News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-12-28
PORK AND POTATOES.
''Pork and potatoes !
Pork and potatoes -

FORK ana potatoes
Pork and potatoes !"
There was little of rhyme or reason il
the monotonous reiteration of thes
homely words, yet they had their de
signed effect, for in the course of tim
the wide-eyed baby in the woman's lal
began to nod drowsy approval and a
last fell into an uneasy slumber. Care
fully the singer placed it in its LITTLE
cradle and turned to her neglected work
There was enough to dom all conscience
So much she hardly knew where to be
gin. While she hesitated her thoughts
wandered away from the untidy kitchen
with its yesterdays litter all uncleaned,
its drifting rolls of lint, its sink piled
high with unwashed dishes, and for the
moment she was no longer a pallid, hol-
low-eyed, unkempt drudge, but young
pretty, sweet and fresh as women are
who put on wedding fnery and wait
with happy longing for the new life, full
of blessed mystery.
-Four years ago." she thought, 81
was the happiest woman in the world;
now I am one of the most miserable
-Four years ago I kept happy Christmas
in heart and home; now"
She gave a sharp, hard laugh and
turned to her work.
-Four years ago she and John had been
two smart and happy young people who
thought nothing ON earth could make
them so devoutly thankful as to belong
wholly and entirely to each other. Their
marriage had been to them the best
possible celebration for the pretty young
brides birthday, and as it comes on
Christmas day it was a double holiday
for them. They had begun life in little
hired house, with little stock of worldly
goods and great and wonderful fortune
III store which they had made up their
minds to possess through industry,
economy and mutual endeavors.
How was it, Annie asked herself over
and over again, that in only four years
they had come to this? She remem-
bered, as she washed and secured among
the pots and pans, how the girls in the
shop where she used to work had envied
her. Envied her for her handsome hus-
hand; for her smart new dress; and had
all of them hoped for as good luck them
selves.
Now, Miriam rode in her own carriage
and filled it royalty with her silks and
laces. She had married an old man,
surly enough to be sure, but what of
that +? To-day she would sit at the head
of table loaded with silver, and groan-
ing under its weight of costly dainties.
There was Alice, fair and frail. Annie
thought, with little thrill of virtuous
pride, that she never spoke to Alice now;
yet at her table to-day there would be
music and laughter, rare fruits and
flowers and costly wines.
Though better women Stunned her, yet
was she clothed in purple and fine linen
and Jared sumptuously every day. There
was Kate Brown, and Avis, her sister,
elderly girls, and plain, but their birth
days were always to them high holiday.
She began to sing again, and the sweet
ness of her voice was all lost in the
bitterness that rang through the same old
words
''Pork and potatoes,
Pork and potatOesr ~
1t was all they had in the house to eat,
and it was Christmas day-their we'd
ding anniversary.
The door opened and John came in :;
not the fine, spruce young man who
smiled on her so proudly four years ago,
but slouching man in dirty overalls,
with shabbiness written all over his
clothes and care all over his face. He was
smiling now, and swinging plump little
turkey.
Here, nanny" he called, ''here is
bit of Christmas for you"
ooh, John p She cried. Glow could
you? Poultry so dear, and I with never
a dress or boot"
81 did not buy it, he answered; ''old
Huxley gave it to me-"
'A charity bird Shame on you,
John Shame ON you, poor as we are,
for taking charity. will not cook, nor
eat, or have any hand in the disgrace
of it,
'eThrow it away, them" he replied,
''or give it to some one without your
cursed pride" And without another
word he went out into the wind and
rain.
"Charity charity charity p How
the word rang through her brain Not
all the sorrow and poverty and disap-
pointment of her married life had ever
BUNDLED her like this one gift. Old
Huxley had once been a would-be lover
Of hers, and ON former birthdays had
offered her many a valuable trinket.
This horrible bird, which John had
shamed her by accepting, was ample re-
venge for her many scornful refusals.
While her cheeks yet burned with angry
shame the door opened again.
Annie was a matter-of-fact woman, liv-
ing in poor quarter of a large city; but
for a moment her mind gave great leap
back to the dim ages of nursery lore.
There in her little dingy kitchen stood a
and lace; her face was as yellow as the
yellow gold that linked itself about her
skinny throat, and held the great bright
stones that flashed and sparkled all over
claw-hke fingers. Before Annie in any
wise recovered from the surprise of her
she spoke in sharp, rasping
voice
$50 you are Annie Brown, are you?
And a well-looking woman, 50 one looks
onlv at your face. But what has my sis
ter's child to do with this filthy room, this
house, this forsaken street,
and all this misery you seem part and
parcel of? Take your baby Annie, and
come with me. You shall be a lady,
child, as your mother was before you,
wen if she did die in the poor-house, and
hand-tied. three thousand miles away.
ssBut John p gasped Annie, when sur
prise would let her speak
ssAnd what of John % cried the gold
witch, sharply. 81 offer you home
ucb as You never even dreamed OF, rich
resses, food and jewels; has your John