Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-01-17
VOL. 7S.-3979. NO. Is.
And now she was going to the "old Ladies'

Home"
alt isn't exactly what expected in my
YOUTH" she said to the old doctors widow.
"No; but you'll have nice room and
bright FIRE, and the neighbors will drop in
and see you and make il seem homelike
Now, there's old Mrs. Gum. Nothing can
persuade her to go to the Home. She says
it's only a genteel almshouse after all and
so she rubs along with what little she can
earn and what the neighbors have mind
to send in; and they have to do 1t mighty
gingerly, too, just as if they were asking
favor of her. She doesn't earn her salt"
al dare say" returned Miss Becky.
Now, if it hadn't been for the rheumatism,
| could earn my living for years yet, and
maybe get something ahead again. But it
seems as if the rheumatism lays in wait for
the poor and friendless,"
"You ought to have married when you
were young, Becky" said the doctors
widow, who bad forgotten all about Becky's
love affair." and labored under the impress
sion that she had never had a chance, an
impression which matrons are apt to enter
tain concerning their single friends. Miss
Becky had been spending some weeks with
Mrs. DIR. Dwight, who had moved away
from Plymouth after her husbands death.
She was there chiefly in order to put some
stitches into the widows wardrobe, which
nobody else would do so reasonably" that
ladys grief having incapactated her from
holding needle or giving her mind to the
material details of "seam and gusset and
band" But during the visit Miss Becky
had been seized with her sharpest attack of
rheumatism, which had kept her in bed for
several weeks, till her wages were exhausted
by drugs and doctors fees. 1t was at this
time that she made up her mind to go into
the Home on her return to Plymouth.
Mrs. Dwight saw her off at the station.
al hope you'll find the Home cosy" she
said, outside the car window. "Its lucky
Parson Amory left you that hundred dol
lars, after all. He might have doubled it,"
"Yes, suppose so," Miss Becky answered
meekly. Perhaps she was thinking that if
she were Mrs. Dwight no old friend Of hers
should go begging for refuge in an aims
house door, were it ever so genteel an aims
house. Perhaps she was thinking of the
pretty, comfortable home waiting for her
friend, and wondering why their fortunes
were so unlike.
"Write when you reach Plymouth, and
let me know how you're suited" said Mrs.
Dwight; and Just then then the cars gave
a lurch and left her behind, and Miss Becky
I Iulutd SldnCS Ill OOhObONl hou
taken the seat behind her.
Your friend was speaking of Parson
Amory and Plymouth" said he. I" | couldn't
help hearing | was born in Plymouth my
self, but | haven't met a soul from there
these twenty years. Pm on my way down
to look up my old friends"
"Twenty years is long time answered
Becky. "Pm afraid you won't find many
of your friends left. You'll hardly know
Plymouth"
al suppose not-I suppose not Have
you lived there long Z"
"I2 | have lived there all my days."
"Good Pm hungry for news of the
people. Tell me everything you can think
Of Did Parson Amory leave a fortnnef |
can see the old place in my minds eye, and
the parsonage under the elms, and the or
chard behind it, where Lucy Amory planted
young tree on her wedding day, and the
gown little Becky Thorne wore-by-the-way,
is she aliveP Do you know her :"
Miss Becky hesitated an instant.
"Yes," she replied, al know her-more
or less. She's alive"
"And married 7"
"Well, no; she never married"
"She must be sixty odd she was pretty
creature, such dimples-I suppo they are
wrinkles now Where have the years
gomez Is her home in the old place still p
&c Her home p said Miss Becky, flushing
little. "She has none. She is on her way
to the Old Ladies' Home"
"To the Old Ladies' Home Becky
Thorne l' he gasped, "and /"
"You seem to have known her pretty
WE'LL" said Miss Becky, who was beginning
to enjoy the incognito.
81 should think 30! I've loved Becky
Thorne from my cradle; we had silly
quarrel which parted us-such a trifle J.
when look back. Do you ever look back
madame 2"
The twilight was falling about them
Becky's face had grown a shade or two
paler all at once she turned her dark
velvety eyes full upon him with startled
air.
"You," she said, "you must be Larry
Rogers !" Then the color swept to hei
cheeks in a crimson wave "Do you know
| never thought you had grown old like my
self Don't you know me2 am Becky
Thorne."
Just then the train thundered through
the tunnel, and they forgot that they were
sixty odd.
"On the way to the Old Ladies Home,
she wrote Mrs. Dwight, 81 was persuaded
to go to an old gentleman's instead. "-Mars
~. Prescott, IN Our Continent.