Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-10-13

ll1ill aAO DAOMns uOW lldNG
been taken for an exhumed queen of
Egypt, and Miss Betty could not imagine
how all these mosquitoes could find it in
their anatomy to prey upon poor Fifne.
when the fat and unctious substance of
George was temptingly at hand upon the
bench outside, where he was enjoying
his evening pipe. Miss Betty stopped
over the sick woman, and said, softly,
al have brought you some ice, dear FL
| fne."
:" All, my angel my angel of light I"
said Fifne, "thou hast of hearts the
most nIerciful but, alas, I cannot have
the ice, am too cold already, my little
one. There is cold hand at my heart.
No, no; [ cannot have the ice" ~
Very well, Fifne," said Miss Betty,
putting down the kettle which had been
such nuisance to her, "you shall not
be troubled with the ice, but here is
"Ah. my blessed one i'' cried Fifne,
thou art like saint from heaven but
talk not to me of jelly. They have
given me of jelly many years ago, after
some bitter medicine, and have since
that time no hunger for jelly. All, my
rose of the wildwood it makes me sick
to think of it,"
"Then do not think of it, Fifne, {"
said Miss Betty, putting aside the jar,
that had grown heavier and heavier at
every step of the journey. "But these
dreadful mosquitoes, they are devouring
you"
"Ah, yes, my adored one, they are
demons without mercy they have drawn
all the blood from my body, and their
dreadful song is madness to my brain.
But rest tranquil !; death will soon put
an end to my misery"
"But see here, my poor Fifne, cried
Miss Betty, exultingly unrolling her
precious net "now you can sleep in
peace. We will spread this over you,
George and I. and not one of the monsters
can reach you. See, my poor Fifne, we
will draw this over you-so ;" and suit
ing the action to the word, Miss Betty
pulled the net over the high post of the
bedstead, when suddenly terrified look
upon the sick woman's face stayed her
hands, and she cried out to Fifne, in
dismay "Dou't you want the net over
you, Fifne ?"
"Ah, life of my lifep said Fifne, cit
is sad, it is terrible I know not how
to deny thee, after all thou hast done for
me but, oh, my little one, I can not
have it over me. l have tried, for thy
dear sake, to bear it. told myself that
1 would say no word against it-at least
till thou were gone, when George could
pull it away-but can not even for one
little moment All, my angel, wait until
l am dead, and then they can draw over
me the pail, and put candles at my head
and feet, and do with me what they will
but while [ am yet alive [ can not be
treated like dead body"
Miss Betty said no further words of
entreaty or remonstrance, but let the
miserable, fimsy thing fall out of her
hands upon the floor; and having
smoothed Fifne's pillow, and held some
milk to her lips, and promised to come
again in the morning, Miss Betty took
the woodland road home again.
It was now quite dark, and big
shadows seemed to threaten every step
of her way. Her heart was heavy within
her, and her poor little feet seemed
scarcely able to carry even her light
weight along. What a wretched, abor-
tive attempt had been hers to alleviate
the misery of poor Fitne? 1t was as
the beautiful widow had said, she had
had her labor for her pains-the beauti-
full, mocking widow, who was no doubt
riding home through the cleaning with
the Rev. Reginald Roake.
At that very moment Miss Betty heard
the tramping of hoofs behind her, and
stepped aside to let the light-limbed
pony of the widow pass by. The basket
sides of the phaeton were filled with
wild flowers, and the white hands of
the minister held bunch of shy, sweet
forget-me-nots as blue as Miss Bettys
eyes.
The widow drew up her pony, and
bade Miss Betty get in by her side, lest
the hobg )blins of the wood should
devour her but the young girl stoutly
refused, nor would she be coaxed from
her decision.
81 am not afraid of hobgoblins. she
said, thinking in her heart there could
be none so greedy and rapacious as the
beautiful widow herself.
"Now what is to be done with this
obstinate child % said the widow. The
minister had long since leaped from the
wagon and approached Miss Betty; but
she turned her back upon him, perhaps
to hide the tears of wretchedness which
were falling out of her eyes.
"Pick her up and put her in here
by me-" said the widow. "I am myself
little afraid of the satyrs of the wood.
Come, child; do not be goose and gel
jealous of your grandmother. The gen.
tleman there has gathered pretty nose.
gay of forget-me-nots for you that were
left over from spring. We have been
looking for you far and wide, and he has
done nothing but talk to me of his love
for you till am sick of the refrain.
Betty turned swift, melting glance
behind her. In a twinkling the minister
had lifted her to the Widows side, and
forgot to take his arm away. It was
quite dark, and the only star that shone
in the sky was that of Venus. They
drove rapidly on, Miss Bctty's heart
humping in unison with the hoofs of the
pony.
"I told you," said the widow, "youG
have your labor for your pains. We
stopped at Fifne's. The poor creature
was full of alteration for you. She
called upon every saint in the calendar
to shower blessings upon your head
She said that you had brought her some
beautiful ice and some delicious jelly
and net that was most wonderful" !"
But she refused them ALL" said Miss
Betty.
"Ah, yes" replied the widow "but
, George did not refuse them. He haC
} chopped up the ice in his milk, AMI hat
) spread all the jelly upon his bread, ant
} had wrapped himself up in the mos