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

said to madam, about as amiably as if l was
first cousin to n swapping turtle, you can't
have it, maam.' She tossed up her head and
walked off in high dsdain, her feather stream
ing out behind her.
1T was natural should fire up sometimes
when people turned up their noses Mt our
pretty little house and found forty faults with
it, and were not willing to give half the price
they ought to. They haggled about the rent
and abused the place till couldn't stand it.
Wasn't it aggravating when it had been good
enough for my Myra? One man said there
was no cistcrn, no dumbwaiter, and he was
afraid Of the dust: he thought there were too
many wagons going by. So spunkcd right
up and said, No. sir, there is no cistcrn. no
dumb waiter, nor cupola nor hanging gar
dens, nor chime of bells; there are no fire
works thrown in, aud we can't afford to have
the street moved Il square off on account Of
the dust. We can't keep fvstoons Of flowers
or flags hanging out Of the windows either
for forty dollars IL month Myra had to qui-
ct me-sort Of stroke me down.
zone woman stood up on n chair. and.
poking up her parasol to II mark as big rs IA
fly. asked if that was II spot on the paper;
she could not quite see, she said | wished
it had been one Of those tarantulas that come
in punches of bananas, and had dropped on
her, felt so spiteful. Myra had borne such
great troubles could not bear to have such
tiny pins stuck into her
The visitors were afraid the house leaked
or smoked or did something else they were
so grabbed and contrary that l was about
plagued to death They came and went, and
came and went, like nightmare after welsh
rabbit At last Mr.. Stickney came--a nice,
espectable-looking person. He seemed up
to the mark, promised fair, agreed to pay
punctually every month l took n long
breath, and we thought MI would be right
The first month he said the stove needed tink-
ering and the gas-fxturcs were out Of order;
it would take the whole months rent to fix
them up, but these were permanent improve
ments and would increase the value of the
property. He seemed plausible frankie
needed some new clothes, but we had no
money that month. Well, next payday it
was something else, and he took it out of the
rent-permanont improvement again and so
it has been for six months he looks as salts
fed aud grand as if he owned the world when
| ask him as civil as l can for Myras rent
1t made me real saucy to See him, with his
chew of tobacco in his mouth domineering
over daughter and me. Mrs. Coutts' he
said, women don't know anything about bust
ness (the old fogy .; they cant understand
the why's and the wherefores Of trade. -
You are very smart, Mr. Stickuey,' replied.
and very polite besides; but any one, even
woman, can tell that when a man rents a
house and lives in it, he ought to pay We
don't know anything about business perhaps
-more's the pity. If We were not meant to
know something about business. why were
our natural protectors taken away? They
would not allow wolves and Stickncys to
cheat and swindle us; and it stands to reason
we ought TO know enough to take care OF our
selves.
Its of no use for me ever to 90 there
again l came TO you to help us, for am at
my wits end"
what about the libel, Mrs Coutts z" l
venturcd to ask.
slight drawing Of the corner Of her mouth
indicated that the subject was not altogether
an unpeasing one to my client. DO you
think, she replied, there is any harm in
sending Bible to man who don't seem ev-
er to have read one? l made a present to
the Stckncy man of twenty five cent Test
ament, with the leaf turned down at the
verse about devourng widows houses, and
you'd have thought it was a rattlesnake he
was so furious. Do you think, she asked a
little anXiously, they could harm Myra be-
cause l gave him that testament2 He told
me he would sue us for libel and all on ac-
count of dogs ear in the good book :" she
said with smile.
Why did you call on me ?"
She smoothed her handkerchief very delib-
erately over her knees and iroued it with her
hand rs she replied, "Well you used to pass
by my house every morning, and YOU step
ped so peart and looked so fresh and young
thought perhaps you might not know as
much law as some Of the big bugs but did
Mt believe you'd had time to forget your own
mother, and maybe you'd have the heart to
Ill, 4 1. IL
for her child never meant to talk so long.
but the way You spoke Of your mother open
ed my heart, and everything came out before
| could stop
That decided me. The appeal was made
10 one suffering from an attack Of that home
sickness which never comes but once when
the youth has left home for good, is in the
midst of strangers waiting for business, and
his uuoccupied time gives him ample leisure
to dwell on the state of things forever behind
him. Il will attend to your case Mrs.
Coutts, said promptly, "and it shall not
be my fault if this swindling goes on any
longer"
We hear good deal of the expressions and
cruelties of landlords. From Miss Edge
worth's representative Attorney Case to the
hlrd-hearted collector of shillings in our day,
landlords are supposed to take delight in
abusing their tenants But this was clearly
case where the tenant was the unjust party,
and the landlord-or rather landlady-was
the sufferer
l went to see my daughter MyF2, and
visited Mr.. Stckney also. The argument Of
u man and a lawyer in the course of time
proved eGectual, and afterward the money
was promptly paid. But Mr.. Stickney has
moved away Myra's mother is my mother
now. We are living in Myra's house, and
whatever other people think, it is enough for
me to know that she is satisfied with her new
tenant. This is the reason why thank God
that Nyra's mother was my first client - Lip
piReOtts Magazine for May