Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-11-28
WOODSTOCK w. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER %, 1872.

the rocking chair, with an old bee
quilt around her and hardly speck OF
fire in the stove. | wanted to put
some wood in bat she looked so ner-
yous and said no. Then she asked me
to 90 to the closet and bring her a
glass of water | couldn't help look
Ing around, auntie and there was
only half of loaf OF bread on a plate,
and the least little scrap of butter in a
broken tea cup. took her the wa
ter; but | felt every minute as if l
should cry, she looked so white and
hungry. Then she asked me to go
down the cellar and see if Ler kitten
was there. 1t took me good while
! to find the kitten and, Aunt Patty,
there wasn't Il thing in that cellar to
eat, but few potatoes and beans and
lltlic picCe VI i'"i" '"' va" WV
fruit or an apple. | couldn't say a
word to Mamie when | came up,
had such big lump in my throat. so
l just put her kitten i'll her lap and
ran. And | couldn't help thinking,
Aunt Patty, that we might just as
well send them enough to last EN- q
week. ! And what's Thanksgivin : good
for, if YOU cant make other people
have il, too 2"
Patty stopped, trembling and exclt-
ed with her long speech, and looked
eagerly at Aunt Patty.
But, if she expected her to throw
open cellar and pantry doors, and tell
her that all that she had was hers, and
to take what she wanted for Mamie,
she was greatly disappointed.
Aunt Patty did nothug ofthe kind.
She only marched to the cellar with
her platter of snowy foam, and march
ed back again with A pan of red ap-
pies, and set them down before Patty.
"pale 'em and slice EN-" she said.
Palty's heart sonk way down, and Il
great tear dropped off from her eye
lashes as she took up the knife and be-
gan to cut off the rosy skins.
Miss Patience saw the tear, but she
dldo't say anything, and, if she felt
anything, she kept it to herself
All day long she kept Patty flying.
When there were no more eggs to be
beaten or fruit to be picked oyer there
was silver to clean, mirrors to bright
en-, pillows to beat up aud pitchers to
ill with fresh water.
But Patty had "bullded better than
she knew, tor, aitcl the last little
cousin had uecn tucked up in bed, and
she herself had gone to sleep, tired
Out, but no, TOO tired aud sleepy to
have an ache in her heart for Mamie,
Aunt Patience sat up alone, grim and
silent before the open fire, thinking,
thinking.
Remember the Brewers E! | should
think she did remember the Brewers.
Away back, before Pattya brown eyes
or Naunies blue ones had opened up.
on this world, when Aunt Palty's an
gles and wrinkles had been curves and
dlmples aud the gray of her hair had
been golden, Mamie Brewers father
had been Aunt Patince's lover.
Handsome and gentle, but always
unstable, or, as Aunt Patty called il
now, .'shlttless," he had strayed away
from his allegiance at sight OF the first
pretty face that cane III his way ; and
Aunt Patty shock him of, with sharp
and bitter words, and never looked up
OH his face again.
Not even when he lay dying and
sent for her would Sue go near him.
So he said, as he had said 80 many
times ia his lite, at is just as well,
aud, with a gentle smile, turned his
face to the wall aud died.
Since then there had been hard
struggles ior Mamie and her mother.
10 be sure, there had been struggles
before, but they were together. But
Miss Patience had never SO much AS
spoken to either OF them.
But now Patty's simple story had
stirred Miss Patlences wrinkled heart
strangely.
Dick Brewers child starving
She sat before the fire till the log
broke in two aud the Goals scattered
over the bricks. Then she arose, put
out her caudie, and lay down by Pat
ty's side.
Thanksgiving morning was clear
and bright and Patty walked to dnd
the sun streaming through the frosty
panes on her bed and the place by her
side vacant.
son, dear!' she said, splinging out