Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-02-02
al HARD WINTER" :"


in there?'
"Yes; but it's awful cold out here. In-
jun summer they call this time O. year, but
1 don't see no summer bout it. Did yer
ever know such wind?"
"Ain't it summer in there, though ?-see
the big fire they got. Do yer s'pose them
folks in the re is ever cold like we? I'm
very cold joe" he added, mournfully, as
the chill November blast swept round the
corner from the Avenue, and the biting
dampness made its way through his scanty
clothing.
"Wa'al, it's hard on little chap like you !;
but don't cry; it's going to be hard win
ter, young un, and yer mustn't begin to
fret now. This ain't nothn' stop till it
SHOWS and freezes before you make fuss.
Wen go up that there stoop opposite
there amt no draught in the vcstbule-and
then we can get Il better look at the fire,
an see what the swells is a-doin'. I'll tell
yer all bout 'em. Bless yer l knows the
family"
"Does they know you, Joe?"
| "Wa'al, l wouldn't like TO say that for
certain. Yer see there amt nothiu' VERY
| perticklar bout my pussonal appearance,
and they mightn't know me from any 9TH
er fellow bout my size, but knows them.
Fust, there's the old lady"
who's she7'
"She why, she amt nobody. It's the
young oman what's the hull concern. She
lives with her"
"What for?"
"Why, cos ii amt proper for harnsome
young woman TO live all alone. But you
can't know any thing bout the ways of
| perlite s'ciety-how should yer7"
allow do you know?"
| "Wa'al yer see life has lis ups aud downs.
When l was little fellcr bout the size of
you, was loafin' round here one day, aud
Jeems-Jeems is the big feler who wears
| tin buttons on his coat aud tight yeiler
breeches tucked inside his shiny boot-legs; /;
yer'll see him round somewheres in a min
ute or two If yer watch-Jeems wanted a
letter put in Il e box on the lamp-post for
his missus. Fellers like him don't like
moyin' round much; they gifts so accus-
| toned TO takin' their exercise ridin' on the
kerridge 'lonGside the driver, and they
| grows so fat and lazy, that when they is
sent on an crrand afoot It's an awful trial
TO 'em. When he comes out with tbe let
| Ter he catches sight of me- and axes me II
l was a lad as could be trusted, and would
l like TO earn an honest penny. l ses yes
and he guve me the letter. IT'S VERY i'm
portant,' says Jeems. 'Irs from my young
missus, Miss Maud Congdon, TO the Rev.
| Howard Langly; it's as how be is to dine
with her next Monday, and you mustn't on
no account lose it, So l takes it VERY
careful. You never seen a letter like that,
| young un-sech little, smooth, shiny,
white thing, with the least little bit of writ
ing on one side and postage stamp, and
| on the other "a lot Of big letters all sorts of
| colors, snarled mp in a tangle ill yer
couldn't make 'em out what they was, on
ly they looked like a little bokay printed
right in the middle. And then how it
smelt !-just like them nosegays You see
the gals sellin' on tho corners of BroaS-
way. was awful 'lraid I'd sile it, cos my
fingers never is clean, there bcin' no CON
weniences for giiin' 'cm so where live (;
but took hold Of ii by the corner and got
it into the lamp-post box without bit of
smudge."
"Who else did yer know?'
"The cook took fancy to me, and ma
ny's the break fast l cat sittin' on bench
in the back yard. They used 10 give me
the drumstcks OF the fowls; there amt
nobody in that house would eat drumsticks
-Lor' bless you, no; second j'ints was
what they wanted-but l liked the drum
sticks"
"Oh, Joe, wouldn't one go good now p
"DOn't he unreasonable, young un.
Times now is too hard for people in your
circumstances TO banker after poultry. Git
in this corner. That theer wind is comm
from the northeast, and it won't hit yer so
hard jest here. Yere sech little feller
yer might be bowed away, and yer've got
a mar 10 fret about yer-I amt. Hullol
there's a cove goin' to stop at that house
yonder Wonder he would like feler to
hold his hoss? Think I'll ask him. It
don't do to let an opportunity slip such
times as these. Look out and don't freeze,
young un-ther's good time comin'."
So Joe swung himself of The stoop, and
little Jenny, left all alone, strained his
eyes more wistfully than ever TO catch the
CLEAN Of tae fire that warmed Miss Maud
Congdon's elegant break fast room.
Bonnie, beautiful Maud2 What would
enyious little Jenny have thought If he
could have seen this lovely mistress of that
wonderful great house, with all its stately
grandeur aud luxurious elegance, as she
lay, not fifty yards away from him-only a
street and massive stone wall separating
them-her sunny head buried in the son
blue cushions of her chair, crying and sob
bing with passionate sense of pain and
misery beyond the reach of reason to con-
troll?
! "Auntie! auntie !" she called out, as heI
gentle friend and relative entered tho room
"My child, what is the Inalter9 Have
you seen Howard agan?"
The only answer was low moaning cry
as the sobbing girl wound her arms round
her faithful friend, and buried her face In
the gentle bosom that had sheltered her SC
oflen.
"Where did you meet himf"
"Last night at Mrs. Stevens's where We
went after the opera. He only came in foI