The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-11-16

the ears of corn were listening, which
Janet proceeded to sever from their
withered husl<s and fling into the basket
which she had brought for that purpose.
She filled the basket with surprising
swiftncss, then lifted it on her strong
shoulders and carried it to wagon
standing at some little distance. half
filled with golden ears.
"If the season had been warm and dry
instead of cold and wet, dozen wagon
loads of cars would have left this field
instead of one,n muscd Janet. "And
that, together with the price the horses
will bring, and the machinery,
would have kept us through the
winter, or until could find work to do.
But as it is" Janet finished her SEN
tenc, with a long sigh. Then she lifted
her eyes s<yward again. ''God will not
let us suffer- know it." she said, and
fell to her work with renewed zeal, and
worked until the dull glare of light that
shone through the gray clouds above her
told her that the sun was nearing the
zenith. Then she shoudercd her basket
and went back to the farm house to pre-
pare dinner. She had been at Norris
farm these three years, acting in every
capacity-from nurse to domestic in
doors, and man of-all-work without
She, stranger, had one day knocked
at the door, saying TINT she had heard
there was sickness in the house, and that
she had been nurse in hospital, and
was wanting situation. and would be
willing to give her labor for her board
until she could find better place and
better pay
Mrs. Norris had taken her in without
any parley, though some of the neigh
bors who were in the house at the time
had warned her against such risky act.
'Men tramps are bad enough" they
said, ''but women are worse Better
find out who this girl is before you take
her in"
81 can't wait to try her before court
and Judge" answered Mrs. Norris. "My
husband lies in yonder room, crippled by
a fall from load of hay. My daughter
is in another room, dying of quick con
sumption, as you all know. | am worn
out with watching and with care, and
the neighbors can't take care of us for
ever. l'vc sent word far and near for
help, and now help has come. l shall
not stop to question her. | like her
face and will trust her till I'm obliged to
distrust her.
But the time had never come, and now
Janet Dyer had been with Mrs. Norris
three years. 1t was she who had closed
the eyes of sweet Hattie Norris and
robcd her for the grave. And it was
she who waited upon Mr.. Norris, and
bore with all his pctulancc and impa-
thence during the year that he had been
confined to his room, and at the same
time she had done mans work in the
field. And for all this she had refused
to take one cent in money.
And so she had staid 1t was ac-
knowledeed by all, far and wide that it
was owing TO Janet Dyer's excellent
nursing rather than TO nCd ical skill, that
Mr.. Norris had regaincd the use of his
limbs. But he was not able to do farm
work, and neye would beagl in, and his
mind seemed shaken a litte-its old
vi"or and strength gone for ever. Janet
was head and hands both al Norris farm.
And get the ncighboihood never quite
forgavc her for the mystery surrounding
her coming to Norris farm; for Janet
had no, taken pains to make the cxpla-
nation TO her neighborS which she had
made to Mrs. Norris.
She has her eye on the property"
suggested one. "Thinks she'll be the
heir, now the girl is dead and the boy dis
inherited"
ION, yes, shes an aX 70 grind or she'd
never stay on slavin' as she does, " replied
another. But the propcrty's all under
mortgage, and even if that's paid up, and
its all decided to her, that boyll come
back yet and make her trouble"
Heard he was killed in saloon FIGHT
over gaming table or somethin' years
ago.
Report never was confirmed. Hes
sure TO turn up, like a bad penny"
The " boy" referred to was tie only
son-now the only child OF the Noyrises.
lie had been wild youth. and his father
had been severe Judge, OF his youthful
follies. The tighter the reins had been
drawn the faster lac hal gone, Ike an UNI
ruly colt--till finally he had disgraccd the
family by contracting debts in the name
of his father. Norris farm had to be
mort gagged to lift these debts. and, with n
curse Anslcy Norris WAS blnished from his
fathers roof, and forbidden ever to re-
turn.
He had gone, and a year later the re-
port had come of his death in gam
bling house in Il neighboring city. And
one disaster after another had bcfallen
Norris farm, and things had gone from
bad to worse, even as its mistress had
said since then.
4 --M----- X
Thanksgiving morning broke bright
and beautiful. Nature seemed ina smil-
| ing-which with her is always devo-
tional-mood. For the first time in more
than a week the sun burst through the
gray November clouds, and shone with
dazzling brilliancy, touching up the
traces of late glory in the forests and
! borrowing smile f.om the late Indian
, summer with which to rctIrn thanks to
the Creator of all.
In all the surrounding farmhouses,
1 even to the hut OF Tom Kelly, The section
hand, which waa spi.ling olcrwith child
rem of all sizes, there VAS some prepar-
/ atioNs for n feast of thanEsriyiuU and "A