Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-05-24

so had little sumthin' eout at interest" "
and it really seemed to me as If the brisk
little woman chuckled to herself as she
patted down the stairs.
In less than half an hour she came
back to my room with as doleful look.
ing visage as 1 ever saw. "Whatever
is agoin' to become O. me and my man,
cried she; can we a gettiH' to be old
folk, tew. Our savings were all in the
stock comp'ny up to Minotsville, because
they paid more interest than the bank;
we only tux it eout o. the bank little
while ago, and meow their old mill has
gone clean off, an they'll all go to gin
eral smash and we along with 'em;" and
this time she went slowly groaning down
the stairs. 1 could not help plying the
woman from the bottom of my heart.
There was great excitement in the
little village, as matter of course, but
Aunty Lee was reported to be as "chip-
per" as ever. The nosegay came to me
everyday as usual, not quite so many,
nor so great variety as formerly, for a
part of the garden had been washed
away, but enough to give me an increas-
ed admiration for the sweet old lady who
was so persistent and unwearying in her
neighborly acts of kindness.
The next Mondays local newspaper
had this unique notice at the head of
the village items:
"All who have ever been the recipi-
ents of kindly deeds from 'Aunty Lee
and who would like to reciprocate now
in her day of misfortune are invited to
bring their supper to Oak Grove on
Thursday afternoon at five o'clock, and
talk the matter up over neighborly'
cup of tea.
At the time appointed 1 had a car
riage come to take my hostess and me,
and my basket of cakes and buns fresh
from the bakery, to the beautiful grove.
AS we were driven along I was sur
prised to see so many people, lunch
baskets in hand, speeding in the same
direction.
"Almost everybody in town is going"
said Mrs. Evans. "high an low, rich
an poor"
AS was being assisted to a seat a
gentle, motherly little woman spread a
soft shawl over the back of the chair
intended for me and quickly folded an
other shawl for my lame foot to rest
upon.
"This is Aunty Lee," said Mrs.
Evans, and the sweet-faced little woman
and I looked into each others faces
with little curiosity, perhaps, as we'll
as sympathy, and shook hands cordially.
81 don't know what all these good peo-
Pile are to do with Elijah and me-" she
said with smile that was as genial as q
sunbeam, "but the minister would have
us come, and he and his wife drove
around for us.
The minister ascended the platform
Just then, and after tenderly yet i'm
ressively invoking the Divine blessing
he looked down benignly upon the faces
upturned to his and with a touching
intouation of voice asked "Who is my
neighbor ?" He then went on to tell how
Aunty Lee had answered that question
in regard to himself
"When first became acquainted with
Mr.. and Mrs. Elijah Lee," he said, Il
was finishing my theological studies
here in the village with DR.. Mills, and
they had just married and settled down
in their little house yonder, which they
had inherited. One day was sent for
to preach on trial in the adjoining town
of Luxboro'. My only coat was worn
threadbare and extensively patched, and
[ had no way of procuring another.
Feeling sorely grieved and dispirited
started out for walk, and for the sake
of telling my troubles to some fellow
creature and with no thought of receiv-
ing any aid in the premises, turned in
to Mrs. Lees house and read to her the
invitation I had had from Luxboro' and
frankly told her why I could not go at
present."
"Leave it to the Lord, said the good
woman, and forthwith she proceeded to
take my measure with a piece of tape
$50 home" she continued, "write
your sermon and come here again Satur
day morning"
I obeyed. I subsequently found that
the woman had actually taken a piece of
cloth that she had laid by in the house
for cloak for herself, and tailoress as
she was by trade, had cut and made me
a coat from it. I preached my first
sermon in it, and shortly received and
accepted my first call. "
ooh, DEAR" whispered Aunty Lee
from her seat by my side, she's paid me
for that coat every New Years Day
since, and it wasn't much for me to do,
after ALL"
Major Sanford, the richest man in
town, was the next to take the stand
The old people smiled and nodded their
heads, but the young folks looked at
each other and wondered what he could
be indebted to Aunty Lee for.
"When I was boy" the major be-
gan, 81 was bound out in H to a
very, very bad master, from whom
determined to run away. Iavailed my
self of an opportunity to escape one
Saturday afternoon, when I was sent to
the pasture to salt the cattle. I came
straight over the mountain to this place.
l wanted to get out of the State as soon
as possible, 80 came directly to the
bridge down here at the river, which is,
you all know, the New Hampshire
boundary. Just after I had stepped
upon Vermont soil I overlook, on the
road, Mr.. and Mrs. Lee, young people
then. They had basket and a spade,
and had been digging up wild flowers
to transplant in their garden. Although
an entire stranger, they accosted rue
kindly. Noticing that I had been crying,
Mrs. Lee asked me my trouble. Before
I knew it I had blurted out the whole
story, and had been invited by her to
go home with them and stay over Sun
day. I was, of course, only too grateful
to accept the invitation. After supper
we set out the plants, and then Mr.. Lee
took me with him down the hill to the
bank of the brook, as we called it then,
and into his little machine shop. I soor
evinced my fondess for tools, and confid-
ed to him an invention that had in crude
form, long had possession of my brain
n