St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-05-18
A Genuine Antique.
BY HELEN DAWES BROWN.

The gentle spring sunshine had
proved wonderfully persuasive. 1t
had coaXed the grass to put up its head
under the kindly shelter of the old
stone wall; it had wheedled the cat
into leaving her snug hearth for the
warm side of the wOOdShed it had
even f1attered Simon Powers into the
belief that little air might do him
good. ''lf you wrap up warm," his
wife had added anXiOusly, "remember
you're not a well man yet" Yes, he
remembered, poor Simon Powers as
he walked slowly up and down before
his door. He leaned heavily on his
cane and drew his faded gray shawl
more tightly across his shoulders. He
felt little kinship with the sunshine.
The season seemed in merry mood in
which he had no heart to join. Three
months of lingering fever lay behind :;
three months of slow climbing back To
health lay before and, i'll the mean
while, the butcher, the baker, the gro
Ger, to he kept at bay. This was not
what he had promised his wife n those
far-away days when he wOOed her e;
this was not the father he had meant to
he to his children. Had there crept
forth that day feebler or IN ore useless
thing than he
just then a little boy, rolling his
hoop, sent it suddenly against the sick
man. Simon started painfully, and
with cruel sense of feebleness that
was once strength. The boy grinned,
and said;
20,
A moment later, Smith, the grocer,
passed, with hearty GLOW are you,
POwers7 Lookin' pretty peaked yet,
amt ye9 Well, must be of. Time
and tide, you know"
Simon felt bruised and hurt and
turned to enter his gate, when the
sound of wheels caught his ear. The
carriage stopped.
Il wish you'd step here sir" Simon
turned and saw two women III a hand
some carriage.
"Won't you step here, sir?" the
voice repeated, with increasing deci-
sion.
"Do you live here ?" said the elder
of the two ladies', as if she were exam
lining a witness.
"Yes, mum. l live here" said Simon
patiently.
every well, Pm going to get ont
They tell me you've got some good bit.
of old furniture. | want you to let m'
see them"
Simon offered no resistance, and the,
passed in. The elder was an impOsin.
matron, with heavy tread and sweep
ing train the younger, a slender an'
limp damsel, whose dress suggested
the age of Pericles and who was usu
ally spoken of by her protectress a
"a gifted gyurl."
"Isn't that knOcker deliciOusP" salt
Mrs. PundersOn.
isn't it7 Too delicious" echoe,
Miss Violet Varnes.
Every easily taken off"
every easily, | am sure"
Poor Simon Powers felt his strengt
fast leaving him, when, to his grea
relief, his wife appeared on the scene
hurriedly taking off her apron, as
mark of respect to her visitors.
"GOOd- afternoon " said Mrs. Pun
dersOn, promptly. "We've come t
look at what old furniture yOu have.
may want to buy something of YOU"
w uN MA an, VIC Oll IL lllllt III
mother left me, a few old things Nv
no desire to part with"
Mrs. Punderson had, meanwhil,
scanned the room; but found only tw
objects sufficiently venerable to /
worth a second glance. One was til
little old grandmother, nodding owe
l. her knitting; the other she proceede
to investigate.
whats that desk That's n,
bad" she added, in a lower tone to h,
companion.
! "No, not bad at all, said the ''gifte
J gyurl."
THAT desk" said Mrs. Powers,
little proudly, 'my husbands faith,
d willed him, and when we're gone ol
son Robert is to have it,
''Ah ha an heirloom" said Mr
: Punderson, greedily, II thought v
should discover something. A genuil
! antique. What do yOu call it worth
r "What it's worth in money | car
}. say, ma'am, though it's the best of sol
mahogany. 1t isn't handsome, ma'an
but it's stood in that corner since Il
day WAS married. Somehow it's hon
that desk is, that desk and a few 9th
things"
"You say it isn't handsome. The
| differ from yOu," said Mrs. Pundt
son. 81 call it exceedingly good.
Is olet," said she to her young friend, W
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