft drah, that, though it
was made in the fashion OF her young days
had almost come round again. ltwas gored
plain wasted, and with coat sleeves but il
had no ruilles, nor puiis, nor fringcs, nor bu
giles. Then she had silvery colored ker
chief crossed over her bosom, and whit,
lawn cap, and altogether She was as attract
i've looking as any grandmother You would
wish to see. She had not relative in the
world, and yet everybody's house was open
to her, and She visited about sewing aud
knitting and darning, and sometimes taking
u
she did not seem old. There was always
great stack of invitations ahead of her an,
| two month. ago Miss Patty Parker sent TO
| her
She does so enjoy harvest apples, sal,
/ Miss Patty $50 let MS have her here right ii
the first Of them. And it will give me sucl
good start with the fall clothes and bed
ding and stockings"
U e. H..
| Mr.. Nathan Parker. lie was a very com
! Portable farmer, widower with three boy
/ and one girl a very clean, orderly, uprigh
woman was Aunt Patty, but somehow
Nathan was so careless, So dilatoy Tn
| children were needless, impertnent, idle
and, try her best. she never could make auy
| thing Of them. She worked very hard, an,
she used to get very much discouraged.
That was her side OF the story.
Father Parkercame in, delighted 9, see tn
| placid, cheerful face Of his guest Did tel
you She was a Quaker? Well, she wa.
though there was no Friends meeting within
| twenty miles so it wasn't her Sunday church
going that kept her in such a tranquil state
Behind the farmer came his eldest soi
George, about seventeen. lie had been T.
the mill and TO the store that morning am
=
unpack at once.
"Wil atcalco dress do the other wa
all sold. This is the same pattern, but
has a pink flower instead of lilac. like
il better"
" 1t doesn't look like good wash pink +;
and Aunt Patty viewed it critically.
But it was for my bed, and liked it,
said George, with deprecating effort {
smooth matters over
Aud it is not as good quality. II yo
can't do just what you are told, you had bel
ter do nothing And you didn't get lemo
extract 2" taking up a bottle.
" You said | might get lemon or vanill;
Tom begged for vanilla"
As il Toms wants were to rule tn
household"
" And here is whsk broom. You wcr
saying that we needed one, you know"
" But what made you get a red one
have told you several times, George, tina
green whsks were always the best An
there was not the slightest hurry about il
| would rather have chosen it myself"
Aud so Aunt Patty went through the pun
chases. Nothing quite suited Meanwhile
Davie and Martha came home from schoo
Tom was working aneighboring farmer
The family sat down to their meal, an,
| Grandma Field said her brief, sweet Quake
grace.
did you know all yonr lessons asko'
Aunt Patty.
Martha hung her head.
81 did hope you would have one goo
week, Martha; you never seem to get full
marks"
Aud she was late" said Dayie
Aarfh, gtr. Itn,.aI ,,,ro, "a f,r..t
There was no need of your being late
Martha. Next time stop and argue"
"Of course | can't 20 now, anyhow,
thought Martha but she rose and began L
help in clearing the table
Maybe thee would like TO look over
lesson Z" said Grandma, in her soft tone.
There's only arithmetic this afternoon
and geography on the big map"
And the more time children have to play
the more they want to play was the SHARP
comment.
They are a good deal like kittens -plal
comes natural, was the soft rejoinder
You cannot 90, if that is what You ar,
hanging around for" said Aunt Patty pres
/ emily; and come straight home from school
too, or you will be sorry for it,"
Martha went off suilenly, aud after max
a
home in the same mood. She wondered il
she couldn't run away, or If some one would
not like 10 take her 10 tend baby or dc
chores anything would be better than Aunt
| Patty's sharpness. But instead, she hung
/ up her sun hat and sat down to sew an over
seam in a hateful sheet. Aud half a dozer
| girls were having a good time at Jessi,
| Wells.
"Ihatis sewed very neatly" said grandma
Aunt Patty looked at it.
Well, it's middling. You have soiled /
a good deal how often have told you t,
wash your hands before you commence sew
ing Now sou can put on that old Skin
and 60 out and weed that row of straw
berries"
Wedding was not iayorite employment
Dayie came presently, and they began 10 pla,
: tag around the beds until Aunt Patti
sped it out, and sent Davie to look for tn
eggs.
81 don't believe you have found half o
Them" she said when he came in.
"Come in aud set the table, MARTHA sh,
called presently. Now tomorrow after
noon you will have 10 finish that row Yol
have been a bad, hdolent girl to-day"
II was so with the most of Martha Par
ker's days. And yet the ncighbors, an,
generally Miss Lewis, thought her prett,
good little girl.
But no one ever can suit Aunt Patty,
the child said TO Grandma Fields its al
ways something. Oh, wish you lived her
and kept house and Martha kissed tn
] vrinkled hands