The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-01
TConcluded from First Pare. |

Alter tDat he kept MS eye upon ncr. EN-
cry morning and evening he passed her
stand on the Common, and never went by
without saying cheerful word, or pausing
to ask after her sick daughter and chill
dreu.
"The children is well, thank you, sii,
and Eliza is as well as could be expected,
was her almost invariable answer
But one sultry day in August she said,
"She seems to be sinking fast, sir. Way
up where we live we don't get none but
hot air, and the sun don't come in till into
the afternoon. Pears to me we need sun
shine as much as the plants and the
flowers.
The sext day the gentleman went home
earlier than usual, and as h0 came near The
old woman's stand lie caught sight of the
invalid daughter, seated in a hand wagon,
propped up by q pillow, and shaded by the
big umbrella The attention of the old wo-
man was engrossed bya juvenile customer;
but the daughter noticed his approach; and
called to him as he made rs though he
would 60 by without speaking.
"Sir sir" she said, ''please to stop; |
want you to see | shall soon be well for
now can go out every day in fine wealth
er :"
And who got you down the stairs and
upon the commonT
"The man that lives on the lower floor
he carried me down and Tommy drawed
inc here before school time"
''And who sent us the wagon?n asked the
old woman, her ugly face lighting up with
the smile that, to this man, always made
it handsome.
"The Lord. l suppose. All good things
come from Him; and this is a good wa
gon,' answered the gentleman.
The old woman looked at him for mo-
ment, without a word. Then she said,
The Lord will say to them on his right
hand. 'Ye did it unto me, inasmuch as ye
did it unto one of these, my poor child
ren.
The man turned and walked away-in his
eve tear, and n his soul another reveal
ton. lie had learned the whole of religion
faith and good works-at the cost Of car
rying an old woman's basket and buying
for her daughter cheap hand-wagon.
Every pleasant day for month after
this he found the sick woman seated there
in the wagon under the old umbrella. She
always had smile for him, and he always
fingered awhile to get that smile and a lit
tie of the old woman's sunshine. But one
morning he went by, aud found there Meth
er the apple stand nor the bandwagon. 1t
was so, too, when he went by at evening
and then, without going home, he made
his way to the house of the old woman.
Softly opening the door, he entered the
dingy apartment. A few rays from the set
ling sun came through the open window,
and by the dim light he saw the old woman
and two children kneeliug by the low bed
in the corner. She was holding the hand
of the young woman. who lay with eyes
upturned to the fading sky, as if looking
in the clouds for some one coming. He
had come, the Great Angel, and he had al
ready taken her to the bosom Of the ALL
Father.
For several years after this the old wo-
mans life rippled along as smoothly as
gentle stream flowing on over sandy bed
to the great ocean. The old umbrella got
many patch, the new bonnet grew old,
and the black silk gown that che first wore
at her daughters fyneral was turned and
returned to fit it to appear on Sundays; but
she never begged and never borrowed, and
the winter was never so hard but she had
enough ready money at command TO buy
her small wares by 'wholesale.
Little by little the young lads and hun
cry lovers who frequented the Common,
came to know her ; aud though many ri
val apple stand from time to time dis
puted her right to monopoize the trade in
stomach-ache, they soon had TO eat their
own candy, and to ''fold their tents like
the Arabs, aud silently steal away"
One day the gentleman who had learned
of her his first lessons in christianity, pass
ing her stand, noticed some new flags of
truce floating from her pippins, "Who
wrote these, Aunt Betsey?' he asked, paus-
ing to look at the placards
"Oh, Tommy did them; sir. He's amaz-
ingy smart at such things; lie can write
like any school-master."
"And how old is he now y
"Going on fifteen; and I'm thinking,
sir, it's about time he was doing something.
might support him some longer, but he's
learned all he can out of college
"What does he take to-"
"Well, he wants to be a merchant. |
suppose he gets a hankerin arter it from
my ben' in the business but there's a world
of wickedness between buyin' and sellin.'
Don't ye think he d better be lawyer"
"a lawyer? There's not an honest law
yer living. Let him be a merchant. Send
him down to my countlDg-room to-mor-
row."
Tommy went, and so became under-clerk
in large commercial house on Central
Wharf. When he drew his first months
pay he brought it home, and pouring it all
into his grandmother's lap, threw his arms
about her neck, and said
"Now, grandmother, you shall shut up
shop; won't have no more ofyour selling
apples.
But the old woman was not so easily
lured from the ''walks of commerce. She
did not "shut up shop She still kept her
stand on the Common but in summer she
staid at home on rainy days. and in winter
laid by, like the frogs, doing neither wash
Ing or sewing.
SO three years went away, and then
Sumpter fell, and President Lincoln called
for seventy-ive thousand volunteers to
suppress the rebellion. When Tommy went
home that night with the news, his grand
mother was thoughtful for a time then,
looking in his face, she said, Tommy,
hadn't you ought to do something for the
country?"
"You mean l ought to volunteer ?" said
Tommy.
eyes if Mr.. Speegle is willing"
MIR. Speegle was willing; and so, soon
afterward, queer scene was witnessed on
the Common The whole parade-ground
was in connection A regiment, which
had been under review, was marching ou
Of one of the gateways, ald the old wo
man, perched en- her three-legged stool
was wildly waving her umbrella, and at tbs
top of her lungs, cheering the depart!nl
soldiers. At her back sat u little nader
holding her head in her hands, and trying
TO hide her tears in her handkerchief This
was Rose; and Tommy was going away
with the regiment
He was away several months, and ther
came back, Ie-enlisted and went away
again, leaving his bounty with his grand
mother. After this he was often heard
from, and always with honor; and the ole
woman seemed to grow young sgain, in re
counting his daring deeds to someipatien
listener at her apple-stand. "Just to think,
she would say, with tears in her eyes
THAT poor woman like me should real
such a brave boy for the country"
AT last news came of great battle
Thousands, as was said, had fallen on bott