Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-05-16


could answer; i must soon be home 10 get
dinner. l just came to see you on little
business : and then | blurtod it right out Mt
once: It's about Myra. / have never
cnticed your son Frank and if you'd rather
he'd marry some rich fine lady it would suit
me just as we'll l trembled so that had to
hold on TO big stuify chair. Myra was all
had, you know. Mrs. Street took my rough
brown hand in her soft white one, Just as if
| was sick with fever, and she said, why,
Mrs. Coutts, Myra is the dearest girl in the
world, and know all about it,
81 was took right down l couldn't say
word. If she had pitched into me | could
have talked all day like a book / was primed
to fight for Myra but | hadn't allowed for
this and was such an old fool that though
| was in that grand parlor | boo hooed right
out, for Myra was the apple Of my eye. 1
can't tell you how | felt; | believe l could
have lain right down and let Mrs. Street walk
over my body into heaven while | stayed out
side. l felt she would be so good to AIyu.
| seemed to be walking on air, and it spark
led with gold-dust. And the young people
Myra went about as if she was moving to
some time that was singing inside Of her,
and Frank looked as if he owned heaven for
himself and to give away to everybody be-
sides
"After n while they were married. She
was such picture in her wedding dress
Frank had her painted playing on harp, and
put in gilt frame over the mantel-piece 1t
kind Of made the whole room bright, and
body felt as if there was no trouble any
where and nothing but youth and hope in the
world. If Myra could go straight to heaven
looking that way, no one would notice that
she was different from the other angels.
Mr.. Street gave them the incest little
house, and it was fixed up with the cutest
furniture. didn't think NIyra would know
much about money matters | should as
soon have expected one of the winged boys
on the valentines to have pocket for cash as
Myra to be saving; but she took to managing
and kept house beautifully. Everything
went on like clockwork, and they lived like
birds for two years. She was as neat and
handy in the kitchen as if l had done moth
ing but teach her cooking, and then she'd
away to the piano and you'd hear her voice
ringing all through the house. just so n
swallow dives down chimney and attends
to its housekeeping and then springs up
fresher and brighter than ever, and skins
through the air above the tree-tops twitter-
ing with all its might, because it is so chock-
full of Joy it cannot hold in another minute.
"When people are Just satisfied and happy,
then look out for a change from the time of
the Shining Mount till now-you may know it
real smart one too. He had lots of business
he had such pleasant way. You have u look
in your eyes like Frank. But he grew weak
ly-had some inward disease and his father
wanted him to 60 to Europe. So Myra left
her baby with me, and they went in big
ship to the old country. Dear-bought and
far-fctchcd may be good for well people, but
home is the place for sick folks. Myra al
ways wrote that Frank was getting better, but
he had taken a little cold or he was tired, but
he would soon be strong again. You see,
she couldn't face it, but l knew what was
coming They travelled about from pillar to
post they went to Carlsbad for the baths
to Nice for the climate to somewhere else
for the good living. | don't believe they
ever got one such beefsteak as l could broil
for them; they had no fires; they We're
starved for home comforts, and the doctors
could do nothing but charge, charge. At last
my little Alyra was left alone in that great
big strange country. Her mother was not
with her when the great sorrow rolled over
her. We don't know what We can stand till
it comes. A friend heard Of her afilction and
brought her home"
A piteous expression passed over my eli
ents face as she looked at me and said,
when l first saw Myra you don't know how
she had broke. She stood opposite her pic
ture, looking pale rs a ghost in her black
dress and widows cap; you would have
known that the river Of death had rolled
between her and the girl who was holding
the harp Maybe | ought to have told her of
the shadow that was coming. But how could
my crushed lily hav, stood against such a hail
storm; All the preparation in the world
could not have helped her
Everybody was 50 kind to her, and little
frankie grow moro ike his father every day.
Some of the hopeless look wore out Of my
darling's face, and in time she seemed more
willing to live for her child.
"What with grief for his son, and not hav-
ing n lawyer TO attend to his business after
Frank died, Mr. Street seemed to get into all
sorts of trouble. He had retired and given up
his store long before. But he was growing
old he talked ali about his matters to strang-
ers-I am growing old too" she smiled as
she said that, but continued as before He
was easy-tempcred and kept signing his
name when people asked him to. You see,
there were plenty of scamps who though he
had lots of money that they might as well
pick up as not. l wish Abraham Street had
never known how to write Nobody ever got
any good of all these signings, but he was
cheated and tornented and pestered till his
life became a burden He sold the big house
and satin furniture and great glasses and ALL
but he never got any money. Somebody
cabbaged the money Mr.. Street had worked
and scraped all his life to make. Then Mr.
"nd MIS- otroe' llo,Tu INTO MSI" mouse
ana ms troubles KEPT Tue poor oiu man awake
hish'S 'iii he Just gave up anu ul'u, anu MS
"iie ui5o soon 1iter OF proAen neurt'
=, Ana "heh ms HnaIrS "el. looAou INTO,
there was not cen' iei' ohiy 'ne houSo tl1'
,Ei WAS gwen 10 myrn "n1n sue was ni'1!rie9
lha' was ners. one oouit hot cav nv It oi HrlilA II
or MAKE II mo J'cAt's ior ~ ~Ir''nA.' you
Ano" so pefSuaueu nur 10 come auG h'9
WIN me ana Iet 'he hou9e 5 lurIiSaeu' e
secured u. Clean aS ne" pm anu hAeu an
Ayra PToiy vases ana lnIHBS hpou' On tne
cunning htie Drackets' ana 1t IooAgu 80 hlGe
nlI coy that l tIousn' eNeIyDouy "ouiu
ruSh ior IT, Iheh l au'er''9eu II lor tory
.IiltrS ml illohth. MyIa was nor one oI the
IaIAlhg kihu' ana diu NOT want her put
uowh OF imposed upon 50 went 10 htay
win her "heh people came 10 look "' the
mouse , ,-,-..,.,
II you ever want 70 AhO" no" n"'elul