The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-06-13

Quentlal apr,
Then THEY picked on silently for few
81 say," cried Harold suddenly, as
though AZ bright thought had struck him.
" Let's hi ng her May-basket too I'll
venture 10 say she hasn't had May.bas.
ket for twenty years-and more too-if
she ever did "
Haven't got anything to put in it but
May flowers, and she's got lot of them"
said Tom, doubtfully.
OH tell you exclaimed Harold after
a moments thought; "let's get big bas-
ket aud fill it with things for her That
would please her, know and we'd tell
people about it, and they'd all give some
thing, | know"
(" SO they would " they all assented.
We've got flowers enough now" said
one of the boys pretty soon. "Let's go
home and begin to fix old Mrs. Sassafrass
M.y-basket; for it will take quite while
To get it up in good shape"
As it was now growing chilly, and the
shadows showed that the sun was on the
horizon, the boys concluded that they
would follow Harold's suggestion, so they
went racing and tumbling down the hill,
and were soon at the foot of it, and on
wellknown road leading to their homes
Once there, their new project was re-
vealed to their elders, who received it
with almost unanimous approval. Old
Margaret's invariable kindness, her neat
ness, her industry. her loneliness, her
humility-all combined to make her gen.
orally beloved, and If the boys we're
a-mind to get it up, why, they'd help"
So the boys went head with consider
able spirit, and by the next night, which
was the time when the May basket was to
be presented, they had collected some
valuable articles for it to hold.
MIR. Sims, the village store-keeper, had
presented the basket
"She took care of my two girls many a
night when they had the typhoid fever"
he said, "and never charged cent for
doing it. I'm glad enough to do any,
thing for her." And many others felt in
the same way.
1t was thought at first that a peck
basket would answer their purpose, but as
the contributions began to come in
bushel basket was substituted, and that
was heaped and running over before night.
A dress, good shawl and apron, a stout
pair OF rubber boots in which to make
her way more comfortably about the
swamps to collect her simples, groceries
OF all sorts, and an envelope containing
sum OF money--these were part of the
contents of the May basket. On, it was
gift to gladden. the heart of a much more
ambitious woman than old Mrs. Sassafras.
That night boys and girls were stealing
very quietly about the village streets, and
many quick jerk of door-bill and
rapid retreat of the ringer, proclaimed
that some messy basket, full of odorous
wild flowers, or perhaps something sweeter
still to the heart of the average boy and
girl, had been hung on the door-knob of
tavorite playmate but the largest CON-
pany Of all was gathered near old Margar-
cts humble cottage, on whose doorstep,
shortly after nine o'clock, the May-basket
was deposited.
The dear old creature had been sitting,
with her head in her hands, beside her
fire, musing sorrowfully on her loneliness.
| "Who is there" she thought, to care
for old Mrs. Sasafras To be sure,
they've kind words for me, but if should
die tomorrow, they would say only The
pity ! and 60 their ways. There's nobody
to drop tear nor even a flower on her
grave; and the boy the boy may be at
the bottom of the sea by this time!"
At this point in old Margaret's mourn.
full reflections, she heard knock that
might well have awakened tho Seven
Sleepers--and she hurried to the door. A
candle f1ared in the hand she held above
her head, while she kept the other above
her eyes to shade them as she peered out
into the darkness. Not seeing anybody
she was about to retire, with half.im-
patient thought of the mischievous boys
who would call tired old woman to her
door for nothing, when her eye caught an
imposing white placard, black .lettered, on
top OF the basket. She held her candle
down to it and read:
"a May-basket for Mrs. Sassafras,
with her NeighDors' Love-"
cts the boys, bless 'em |" said old
Mrs. Sassafras with happy grin, forget
ting all her doleful thoughts Of few mo-
ments before, and she began to drag her
present in.
She was turning over its contents with
a pleased and bewildered expression upon
her face, and with all sorts of murmured
CALCULATIONS of love and gratitude upon
her lips, when she heard another knock,
and again flew to the door.
"What can it be? she said. 1.-TWO
callers on poor, lonely old lady like me
in one night Itnever rains but it pours."
She opened the door, and the light fell
full on the figure of tall, bropzsd young
man. He stepped toward her, and she
set the candle down, as she looked with
pathetic, quivering eagerness into his face.
Then she gave cry of joy, and fell into
his open arms.
Mother, mother |" he said, while tears
coursed down his tanned and weather
beaten face. give been bad, migrate
full boy; but Pm doing well, mother, now,
and I've come back to live with you, and
take care of you. Don't cry, mother,
your boy loves you; he's come back to
settle down and stay with you'll"
All that was happy night in old Mrs.
Sassatras little cottage, and how ashamed
she felt that she had had such hard
thoughts of the world
The next day some of the boys met
their old friend, and they couldn't resist
saying, as she greeted them with bright
smile How did you like the basket
Mrs. Sassafras p
n -