Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-12-15
RUNNING THE TOLL.


Just hint at running the toll and grand
ma will tell you a story" said Lily Weather.
bee, demure as a little Quaker and sweet as a
wild rose looking up from her Kensington
stitch.
81 don't think you will ever run the toll
Peace and Plenty" she said That was the
name she had given Lily when she was a
| baby.
NO, indeed; one in the family of that sort
is quite enough, laughed the girl; 'but here
is Hattie waiting to be amused, and you must
| tell her about it,"
"We how shall begin, chatterbox ?"
/ why, tell her about the old house with the
| gray moss clnging TO the rafters, and the
haunted window and the great barn. first
THE haunting was easily enough account
ed for" said grandma, rolling up the stock
| ings she had been mending and taking off her
| spectacles; THAT was the tapping of the old
| horse chestnut when the wind blew, but it
was long time before found out the mean
! ing of the three mysterious knocks-always
three-and when l did, what fun had at the
expense Of Miss Sena Cross, our dress-mak-
! er, who had taken infinite pains to prove that
l was favored with spiritual visits Poor
] Miss Silena / never saw a creature more
disappointed. As for the barn, it had origin
! ally been built for a meeting house. but new
er having been finished on account of lack of
! funds, my grandfather took it for debt and
! turned it 10 very good account That old
! barn was great institution, and was regular
| ly farmed out during winters for revival meet
ings, dances, husking frocs and sundry 9th.
| er things One night We let a tramp sleep
! there, and the consequence was that by noon
next day there was nothing left of the barn
but smoke and ashes. Poor father 1t had
! been a source of income, and nothing could
take its place. Everybody mourned the de-
! struction of Uncle Hiram barn, but nobody
! offered to rebuild it,
"We were poor-not that we suffered for
the necessaries of life. The farm kept our
table, but my father worked hard for an old
man, and his boys were all girls. The fact
of our poverty never troubled me- however
1 was too happy. Only give me plenty of
fun, plenty of sunshine, and nothing seemed
hard to me. My genius at improvising all
! sorts of amnsements made me general favor
ite in society. Nobody looked down upon
me because | wore calico and worked from
morning till night In fact, Jack was always
| in requistion; it was Jack who took the
lead at our merry gatherings, who filled the
gap with some audacious gossip when no.
/ body knew what to say, who was afraid of
nothing-who was, l am rather sorry to add
careless of consequences, SO that she had
| good time
But l was happy nobody can ever take
that consolation from me. 1 never sighed
| for what was unattainRble. Fair weather or
foul washing or baking, at home or at the
country side parties l was always at peace
with the world, though my one best muslin
gown had done duty for several years"
'Oh, grandma what would you have
thought then of pink satin reception dress,
and everything to match, like the one l am
having made ?" exclaimed Lily.
Shouldn't a been bit happier, MY dear
couldn't a been" was the calm response.
Besides, young girls never wore satin in
those days bless you plain white null was
| consdereddressy enough, with flowers, which,
to my taste, are pretter than jewels any day.
And now am coming to how 1 ran the toll.
| Ned Hamilton was considered one of the best
young gmen intown. He woulda been handsome
but his nose was too thin and his eyes were
too close together, though they were fine
eyes At all events, he was great favorte
and the girl who secured him for a partner
considered herself fortunate. Nobody treat
ed him just exactly as L did, for 1 would tell
him to his face that he was conceted though
secretly did feel flattered by his attention. l
suppose the great Rosedae farm had some
thing to do with it, and the two grays and the
handsome carryal Perhaps was ambitious
and didn't exactly know it; for to tell the
truth, when did think of him at all serious
ly it was the big farm that doomed mp, not
the name was good one-to step from our
homely one-story house into grand old man
sion, where the furniture had stood for hun
dred years-that was something for a poor
mans child to achieve. l was very proud
and happy when he showed me any unusual
attention. 1t did stir what vanity l had to
see his team at our cottage door, to pass our
acquaintances seated beside him, to be sin
gled out at parties-me in my plain dress,
with perhaps only rose at my throat and an
other in my hair"
Now confess that you were handsome,
grandma" said Lily.
"That's not for me to say my dear, though
l believe they did call me rather pretty. One
day Ned Hamilton invited me to go with him
to Silver Spray, beautiful waterfall, six
miles away. l was particularly pleased with
the invitation just at that time, for matters at
home were complicated, and the atmosphere
was not agr, cable. Father had been paying
money on a mortgage, and that always made
him cross-not cross exactly, but very, very
miserable. The sight of his sorrowful face
and the sound of his depressed voice caused
us to feel more or less wretchtd.
'Ihat night there was 10 be a party at the
house of Judge Mills. They only gave one
year on the occasion of Meeny Mills's birth
day. Poor MeenY AhOmel lier grlneyer lived
but the Judge was rich, and she wore all the
latest fashions ~ perhaps she never realized
how very plain she was | had been busy
over my only white dress, taking tuck out
here and adding bit of lace there, wishing
for a wonder, that l could have something
new to wear. At sight of Ned and the team,
however. all my troubles vanished into air,
and ran down stairs laughing.
81 do wish that yoi'd be little sober
minded, said my father in his fretful way. 1T
seems kinder heartless to be laughing when
there amt cent in the house. and nobody
knows hen there will be-
"'Why father, there's always potatoes and
meal was my merry rejonder.
eyes and there's always care and troub-
les, he answered ugubriously. 4 don't seem
to get ahead like other folks, and I've pretty
much about given up trying. If you girls
, was only boys now =
,, "'1hnk what you'd have to lay out in
boots alone, l said, still laughing, at which
he frOwned and turned impatlently away,
while ran out to be helped into the hand
some carriage.
"What glorious day it was The vines
lining each side of the road all seemed drip
ping with sunshine. The shaded valleys, the
dancing brooks and the highway bordered
with naples and elms-and then my escort
beguiled the hour with odd and merry fancies,
talked about his farm, his hopes, his aspira-
tions, and if l hadnot wifully turned the sub
ieet once or twice" +" said the pretty old lady,
with prim little gesture, II think he might
have proposed. But wasn't ready for that