Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-09-12
The Piece that was Lost.

uay 80 Olido 1sVSoio Uooeo
stood in the back porch after milking,
polishing his face with a coarse towel
and noting the weather signs between
the rubs. A capital hayday; but
"spell of weather might be expected
soon for did not the almanac say,
"About this time look out for storms ]"
So all hands were warned in readiness
to NOW the lower intervale in the morn
ing and lose no time in getting at 1t,
for the lower intervale was swampy at
ter rain.
The chores were done, the supper eat
en-; Silas, with his chair tilted against
the wall, was sleeping the sleep of the
just, while his good wife battered about
the kitchen, setting her sponge, beating
up some riz griddle cakes for breakfast,
grinding the coffee, and, in a dozen
provident ways, squeezing out OF the
tired day little help for the morrow.
Reuben went to the store for new
scythe snath; Abner, the hired man,
hung over the barn yard gate with the
beloved pipe that tried the housewives
soul, and pretty Mistress Hetty wrink-
led her forehead and pricked her fingers
over the new dress she was trying to
make in the few leisure minutes snatch
ed from housework She made charm
ing picture in the frame of the vine
wreathed window, her sleeves still roll
ed above her plump elbows, the bright
hair drawn back from the rosy face
which was turned full to the lamp as
she threaded her needle, or paused to
flirt some deluded moth away from the
dangerous fame that fascinated him. A
charming picture. but no one to look at
it; for the great Norway pine held up
a screen of solid blackness between the
window and the road, even if any be-
lated traveller had chanced to walk that
way, and only Hetty's white cat crept
stealthly along the top of the garden
fence with murderous designs upon an
untimely brood of chipping birds in the
currant bushes. Only this-ah, be-
ware, Mistress Hettyl Evil eyes are
looking at you; eyes from which a
heather mother would cover your face
with her hands, and breathe prayer
to break the unholy spell they might
cast upon you-a woman's eyes peering
from the thick jungle of lilacs and
syringas so near it seems as if Hetty
must feel them. But Hetty feels moth
ing, sees nothing but the troublesome
dress; and, as the perplexing rufies
are conquered one by one, her heart
grows light, the little frown smooths
away. and Hetty begins to sing. What
sweet voice she has? 1t reaches the
tired mother and lightens her heart too.
1t awakens her father, and then lulls
him pleasantly to sleep again. Now
Abncr hears it and draws his hickory
shirt sleeve across his eyes; and that
watcher in the green tangle-who car
guess what she thinks or feels as she
sinks down with her chin upon hel
hands, and her face quite in the dark
and listens to the pathetic story of 1.-THE
Ninety and Nine ?" Hetty herself il
not half conscious Of the pathos will
which she bewails the lost one.
away the mountains bleak and bare,
Away from the Shepherds tender care"
and goes on through the tender story t.
the final rejoicing when the Shephert
brings back his own. She is still hum
ming it ftfully over and over, when he
mother opens the door of the keeping
room and bids her 60 to bed and no
ruin her eyes with sewing by lam
light.
; Just minute" says Hetty; "a
soon as | finish this sleeve" And tn,
| minutes glide on and on, the sleeve
, finished, held up and admired, an
Mistress Hetty takes off her shoes an
slips softly to bed. She does not eve
I close the window. What should com
e into the house unbidden save the COG
night air? Everything is silent. Th
mother bird broods her little ones Sc
curely, unconscious Of the cruel eye
near by, until Reuben comes whistlln
along the road, and boy like, stops
+ shy stone at the tempting white mar
on the fence; the prowler leaps ava
0 with long bounds over the wet grass
: and tragedy is averted, with nothin
: to show for it but dirty tracks upon th
: piece of ''factory' spread out to bleacl
, By and by there is little stir in tt
8 lilac jungle: woman comes cautiousl
/, out of her hiding and steals away to til
!, barn. The cows are lying here an
: there under the long shed, sleeping, pc
haps. in cows uneasy fashion, but wit
;, certain air of motherliness and col
v tent about them. They do not eve
wonder at the late conner as she treat
her way among them. enters the bari
:, mounts the scaford already we'll file
e e with the sweet new hay. and is SOC
!; asleep. hearing now and then broke
e twitter from the restless swallows und
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