Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-14
THE YHIPPLES.

'On . hlr5. MarNln ! called lda winthrop,
as she came up the walk which led from the
Soda spring toward the door of our little
cottage at Manitou, IL have Just been talk
ing with such dear little woman. She only
came to day l don't know when have seer
anybody 80 pretty"
Another swan, Ida = said l. laughing.
Ida was given to finding something won
| derful in every newcomer, and some of hcI
swans had proved to be veritable geese.
mo, but really, Mrs. Marvin, this is a very
different sort OF person Just let me tel
you about her. She is from the East, the
real true East, not one of those Kansas OF
Missouri people who call themselves eastern.
ers. She has only boen married about a
month. Her husband, his name is Whpple,
took cold early in the fall and he has been
running down ever since, very rapidly, until
at last their doctor told them that bis only
chance was to try Colorado. There was no
one TO come with him, so she gave up her
situation she was teaching music, it Seems,
and they were married aud started right of
out here. Mr.. Whipple has an uncle in Lead
vile, and, fancy such ignorance !-
their physician told them to 90 directly there.
So they went right on from Pueblo to Lead
vile without stopping. OF course it was the
worst thing they could do, and naturally, as
soon as they got up TO the higher attitudes,
he began having hemorrhages. When they
reached Leadyille he was utterly exhausted,
and his uncle was away, up in some mines
somewhere, so he had not got their telegram
telling him that they were coming, and there
was no one at the station 10 meet them Ii
was in the middle OF the night too. Mrs.
Whipple said she did not know what to do,
but everybody was very kind to her Some
rough looking men, who would have fright.
ened her terribly by their looks, if they had
not been so gentle and kind in their ways.
helped her about getting a carriage. Two Of
them carried Mr.. Whipple to it from the cars,
and another ran on to the hotel, to rouse the
clerk, aud see that q room was made warm
and comfortable for them at once.
The next morning she remembered she
had letter from her clergyman to the clergy
man in Leadyille, so she found it and sent it
to him, with a note from herself, begging
him to come to her at once. He came imme-
diatey, bringing with him physician, who
told her it would be certain death for Mr.
Whipple to remain there that they must 20
right away; so the poor little woman, tired
as she was, and she was very young had
to come back on the next train, bringing her
sick husband She was never out of New
England before in her life, and never took q
journey by herself OF more than few miles
Isn't it ptiful, Mrs. Marvin p
1T is indeed | said; where are they 2
AT the Sunnysde cottages just below US
l told her we would come aud see her Was
that right -
"Quite right, dear, VIC vii! 20 tomorrow
But see, the sun has gone down behind Red
mountain. Don't you want to go up to the
Clf house, and tell Mr.. Marvin he must not
sit out on the piazza any longer, while go in
and see about tea =
We were living in Manitou that winter.
Herbert and myself with Ida Winthrop.
Herbert had been ailing for some time. The
two preceding winters We had been in Flori-
da and we had made our plans to 90 to south.
ern California for this. But Herbert had had
an i'll turn in the summer while we were up
among the White mountains. An old physi.
clan who was one of the guests of the house
where we were staying had been called in
our haste and distress, much to our satisfac
ton and relief, During Herbert's GONZALES
cence he became very friendly with US, aud
when one day, while be was sitting with US,
in our own parlor, the southern California
scheme was mentioned, he surprised me by
objecting to it very decidedly.
No, Marvin said he. Southern Cali
fornia Is no place for you. You have had
too much of that sort of thing already"
But what can I ~ asked Herbert lit
tie fretfully. you would not advise me to
risk New England winter, would you ;
am tempted to sometimes. 1t s hard on a
man who has such pleasant comfortable
home as l have to be obliged to leave it ey-
cry winter.
mo. l wouldn't advise you to risk a New
England winter. I'll tell you what you need,
Try Colorado if six months there don't
make a now man Of you l will never pre-
scribe again. Southern California is the place
for some cases, and Florida for others, and
still more had better stay at home and be
comfortable, for they cant live long any
where, bat you are not in any of these classes.
You are subject for Colorado, and my ad.
vice is to you, go there,
did not know how Herbert would take
this change Of plan. He had quite made up
his mind to go to southern California, and he
was anticipating much pleasure from the
flowers and fruits he had been told so much
of but he accepted the situation without
murmur, sending away by the next mail for
'all the books about Colorado that could be
found in Boston" Before he was well
enough to go home he was eloquent upon the
subject; he decided to start early in October,
to be in time TO enjoy the beautiful fall wealth
er he had read of so much, so when we
were finally back in our own home, l had but
a few weeks in which to prepare for our
journey.
l think was never more surprised than
when Mrs Winthrop came across to propose
our taking Ida with US. Mrs. Winthrop had
never been favorte of mine, although the
families were opposite neighbors She was
a second wife, southern woman, one who
had lost everything by the war. Whatever
could have become of her and her mother if
Mr. Winthrop had not married her, l cannot
imagine. Her mother died not long after the
marriage, but she was tendery cared for
while she did live, and had every possible
comfort and luxury. Mrs. Winthrop meant
well, but she could not learn our ways. She
was helpless in the hands of her Irish ser
wants, and the house was all confusion and
disorder under her management. Babies
came fast, until now there were seven chill
dren, the oldest only Il. Ida was only 10 at
the time of her father second marriage, but
it was surprising how soon she began to take
the reins into her own hands BY the time
she was lG she was virtually housekeeper.
When she went away to school, the old disor-
der and misrue returned, excepting in her
vacation, when she again came to the fore,
taking the housekeeping upon herself and
sending her step. mother away for a rest and
change, Since she had left school she had
borne the brunt of everything | used to be
quite out of patience with the matter-of-
course way with which Mrs Winthrop ac-
cepted Ida's services, and it did seem hard
that she should never have an outing like 9th
er girls.
So when Mrs. Winthrop came in to tell me
she felt troubled about Ida's throat, and to
ask if we could take her with us, l was utter
ly astonished, and suppose l showed it, for
Mrs. Winthrop opened her mouth and spoke,
with more yigor and animation than sup
posed she possessed, more than l ever knew
her manifest before or since. felt as if the
proverbial worm had turned. "Oh!" she
cried you needn't look at me like that.
Yes, understand it all. You think haven't
any feeling for Ida, and that just let her do
for me, without any thought for anybody but
myself now let me tell you it is not always
easy to tell what you'd do in another persons
place. l should have died long ago if it had
not been for Ida She began when my first
baby was born. can see now just how she
looked, when she came into my room TO see
her new sister. Poor mamma, she said
looking at me with her great black eyes it
will be 30 hard for you 10 have baby TO see
to when the housekeeping troubles you 30