The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1881-09-01

The joint owners Of grsndmo.hsrs re,
cule lived in an old house 10 New Jerse
which claimed 10 have been Washington
heAiquariors II vas large white gan
brel l.rooied house. with two little windos
shaped lits ; hall ops1 iss over the fror
door. vide windows IN three divisions 1
either end Of the long, .hroad hall; hug
red tiled chimpsys. vah lRsss FIRE dogs; n
mAn.el pieces, but funny ihtle closets hig
Iup and around the corners OF the dee
jambs. The halls on both aoou wer
spacious and unbroken. The stairs woun'
up in stingy little space between tw
roomsi thsy we're shut in By door; AM
painted OF cold. glszy light blue, an,
had white washed wall, which gave per
petusl reminder 10 those who went up AMI
down them. The rooms were little col,
and bare. with some handsome heavy old
pieces. such ~ mahogany secretaries
clothes presses and bureaus. glitterint
with brass knobs and rings, . tall buffe
vith glass doors 20 set in I twisted scroll
wcsk OF wood that buttiH1as uaaes WAS lsf
through which TO soc the old yellow mugs
and gilt and white china coffee cups with
in The chairs were as uncomfortable a.
possible; those which had not Tyre shaped
backs and horse hair seats had backs like
the facade OF Gothic cathedral, and
cushions in dim embroidery. One room
contained sort Of museum Of relics oi
Washington and of revolutionary battle
fields, such IS q shagreen spectacle case,
or piece OF fint.lock musket. And be-
yond these the ornsmentation Of the house
WAS OF pale aud meAgre description. A
stiff branch OF brown seaweed balanced q
sharks tooth on either side Of q tall and
light.green pier glass, in front OF which .
gilt faced clock on four black stills licked
with sggravating delibsration.. An ivory
tusk leaned against the sloping chimney,
over which hung two painted wooden
hand screens with long handles. In the
hall piece Of petrifed wood kept COM
pany with horse hair sofa, an embroider-
cd bird Of wildly impossible colors, and
sort OF scriptural chart. in the border Of
which Solomon slept and dreamed OF
Qcen Anne bedstead in the hall OF Greek
temple, and Abraham welcomed fat and
well favored angel to two storiei house
with latticed window, in which stood ge-
raniums in red hower-pots. Here. too, an
old iron movable fireplace, with brass.
dogs and tall green wire fender, occu-
pied the place of hall stove and did not
keep any one warm.
But to make up for this. the old
house stood on little knoll, and every
window framed lovely view Of sloping
hills and wide valleys, in mosaic OF
every shade Of green, fecked here and
there with the diamond sparkle Of stream.
Here under the awe Of Uncle Edward.
who had built for himself not far away .
square and hideous brick house with q
tall cupola like long neck. Deborah and
Achsa Estey lived, taking care OF their old
father, a gentle, pottering, unsuccessful
man, with small clerkship somewhere,
meekly thankful for his brothers bounty,
and never wondering why the rich old
blchelor did not do more for his pretty
nieces.
Achss was bright damsel Of seventeen.
as modern and fashionable as it was posi-
BILE to be on no allowance whatever. She
copied with fair success such styles as
penetrated to the sleepy town, wore Mon
tagues. picked up little slang from the
girls 1t school, and tried to be wide awake
with not too much success, for she was in
reality simple-hearted. unspoiled little
girl. Deborah was her elder by four
years, and much less girlish in her gentle
ways than she should have been. On her
fell all the cares and economies Of their
life, and the toll and effort to
stretch an inelastic sum OF money over
years which seemed somehow to have
more days, il not more weeks. every time
they came round, had marked tiny
pucker in her low forehead, and given an
anxious arch to hor straight black brows.
All her thought and care was to contnve
and contrive that her pretty Achsa should
20 to school and TO church dressed as neat
ly as might be in the fashion, her fresh
and dimpled beauty set by bright colors
and dainty fabrics. As for herself it did
not matter much; she had long ago found
/ press full Of old dresses which matched
The house-short. wasted and short-sleev.
ID dresses, many too rich and delicate for
her use. but most Of dark colors, and Of
hose old time stuffs with no wear out TO
hem. Into these Deborah stepped with.
,ut loss OF time in alteration, and went
lbout tho old house like the ghost Of her
grandmother. who smiled at .herin minia-
'ure from black painted frame in the
parlor. In winter she covered what Achss
ermed her old-time rig with an ample
yray cloak, and so could 60 TO church
without distracting the thoughts Of the
and in summer-vell in
summer she did not go. for which we can
lot blame her.
II was hot and dusty July day. Achsa
Was gone to school picnic. Deborah
,ad baked bread AMI made q raspberry
she had busted the room they
allied the museum, and brought in hand.
al Of blazing red gersniums which. stuck
n the half Of an exploded shell 10 the |
midst Of the relics, somehow looked cool. .
Finally she hsd been 70 the barn and
'noke house, and along the fence, where
,ens Of III regulated miads chose 10 lay.