Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-12-25

naQ come begging LOT some cloJnes |
for her husband.
"Come up stairs, Mrs. Slack"
said Grandma. 81 don't have many
applications for mems things, so 1
guess there's coat of Mr.. Grants
put away in the camphor chest, and
maybe vest or so; you sit right
down by the fire whilst go up garret
and look.
1t took Grandma some time to
find the clothes under all the shawls
and blankets in the chest, and when
she had given them to Mrs. Slack,
she had to hurry to the station with
her daughter, and the cars being on
the track they did not stop to get
their tickets, but were barely in time
to find seats when the train started.
The conductor came round in a few
minutes and Grandma put her hand
in her pocket, suddenly turned pale,
opened her big satchel and turned
out all its contents, stood up and
shook her dress, looked on the floor,
and when Mrs. White said in amaze
ment, "What is the matter, mother?"
she answered curtly, ''I've lost my
pocket-book.
''Was it in your pocket?'
eyes; at least | s'pose so; | GER
tainly took it out of my drawer, for
noticed how heavy it was that new
cashier gave me gold for most of it,
you see.'
''You'd have known then if you
dropped it on the way, mother
II should think so; anyway, I
can't 90 to Boston without it we
may as well stop at the next station
and 60 back"
So back they went; asked at the
ticket Office if any such thing had
been picked up on the platform, and
leaving a description of it, went rath-
forlornly back to the house. Here
terrible upturning of everything took
place drawers were empted, cup
boards ransacked, trunks explored,
even the camphor chest examined to
it's depths, and everything in it shak-
en- out
.'You don't suspect Mrs. Slack?''
inquired Maria.
"Sally Slack no, indeed. I've
known her thirty years, Maria, she's
honest as the daylight"
Still Maria thought it best to send
for Mrs. Slack and inquire if she had
seen it when she was at the house.
Certain, certain!" answered the
good woman. Il see Mis- Grant
hev it in her hand when she went up
chamber; | hedn't took no notice of
it before but she spoke up an says
she, I'll go right up now, Mis-
Slack, for I'm in some hurry, bein'
that Pm goin' in the cars to Bos-
town for to buy our folkses' Christ
mas things; so then 1 took notice
that she he'd pocket-book into her
hand"
This was valuable testimony, and
Mrs. Slack's face of honest concern
and sympathy showed her innocence
in the matter. Next day there was
an advertisement put in the paper,
for the family concluded Grandma
must have dropped her money in the
street going to the station, but the
advertisement proved as fruitless as
the search, and for once in her life
the dear old lady was downcast
enough.
1.-The first time / never gave 'em a
thing on Christmas do feel real
downhearted about it, Maria. There
is Annie's three girls lotted on their
gloves an nicknacks for parties this
winter, for was going to give them
gold pieces so they could get what
they wanted sort of fresh when they
did want it; and poor Gerty's new
, cloak p
s'Oh, never mind, mother. / can
| sponge and turn and fix over the old
one; plush collar and cuffs will
: make it all right
"But there's the boys. Tom did
) want that set of tools and bench
; for 'em; and / reckoned on seeing
, Harry's eyes shine over a real New
, foundland dog. That makes me
r think won't you write to that man
in New York? Eve changed my
I mind about the dog. And Jack can't
: 90 to Thomas now for vacation; oh
dear -
"Don't worry, MOTHER said
, Maria but Grandma went on.
skate and Rosy too, they won't
: get their seal muffs and caps, and
dear little Hal how he will long fol
the books promised him. It's real
trying, Maria !" and Grandma wiped
J tear from her eyes, most unusual
$ symptom.
But it was her way to make the
Il best of things, and she sat down at
:, once to tell Thomas of her loss, anC
then put it out of her mind as well as
> she might.
v 1t spoke well for all those ter
grandchildren that they each felt fal
: more sorry for Grandma Grant
Il disappointment than their own, anc
Il all resolved to give her a presen
S much nicer and more expensive thar
q ever before, pinching little on thei
| "a Al.