Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-11-25
MRS. PENNY'S MISTAKES.

MRS. PENNY'S MISTAKES.
just on the brow of a gently -sloping hill,
commanding a rich and varied view, on one
side Of a road cut into the solid hill, stood
Elmholt church. Crowning the opposite bank
was an ivy-clad, gray stone wall, behind which
two solemn, slumbrous yews kept sleepy watch
over their theological brothers in the church
yard and behind the yews; also solidly built
of gray stone, with its mullioned windows,
was Elmholt House, the residence of no less
a parsonage than Mrs. Penny, who now sits
with a sort of blue woolen antimacassar over
her plentiful, frowsy, iron-gra ringlets, deep
ly immersed in a political pamphlet. The
room is barely and somewhat incongruously
furnished. An old-fashoned grand piano, OF
which the legs and rather rich carvings had
at one time been gilt, occupies one corner of
the room; in another corner stands a harp,
whose better days belonged to the years when
George the Third was king and other arti-
cles of furniture bear the same impress Of
faded gentility. Mixed with these are home
ly, uncushionsd Windsor chairs, plain deal
table, scantily covered with a threadbare com
mon cloth, and other furniture not quite too
far gone to be rejected from the kitchen of a
house where the exchequev is very limited.
Mrs. Penny's studies were interrupted by
loud but not unkindly voice outside.
Put it down, tell zee. won't have thee
do it,"
With a snort Mrs. Penny threw down her
politics and strobe out with masculine tread
Let the boy alone Penny" said she; ~
wont have you interfere with him."
II tell 'ee," said Mr.. Penny, for ii was he,
''he shan't fling stones at the jenny-wrens.
They be Godamoighty's birds"
Mr.. Penny was a hale-looking old man,
rather horid, with wiry- gray beard and nous
tache, and somewhat bowed in figure. He
wore CATERS, corduroy breeches, and drab
coat with brass buttons, which looked as il it
had formed part Of some discarded livery.
The boy who was the subject Of the threat
ened alteration stood irresolute, with the stone
in his hand and his eye on the bush where the
jenny-wren had disappeared. just in the nick
of time a blackbird started out, and, that the
stone might not be wasted, he hurled it at the
golden-billed lover of cherries, and then ran
off laughing
SAY, ay," said Mr.. Penny. ''Dang the
blackbirds. Hull at they if thee likes"
Mrs. Penny pushed her blue antimacassar
little more on one side, hitched up her dress
in nautical fashion, and retired to pursue the
interrupted consideration of women's rights
She was lady of good birth, respectable
education, and fairly well endowed with those
80 high an appreciation. She had been left
an orphan before she was out of her teens,
and, having always very strong opinions as to
woman's ability to do anything that man can
| do-and do it better, too--with q marked par
tiality for a country life and for independence,
| it was not long after she became her own mis-
tress that she took into her own hands the
farm on which Elmholt House Stood aud be-
gan to manage it on strictly original princi-
| pies, although she sometimes condescended TO
| dip into Virgil and Columella for hint
The neighbors occasionally made merry at
her expense when she committed a more
| egregious blunder than usual, but she bore
such jests as reached her ear with impertur-
bable good humor; for, without having any
| OF his morbid sensitiveness, she rivaled poor
Hayden in sublime contempt for criticism.
There was an element of practicality in her
nature, however, which led her at times to
contemplate the necessity Of considering her
ways.
Penny occupied the nominal position OF
steward on the farm, but Miss Gurteen was
too much of an autocrat to admit of this po-
sition being more than nominal His advice
she by no means felt bound to follow, though
she did not prohibit it. He had on one occa-
sion urged the necessity of having more sheep
on the farm, and, as the suggestion seemed to
her reasonable, she purchased a small bui
beautiful flock on what she thought TO be fa'
vorable terms.
"Well, Penny, what do you think of the
sheep?" she asked, after he had returned from
inspecting them.
Penny, whose face was unusually red and
rigid in its lines, opened his lips to reply, and
a loud laugh, which he had been at much
pains to suppress, took the opportunity to es
cape.
"Have you lost your senses, man." asked
Miss Gurteen, severely, that you behave il
that way before me ?"
II beg pardon, miss" he said, recovering
his gravity with an effort that nearly chokeC
him. II couldn't help it,"
penny, you're great baby, =" said his mis-
tress, that's what you are And now. abou
the sheep"
why, lor' bless you, miss"
He stopped suddenly, grew purple in th'
face, resolutely compressed his mouth turnet
his head, and burst into an uncontrollabl
roar of laughter
Miss Gurteen looked on with amazement
When the paroxysm was over she said;
Penny, you have been taking too muol
cider"
II haven had drop o. cider sin'-ever 81
long" said he, substituting an indeHnit
phrase as it flashed upon him that he had jus
refreshed himself with a cup in the kitchen
'But they sheep-they be all rams"
Some time after this Miss Gurteen, VIII
had been meditating much, said
"Penny, I've been thinking about thos
sheep. shall always be making mistakes. 4"
Like enough, miss, " said he, with all th
gravity he could command.
II can see only one way to keep clear o
them" she went on. 81 shall have 10 MARI
you"
Penny grinned from ear to ear.
"Oh, man" she said petulantly, don
grin like that it makes me sick. What d
you say TO itr"
"Well, miss, said he, ''if you be willin'
be-"
And with that brief wooing Miss Gurtee
became Mrs. Penny The relations betwee
the pair were scarcely altered. She RENAME
autoerat still, and he, good, easy man, wa
still steward, with but little increased respor
sibility. He was placid and obedient, an
their life was happy enough. In the cours
of time a son and heir was born-the youn
malignant whom we found casting stones 9
the jenny-wrens then about fourteen years @
age, plump, we'll grown, aifeotionate boy.
Mrs Penny had from his birth destined hiI
for the church. the living of Elmholt bein
/ in her gift and the lad, with placidity this
would have done no discredit to his fathei
acquieseed in the destiny. Not that he fe
, any special vocation for that office, of whic
! he would even Qhe young scapegrace y wit
} considerable humor make fun when he mad
his way into the kitchen, and extemporized
pulpit with a couple of chairs and surplic
with tablecloth, to the infinite merriment {
the servants.
5 The proeliyity of the boy for finding con
panionship in the kitchen was Mrs. Penny
: greatest trouble. She had been at inhnit
! pains 10 make him understand that he was