Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-04-30

] mere, We tnOuBnl IOf hOlne llule luhl Hlth,
went pretty fast from our smoke-house.'
"Don't-now Liz'beth, I'm sure no
ones stole any said Mr.. Wilkin with a
startled, uneasy look. You couldn't have
counted the hams and everything
mo, l didn't count but can miss 'em for
all that" affirmed Mrs. Wilkin, decidedly.
81 know there's more go than we use
Anyway, it's no difference, l wouldn't
Liz beth there's plenty, you see, more than
we want, advised Mr.. Wilkin, urgently, but
rather incoherently. Then he caught up his
hat and started for the barn.
Mrs. Wilkn looked after him with plying
disapproval.
"When you've more than you want your
self leave it handy for somebody to steal.
Well, that's n new commandment | do de
clare" she said.
'Not so dreadful new, either, Aunt Liz.
beth, interposed Tim, stouty "cnuse the
Bible folks are told to leave some Of their
harvest so the poor could come and get it. l
read it myself only it wasn't called stealing
then, and was to be left handler than all
slowed away in smoke houses
Timothy began Mrs Wilkin. But Tim
suddenly remembered that the chickens were
waiting for breakfast, and chose to interpret
/ the exclamation as an admOnition in that di-
| reCtion.
"Yes'm, I'm going to feed en- right away,
he Observed seizing q basket OF corn, and
darting through the door by which his uncle
! had departed
In truth it was not altogether easy 10 mould
Tim to the desired shape; there WAS too
much individuality about him. Encasiug
him in Mrs. wilkins code Of manners was
putting too large boy into too small Il jack
ct he was always bursting out at the elbows
or tearing of the buttons. Mrs Wilkm sighed
Mt this new evidence of the number OF things
in the world that needed her attention; but
England never expected every man to do his
duty more strongly than Mrs Wilkin expect
ID to do hers.
That evening the mysterious lights appear
ed again in the store room Of the mill. She
could plainly see them, for just beyond her
own back gate au open field slopod directly
and steeply down to the building. The road
afforded public and more circuitous mode
/ Of reaching it, but from the hilltop the suspi-
cious store.rOom was directly in range. Mrs
/ Wilkn determined to take more thorough
observation than the kitchen window allow
/ ed. and throwing shawl over her head
she picked her way carefully down the icy
steps and CROSSED the yard to the gate. The
snowy field lay white and glistouing in the
moonlight, and, standing III the sheltcrng
shadow of post, she watched the door be
/ low.
Before she discovered any one entering
| there, she heard sounds in another direction
steps in the yard behind her. What If she
should prove beyond all doubt that her meat
! WIS stolen and detect the thief With that
! quick thought she turned her head cautious
| ". Yes, some one tried the smoko-house
| door and entered. BREATH, ssly Mrs. Wilkin
waited until the figure rcappeared, passing
along in the shade Of the house, and as it
| emerged in the clear moonlight, she leaned
] l,- forrorI 70 rotab a flll giplt pf IL
| was eagerly recognized. Mr.. Wilkin, beyond
| all question stealing meat from his own
| stores.
! The revelation was astounding. In her as
| toushment she incautiously loosed her hold on
! the gate-p post, took step forward, and her
feet slipped on the treacherous ground. She
sat down violently. and in an instant she was
! speeding rapidly down the hill toward her
original point of investigation.
For once the path Of duty was smooth be
| fore her entirely too smooth and icy. She
could not check or guide her progress her
| foot struck with force against the mysterious
door, pushed it open and she slid into hall.
Thieves, gamblers, or whoever they were,
! she must not be discovered by them, flashed
through Mrs. wilkins mind-more an in
stinct of sef-preservation than a thought
! and spriuging to her feet she slipped behind
some boxes piled near her. The noise at
] lEhGltu hllthAlbils hltl III ALt hNOIt-
room was opened, aud boy looked out.
Guess it's only the door blew open don't
catch good, he reported
Lock it then, James, aud then bring in
the key, said IL voice from within aud to
Mrs. wilkins CONSERVATION the order Was
obeyed, aud she was prisoner.
The boy left the other door slightly n Jar as
| lac re.ontered. \ glenm Of light shone into
| the hall, and there were sounds from the
room beyond-a scratching of pens, and n
woman's voice it sounded wonderfully like
that of the little knitting woman, directing
and encouraging.
"Well done, Susan"
Now don't b, disheartened, Will OF
course while you work in the mill, and can
| only study at night, you cant get along Just
as some do who go to school all day but
what you learn may be Of some use to yop.
| We care most for those things which cost us
! some trouble"
! There were a few simple mathematical |
! problems and then reading, and the words,
! spelled out with some difficulty by some,
were Bible words.
Charity suffereth long aud is kind. 1t
yRunteth not itself. Thinketh no evil. Bear
eth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all
things"
1t was easily understood Mrs. Wilkin
leaned forward little, and could peep into
the room. Fifteen or twenty boys and girls
from the mill gathered into night school.
| Then those wonderful words read so slowly
and emphatically, seemed suddenly to assume
| a new and deeper meaning than Mrs. Wilkin
| had ever thought of their possessing. Some
things do show more clearly in the dark than
in the light
As the timd little woman, who would have
| been frightened at the sound of her own
| voice in any other audience hall as large, ex-
planned in her simple, gentle way, the pas
! sage read, il occurred to the listener outside
that some one was keeping sharp watch
on those mill people, after ALL and that this
might be better way of doing it than might
be practised by any police force. It was
very informal school. One girl had brought
her best dress to mend rent in it, and an
other was trying to knit a pair of nliitcns for
| her brother. Every winter has its thaws.
| Mrs. Wilkn had heart down under all the
crust of opinions that she christenod duty ;
she became interested despite her uucom-
Portable situation.
The position was unpleasant. She did not
like playing eaves-dropper to this innocent
gathering but there seemed no help for it.
She couldnot escape through the locked door ;
aud boldly revealing herself and explaining
her absurd suspicious, and the remarkable
way III which she had come there, was more
than even her thought could endure. So she
kept her place, hoping that when the pupils
were dismissed she might slip out uunoticed
But when the lesson hour was over, they de-
parted slowly, by twos and threes, the open
door hiuging a food of light out into the
hall, At last only one fingered, and Mrs.
Wilkin listened intently as she caught his
voice.
Now, Tim" said the little knitting-wo-
man, Il like to have you come, you know
that, and I'll help you all l can, but you must
tell your aunt about it,"
"Well, you see, l don't know what she'll
say" began Tim, irresolutey.
but that shouldn't hinder you from doing
your duty"
Don't know about that" said Tim, still