St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-08-03
Patience's MONDAY Guests.
BY HELEN PEARSON BARNARD.

At noon there was clatter OF
wheels and great dust along the old
Westchester road, very old and wide
for, as the village historian often said
with "A smack of his oily tongue, "'This
highway was laid out by the Crown OF
England, sir, ten rods wide ~
Patience Brown--whO had always
lived in an old red house beside the
highway and breathed its ancient dust
-heardithe clatter. She only said, ats
little Tim with the mail. I'd no idee
it was so late. He'll he in from the
field; they'll be in a hurry for din
ner.n
''IIe" was Patience's husband, Zenas
Brown and "they" were three big
boys, who called her ''marm." Patience
was Fastening her preparations, vi
kitchen table like some great pendu-
lum, when the clatter came into the
backyard and ceased in Il loud "whoa"
beside her own door. Cant be you've
anything for us, Tim" she said, rs the
boy appeared. "Grandmarm's dead, m
lletty never gets no time to compose II
letter"
''No, there haint nothin' in the bag
fur you, Mis- Brown y said Tim, in
grave, business-like way. "But I've
brought II gentleman and lady from
tOther side a the river. They're goin'
to stop spell in the old buIyin'
grOun'. They was aXing me was there
IL hotel here in Westchester Flats. |
told 'em no. Then they wanted to
know where they could buy some
crackers and cheese and little fruit
calc'late they WAS Il goin' to picnic in
the buryin' groun'. | told 'em yes, and
left 'em there. He was gOin' to sketch,
he said, and she was sort of Il library,
guess. | telled 'em lot about our
town, the Revolution and this street
what the Crown laid out, but they was
SOrter down't tn mouth about no hotel.
They called me back. is there no one
here who will give us Il dinner, for Il
consideration p says he. q thinks like
ly,' says |, N told 'em I'd see what |
could do for 'em" He paused and
looked searchingly at Patience. ~
took it consideration meant he'd pay,
Mis- Brown ?"
Yes" said Patience, taking a kettle
off the stove. She dashed to the sink.
held the cover on while she turned it !
nearly upside down, to let the hot wa
ter out. Something inside rolled |
against the cover; she deftly righted
it, uncovered the kettle, plunged IL
fork into the steam, and brought out "A
potato. How rapidly she tore off its
jacket, and dropped it into big blue
dish
"Why didn't he say so, then ?" que
ried Tim. sharply. ~ like to see a |
body talk so folks can understan'. Now
she knows what to say. | could talk |
with her all day; wouldn't mind her no
more than own folks but he"-the |
boys tone was exasperated-''he asks
a body, Isn't this region malarious at
times I? | wouldn't give in that | want |
up to his talk, so, says |, well, | reck-
on or, That's cordin' to how body |
looks at it, or some such dodge; but |
tell You body has to be spry to he
even with sech as he ~
Tim wiped his face as If weary with |
such an unwOnted word contest.
Patience sighed as she plunged after
another root. II like to hear them
nice city talkers," said she, ''if they are |
different from us. | used to know one, |
when was girl-he came here often"
Patience had wonderful eyes, lustrous
and mournful they might have be
longed to some beautiful Creole. As
she allnded to the past, they glowed i'll
her Drowned, angular face. eyes, he
stayed all one summer" she said,
dTeamily. For Il moment her busy
hand paused, and she gazed off along
the ancient highway of the Crown of
England, across the sandy flats. There
the shining river went ever on towards
the sea, beneath the everlasting hills.
"Mebbe you wouldn't give 'em din
ner for consideration ?" queried the
mail boy.
Patience started her eyes came back
from their momentary holiday, and
her mind from some pleasureable retro
spect.
~ thought of you first thing" he
pursued.
A cloud overspread Patience's face
Suddenly she lifted her hand to her
throat; such throat, with painfully
distended and distorted glands, they
were even with her chin People in
the village was used to her deformity
1t had been growing for fifteen years.
But if other people sometimes forgot
it. she never did. She shrank from
meeting strangers it was like the
opening of some painful wound to see
them eye askance that dreadful bur
den.
"Nobody 'ud want any of my din
ners - she said.
The mail boy scratched his head till
his hair stood erect from crown to ears.
1t gave him a cOmical, saVage-like ap-
pcarance. But he was far from feeling
fierce. Deep in his bOyish heart the
chords of compassion were touched; he
would liked to have cOmforted Pa
tience, only he knew not how.
'-Oh, come on, Mis- Brown, do take
'em They won't care, yOu can put "a
tippet or something Over-thGt!"
"A tippet in July p Patience ut
tered little spasmodic laugh, almost
hysterical, only she was uot given to
such weakness.
Patience hardly knew how it came
about, but presently she was saying :
''If they can't find nobody else, m
they're willing to put up with what's
in the house, You can bring 'em."
Then as Tim darted away, But tell
'cm don't keep no hotel we're plain.
hard -workin' folks with no fancy fix
ms :"
"What's that ?" queried deep,
gruff voice, and Zenas Brown came
slowly across the yard from the barn.
Il take it dinners ready or you
wouldn't be gabbin' with Tim"
His tone was even more offensive
than his words, and the glance he gave
her was mOrOse and fault-finding.
Mrs. Brown flew to the potatoes, fin
ished them and thrust them into the
oven before she told the object of little
| Tins visit. Her husband, whose ablu-
tions at the same sink reminded one OF