Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-10-13
NO. Al.

AtoNlhif hVOtulub WY anu lhlhbu 30 CueGTIQl-
ly that the shadows fell from the violet eyes,
and Dot, nesting close said 81 love you"
Miss Roxbury had not only begun TO be
happy; she had begun to live. With the
coming Of this sweet child heaven was chang
ing the dull prose Of her existence into celes-
tial rhythm. Her cold, oveless nature in the
presence of this tiny girl was already becom-
ing Christ.like in its tender ministry.
Dot offered her evening prayer and was
put in Miss Roxbury's own stately bed.
Good night, dear" said Miss Roxbury
with kiss.
"Dood night said Dot, burying her face
in the great bunch of white roses she had
brought to bed with her. 81 feel zif I'd died
an gone to heaven"
Miss Roxbury passed wakeful night, but
not restless one. Her mind was filed with
plans, and then it was such a pleasure to lie
and listen to the soft breathing at her side
aud occasionally to touch the little hand on
the counterpane, still holding the treasured
roses.
The next day Dot ran nearly wild with de-
light. She revelled among the daisies in the
deep soft grass, and it was pitiful to see how
small an object could charm her hungry
mind. Gods commonest gifts were unknown
to her in their bounty and purity Sunshine,
sweet air, flowers and bird-songs we're enough
to make her happy, and when she found the
I
light was unbounded. After a day or two
Miss Roxbury took the morning train down
to Bradleyville to do some shopping. She
was gone until night, and all the way home
she thought of the glad voice that would
welcome her. and her face grew so radiant
with the new joy in her soul that when she
ahghted laden with parcels at the Lynford
station, old Deacon Bennett failed to recog-
nize her until she had passed him
oil I l.. u
as if she'd diskivered gold mine"
Miss Roxbury reached home and soon had
the "gold mine" in her arms.
After tea the parcels had to be opened.
There were paper patterns, rolls Of muslin,
embroidery and blue flannel, pair of childs
slippers dainty hose, bright ribbons and
large doll.
"Oh, oh, oh !" was all that Dot could say,
but her tone expressed more than the most
extensive volume on philanthropy that ever
was written. The village dressmaker was in
stalled in the house for week. The Rocky
Mountain patchwork was consigned to the
seclusion of the spare-room closet, and Miss
Roxbury developed a taste in Mother Hub
bard dresses and rufied aprons that was tru-
ly marvellous.
In the meantime she wrote letter to Dots
mother, to which Dot added a picture of the
cat, which, although not absolutely true to
uhtuE6t Ito6luUlluB III lHCL lue plAQ 1OT
house, was a great satisfaction to the young
artist. There came no reply to this letter.
Dots cheeks were getting rosy, and her
step buoyant.
l. it wasn't for my mamma" she said, 81
wouldn't want to go back foreyer'n ever
When Mr.. Knox, the gentleman in charge
of the party, called to see that Dot would be
ready to return at the appointed time, Miss
Roxbury exclaimed almost icrcely:
Il can't let her go. l need her. Why
may not keep herr"
~ do not believe her mother would part
with her." said Mr.. Knox.
Miss Roxbury was silent for a few mo-
ments and looked out on the lawn where
Dot was swinging in a hammock with the
doll and cat.
1T will be dull house without the child"
she said, ''but will bring her tc the station"
".
When the morning of Dots departure
came, Miss Roxbury arrayed herself in her
second-best black silk, put few articles in
satchel, filed a small basket with fresh
eggs, new biscuit, pat of butter and bot
tie of currant wine, and said to Hannah
II may be gone two or three days Have
the east chamber thoroughly aired and dust
ed before 1 get back, tell Hiram to take q
peck of peas down to Mrs Alder, don't for
get to see if those canned strawberries have
worked or not, and be sure the front door ia
kept bolted, and put that last brood of chick
ems in the other coop, and keep newspaper
over the geranium slips in the afternoon"
"Yes ma'am."
And, Hannah, be very careful to keep out
the flies, and tell Hiram to fix the well-curb.
He is SO apt to forget things"
Dot was bathed in tears as she mounted to
her place in the rockaway.
"Isn't l comm back ?" she said
81 hope so, dear" replied Miss Roxbury.
scarcely heard Dots chatter on the way to
the station.
"Why, Miss Roxbury," said Mr.. Alder as
he assisted her to the platform, 'yOu are
veritable fairy godmother. This rosy, dainty
maiden cannot be the same bit of humanity
that held in my arms fortnight ago. You
will miss her, will you not?"
II shall go with her to New York anyway"
said Miss Roxbury, ''and l don't mean to
come back alone, either. Mr.. Alder, l hope
God will forgive me, for the empty house I've
had all these years"
'An empty house means a lonely heart"
he replied. I'm glad you're going with the
child"
That afternoon Miss Roxbury and Dot, at
tended by Mr.. Knox, wended their way
through dark alley in one of the most squal-
id districts of New York city, and climbed
fight after flight of rickety stairs in rear
tenement.
The heat, the filth, the scenes of misery
were indescrbable Miss Roxbury felt as il
she were on the confines of the bottomless
pit.
Dot darted down long passage and disap-
| peared in a room beyond. The friends fol-
lowed and beheld her clasped tightly in the
arms of wan figure that lay on pallet.
| The woman had tainted
"Mamma, mamma look at me-" pleaded
| Dot, and began to cry.
There was no water in the room, and Mr..
Knox took cracked pitcher from the shelf
and went with Dot in search of some. Miss
Roxbury knelt beside the woman, who was
only about thirty years of age and had been
very attractive as a young girl. There was a
| CLEAN of gold on her left hand. Her hair
was sunny like Dots, and her features deli
catey shaped. The letter that Miss RoXbury
had written lay crumpled and tear-stained on
| the pillow.
While Miss Roxbury gazed the woman
opened her eyes. They were beautiful eyes,
| but sad with want and struggle against de-
| spar. She tried to sit up and moaned:
"My baby-please give me my baby"
just then Dot returned and carried the
! pitcher of water to her mother, who drank
| long and eagerly then holding out her arms
| to Dot, said teebly TO Miss hoXoury
80 madam, will you take care of my little
| girl l think I'm going to die"
you're not going to die-not a bit of it,"
said Miss Roxbury, pouring out some wine
into a teacup, "but I'll take care of you both.
| There, drink this and you'll feel better right
away How long since you've had anything
to eat p
'Day before yesterday" was the faint re-
ply. 81 had to stop work four days ago."
'Now, Mr.. knox," said Miss Roxbury, slip
ping her purse into his hand, "just step out
TO the nearest grocery and order some kind
ling wood and tea and sugar. I'll poach a
nice fresh egg for this poor soul and wen see
about getting her out of this place"