Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-12-07

said anything about that they might no,
get them at all.
Once in while, Moreover, she took one
of their old bonnets apart and sponged
and pressed and put it together again il
it did not look quite right if she got the
back part on the front, it came round
again all right next time when she was
sure to get the front part on the back.
One thing about her, however, was not
to be improved. She made little go q
great way, and their small purchases of q
lpound at a time were eked out to the last
item; it frequently appeared as if she
got up dinner out of nothing to-day, n
bit of boiled pork and some "pusly'
greens or dandelions from the roadside
tomorrow, scrap of peppered salt fish
and toast and nobody knew how good
crusts stewed in milk with a dish of fried
apples were, unless Tidy fried the APP
pies after she had picked them on the
wild trees up the mountain
On the whole, the poor old Indies
thought they were in luck, and used to
speak of their kind, capable Tidy Till
lngust with particular protective warmth
whenever Parson Keene or any of the dig
nitaries of the church were within hear
ing. 1t never did Tidy any good, their
speaking so for you might as well tear
up Mount Athos by the roots us preju-
dice and instead of believing any more
in Tidy, the good folks believed lust n
little less in the Misses Mowbray.
| Poor as the Misses Mowbray were they
yet contrived to give little in charity, or
thought they did and every Thanksgiv-
ing they sent two of their yearly six
mince pies to somebody yet poorer. They
never knew that Tidy Tillingust only
half filled those two pies, and did not
take the plum pudding to the poor farm
at all. She very careful to give an elab-
crate message of thanks, all the same,
and quite rs if she had sent it, and the
gentle ladies felt that they had contribu-
ted their item to the happiness of the son
son, and Tidy Tillingust felt that she
had saved both their feelings and what
| was very necessary to their own subsis-
| tence, and no harm done.
Poor Tidy Tillingust am not sure
she would have known lie had YOU
pointed it out to her; her duty was
simply care of the old ladies', and this was
her idea of care of them.
Tho cold cane on early one Thanksgiv-
ing time. 1T is so comfortable to have n.
good fire." said Miss Mowbray, as the
hearth spnrklcd while they slipped their
tea; for job had spent his last Sunday
morning bringing down from the noun
tain load of unowned dead-wood and
old boughs that would make many n bright
winter fire. GLOW wish we could put
Just such fire on every poor mans
hearth !"
you'd better,'' said Tidy, VINO felt
that she was keeping her place sufficient
~ by never offering to take n seat at ia
BILE, and always standing behind Miss
Mowbray's chair, and, that duty done,
never scrupling to join in the cpnversa-
ton. "When job went up into the woods
and lugged that down specially for you
You'd hurt Jobs feelings awful if you
went to sending wheelbarrows of that
light stuff down to the Walbones. There
always is n lot of shif'less critters in
every place. s'posc the Lord has uses
for EN- but if they want frewood,
she added without much consecutiveness,
"they can berry sled, and go up the
mountain Jest g wells Job. I'll tell you
what I'll do = she continued eagerly, as
if she were heart and soul with them in
n work of charity. "Ill go down tonight
when | carry the puddn and tell EN-
where to get H."
"That's good girl, Tidy T. said Miss
Mowbray, "You always are SO thought
full"
"And it's quite rs if we sent it, said
Miss Betty.
You had better go early, too, Tidy"
said Miss Mowbray.ss
"For you see it's coming on to snow,"l
said Miss Betty.
1t acas coming on to snow, and early
dark ; and tea WAS hurried up and the old |
ladies heads were on their pillows in all |
haste, and Tidy, with pair OF mems
socks over her shoes--which socks, by |
the way, she had knit herself, in order to
make folks wonder where she got them
was on her way to the village with the |
key in her pocket.
Up in that hill country, when tho early |
snow came it sometimes fell with an as |
density and swiftness and soft
ness and flushed all night by the gentle |
fall, Miss Mowbray and Miss Betty slept |
soundly, and only woke when the late |
day broke through the storm, if it could |
be called storm. to find no smell of |
smoke, no aroma of coffee in the house,
no rattle of Tildy's movements, no sound |
OF life, in fact. Hastily getting on some
clothes, Miss Mowbray hurried down,
only to find no fire on any hearth, no soul
in any room,-no Tidy.
what has become of her ?" she cried
to Miss Betty. "Do you suppose she set
out to com: home, and is buried in the
snow %;
"No, indeed" was the reply, "Tildy
Tillingust is nobody's fool. She staid all
night, and she'll be up to-day"
-, up to. day, my dear Just look out
There isn't sign of n road the snow
is don't know how many feet on
level"
"Never mind. Tildyll be here, if she
has to fly. l have faith to believe she
could fly, if she was put to it"
hut the day wore on, and Tidy did no
lying aud the poor old ladies were half
distraught. They cortrived to get fire
aftet great effort, and something to eat,
and then sat and watched the fine scud 1y,
Tor the wind began to blow, and the drifts
were banking everywhere as far as one
could see through the thick air.
1t is impossible to get into the cow
shed, said Miss Mowbray, opening the
PACK door, and trying in vain to shut it
Tor the drift that fell in. "The snow is
up to ones waist, and don't know what
Will happen to the COW. She III starve, or
lie of thirst, or have fever for want of
milking"
Now. dear, don't fret, said Miss Bet.
~. 1--WE shall be taken care of, and so
Will the COW. Just have faith to believe
it, and 1t will all come right"
81 do have faith" said Miss Mowbray,
stirring the fire, and STOPPING to put on
.he last STICK. Il always hare had faith.
But if there's no wood left in the house.
and we can't get out to get any. and we
SAINT get the door to anyway, faith won't
hinder us from freezing to death. Oh.
Betty, Betty there goes my purse And |
All the money We shall have till the end
of the year is in it. Quick quick p