Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-09-21

A Pleasant Little story About Live
People.

A Pleasant Little story About Live
People.
From rpers Bazarl
1t was quite late in the evening, dark
and rainy. when | arrived, and | suppose
the first object in Ware, outside of my
immediate personal surroundings, which
arrested my attention was the Munson
house. When | looked out of my win
dow next morning it loomed up, directly
opposite. across the road. dark and moist
from the rain of the night before. There
were so many elm trees i'll front of it aud
in front of the house | was in that the
little pools of rain water still standing i'll
the road here and there, did not glisten
and shine at all, although the sun was
bright and quite high. The house itself
stood back far enough to allow of good
square yard in front, and was raised from
The street level the height of II face wall.
Three or four steps led up to the front
walk. On each side Of the steps, grow
ing near the edge of the wall, was an
onulmous lilac tree i'll full blossom. |
could see them tossing their purple clus.
tiers between the elm branches there was
quite n wind blowing that morning. A
hedge of lilncs, kept low by constant crop
ping, began at the blooming lilac trees,
and reached around the rest of the yard
ut the top of the face wall. The yard
was gay with flowers, laid out in fantastic
little beds, all boricrod trinity with box.
The house was one of those square, solid,
whitc-paintcd, green-biuded edilices
which marked the wealth and Importance
of the dweller therein half-century or
so ago, and still cast dim halo of re-
spect over lis memory. 1t had no beau
iy in itself, being boldly plain and glar-
ing, like all of its kind but the green
waving boughs of the clms and li!acs,
aud the undulating shadows they cast
toned it down aud gave it an air OF cool
ness and quiet and lovely reserve. | be-
gan To feel n sort Of pleasant, idle curios-
Ity concerning il rs | stood there ut my
chamber window, and after breakfast,
when had gone INTO the sitting room,
whose front windows also faced that way,
| took occasion to ask my hostess, who
had come in with me, who lived there.
"Of course, 1t is nobody have ever
seen or heard of, said ''but | was
looking mt the house this morning, and
have taken II fancy TO know
Mrs. Leonard gazcd retiecively across
at the house and then nj me. 1t was I'M
odd way she had before speaking always
Chores maiden lady lives there, "
she answered at length, turning her gaze
from me TO the house again, call alone !;
that is, all alone except old Margaret.
Shes always been in the family-cvcr
since Caroline WAS baby, / guess A; Il
faithful old creature ms ever lived, but
she's pretty feeble now. reckon Caro-
line has to DO pretty much all the work,
and don't suppose she's much company,
or much of anything but care. There
she comes now"
"Who?' said l, feeling little Devil
dered.
"Why, Carolne-Caroline Munson."
A slim, straight little woman, with Il
white pitcher i'll her hand, was descending
the stone steps between the blooming Ii
lac trees opposite. She had on a lilac
colored calico dress and white apron.
She Wore no hat or bonnet, and her gray
hair seemed to be arranged i'll n cluster Of
soft little curls at the top of her head.
Her face, across the street, looked like
that of woman Of 80, fair and pleas
ing.
"She's going down to Mrs. Barnes
after milk" Mrs Leonard explained.
''She always goes herself, every morning,
Just about this time. She never sends
old Margaret | reckon she amt fit to
go. i guess she can do some things
about the house, but when it comes to
travelling outside | guess Caroline has to
do it herself"
Then Mrs. Leonard WAS called into the
kitchen, and L thought over the informa-
ton, at once vague and definite, had re-
ceived, and watched Miss Caroline Mum
sou walk down the shady street, She had
a pretty, gentle gait.
About week later / received an inyi-
tation to take tea with her. / was pro-
badly never more surprised i'll my life, MS
l had not the slightest acquaintance with
her. l had sometimes happened to watch
her morning pilgrimages down the street
after milk, and occasionally had observed
her working over her flower beds i'll the
front yard. That was all, as far as | was
concerned, and l did not suppose she
knew there was such person MS myself
in existence. But Mrs. Leonard, who was
also hidden, explained it.
''Its Caroline's way" said she. "She's
always had sort OF mania for asking
folks to tea. Why reckon there's hard
ly n fortnight, on an average, the year
round, but What she invites somebody on
other to tea. 4 suppose she gets kind Of
dull, and there's little excitement about
1t, getting ready for company. Anyhow,
she must like it, or she wouldn't ask peo-
pie. She probably has heard you are GO
ing to board here this summer--Ware's n
little place, you know, and folks hear
everything about each other-and thought
she would invite you over with me- You
had better go; you'll enjoy it. It's n
nice place to go to, and she's beautiful
cook, or Margaret is don't know which
does the cooking, but guess they both
have n hand in it. Anyhow, you'll have
pleasant time. Well take our sewing
and go early, by 3 o'clock. That's the
way people go out to tea in Ware"
So the next afternoon at 3 o'clock Mrs.
Leonard and ] sailed across the street TO
Miss Caroline Munsons. She met MS ut
the door, III response to a tap Of the old
fashioned knockcr Her manner of greet
ing us was charming from its very quaint
ness. She hardly said three words, bnt
showed Mt the same time simple cour-
tesy and n pleased shyness. like n child
overcome with the delight OF a tea party
in her honor. She ushered MS into II
beautiful old parlor on the right of the
hall, and we seated ourselves with our
sewing. The conversation was not very
brisk nor very general 30 far MS | was CON
cerned. There was scarcely any topic Of
common interest to the three of u.s. pro-
badly. Mrs. Leonard WAS one of those
women who converse only on matters per-
tanning to themselves or their own circle
of acquaintance, and seldom digress
Miss Munson l could not judge OF as to
conversational habits, of course /; she
seemed to be merely listening with sort
of general interest, scarcely saying IL
word herself to Mrs Leonard's remarks f.;
hut L ,uau a fnInl atruunnr IN A.Lr.n NM.