Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-09-26
The Lilies by the SteepIe.

I
into account ne.half so much as what ht
does. Out in the world this is; still therf
are places where it matters what he think.
of things. All the public wanted to know
of Jacob Strong was that he sold curtain
fixtures and cord, locks, keys and screws
and that he carried his stock in trade about
with him One afternoon in June Jacob
was going home. Business after May was
dull; then everybody was moving or clean
ing house, and he reaped his modest harvest
lie used to shudder as he passed the swarm
ing, dirty tenement houses, for If his home
had not CHANGED to be where it was he
could have afforded no higher rent thai
was paid here. This hot day he threaded
his way through the narrow streets and past
stalls smelling of stale fruit, stopping only
once at flower stand. Here somebody
jostled by the crowd had knocked off a tea.
rose, bruising the flower and breaking the pot
Sell it to me for ten cents 2" asked Jacob
The angry vender hesitated a minute, then
rolling dirt and rosebush together gave tn,
paper to Jacob. He hurried on, through a
by-lane to the rear of an ancient brick build
ing. The first floor was used for offices and
masonic hall, the second for mission
school and storing rooms, the third for Of
fees again. The style OF architecture sug-
gested church, and such indeed it had been.
There was such brilliant sunset light
without but here Jacob stumbled up and
through shadows until he reached a familiar
door and opened it with soft ayerness. Sue
quaint room as was disclosed The new
partitions were of upholstered planks now
neatly covered over with brown wrapping
paper; above were the rich old oaken beam,
of the church ceiling on the spotless looi
were rugs, soft and old-fashoned an antique
chair, tal-backed and once richly cushioned
stood at the end of the apartment, which,
for some reason was five-sided. The pul pit
chair was little removed from the every
day cheap furniture as if it were the only
fit companion for the other glory of the
place, which was small round window oil
stained glass having in its centre an Agnu.
Del. Everything else was homely, but sweet
with cleanliness. A thick white curtain Cut
off one corner of the room, and two door
opened out-one into a tiny kitchen, where
Jacob retired to wash his hands and put
down the rose paper AS Jacob turned back.
the white curtain parted quickly and small
woman in short gown and striped skirt
seemed to have come suddenly out from a
nap and to be troubled on that account.
She tied a silk handkerchief about her
head, which was covered with short hair
as white as silver and in CHEEKY voice be-
gan to chatter "Dearie me, Jacob six
o'clock, and no supper for you And lying
there like Marjory Daw !"
"What Ye haven't been and sold yer
bed, have ye? 1t appears to be there all
the same. There, there old lady, don't
hurry Ye know well enough how it take,
the breath out of ye," and Jacob caught he
-, al. -, ,,In ,,,,
>oberly, to break up her speed she having
started rapidly toward the kitchen.
"Ye're right, Jacob; if go a bit slower
tired than ordinary-I-"
day ?"
She stammered like a child before she
confessed that she had.
"Well, if We go down the morrow, Dolly;
hereafter I'll lock ye in-that is, if have
not yer promise"
And if ye have it"
"Then what need of lock ?" and Jacob
loosed his hold on her gown, going himself
to fill the tea-kettle and set it to boil on
their pocket edition of stove. Dolly drew
out the table, putting on bread, meat and
two or three simple viands. When the tea
was made the old couple drew their chairs
to the table and Dolly bowed her head, say
ing aloud "We confess our unworthiness,
we acknowledge thy goodness, we praise
thy tender mercy and give thee thanks
She could not see that Jacob looked open
eyed at the blue and crimson window She
turned his tea from a funny brown earthen
pot round like cannon-ball, and suddenly
cried:
Well-a-day Here we be a eatin' away
and the door not opened"
She so emphasized the words that really
they must be put in italcs-quite as if there
had been but one out OF the room, not three.
1t was plain what she meant when she flung
it wide open; for, if their home was queer,
this outlook was queerer. In adapting the
old church to present uses all sorts OF excres.
cences had arisen out of aud over-ran it.
Their own snuggery was fitted into its top
most, unavailable corner, and this door
opened into an unaccountabe bit of fiat
roof, away, away up above the roar of the
city under the glowing sunset sky, SO high
that distance soitened picturesquely all ugly
sights below, and the eye could take in at Il
sweep the waters of the bay, returning to
rest Just here again in the delight of Dolly's
heart-her garden for garden this was.
That very moment the soft June air stirred
lilies and roses and violet and golden pansies,
all planted in broad boxes of earth and
tended by Dolly's own hands. She had bit
hy h,r roct;na,chair ybere sba sewed a,h.n
,iIona Vnn sh;nI !, ,nns, hana haao ,,|
nnmn a'o"u hr Jar 'p"' r'us' noa os n be- 80 w.
' ,;snI snsnr;:s 10y tho hoary old stoaria ,h'4t
o,,ra IN saIarsn H., 20 Il L. ~ ,h",
ss't;oh ,ras riua,s 70 80 s,ad;snoa - ~,
tha Stainad ew;naou II 10 areat ,hi"Ir ~ ~
',,,,o ;nto roS,ssio,' of bits ~ ob,rc,,
;f 'm'W Wv, bora n'sd;a,aI 49, nnilv
an: mever caassd ~ reiNics That nohndy a,'
,"nntad to n"iI do'yn ;he steanIe Thsra !,
.,sa oyar bdr rJs,, ~, mn r. and oooi
IL tha shoden, 81 ~ 80 rooL IL, shs
loysd III Sha Lnau Row !, IooLad sof, and
49, 1 tlpa n,,S olondS ", AsvhraI
Az IT, at rmidriaht ,rben na;ns ten, ber
awaLo (for aid DeIIv Y,as pnt yatH sha
a,atohsd IL huna and Hal amora tba stars
,t'' - - - IS !, par
han, 'Iscob enioSad tba steanle as mncb as
DnIIv 70, onaIbsIf his lifa was in contrast
10 Elevated things-was snent down belo,.
smong rag'nnen fsb-msrkets and neonlq
6ahtiSg ser sivnancas hnf II was not his
u,ov re ,,Ik ro,,ch ,ro1n;,h, astsr snr-
ner tbev vent ont and DolIv nlsnt,id
The tea.rose, with enthusiastic little sniff,
M ito nerfnma and n great dsal of exnressed
ran,nra ganeraIIv Ja,ah hrought her th.
hav and dirt ana >yater watc6ing Will
,ha rosa was nIantsd Then SaILino
across The aowerihordsred snace h;s foot fei
mon something soft. He stooped to pick
Il