Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-06-01
BARRY

when the time came to find it.
One spring twilight boy opened Miss Abi-
gals garden gate aud walked up the path bo-
tween the rows of struggling liacs. He was
not boy who lived in Caperstown, or he
would not have dared venture, am sure, for
prudence's sake, besides having nothing to
venture for He was an unkempt starved.
looking little specimen of humanity. His
coat was a world too long, and patched at the
elbows his trousers were world too short.
and patched at the knees. His hat was guilt.
less Of brim and through a hole in the crown
bobbed little tuft Of hair that had once been
brown but was now woefuly faded. lie went
straight up to Miss Abgail's front steps Miss
Abigail was sitting on tho porch in her high
backed rocking chair, so intent on binding off
her stocking-hee that she heard neither the
click Of the gate.latch nor the footsteps on the
hard-trodden path, aud she did not look up
until the boy figure interposed itself between
her work and the fading sunset light.
He doIed his tattered hat-crown.
IF you please ma'am, will you-may |
have something to eat 7"
1t was not at all a tramp's manner Of asking;
there was q manlineEs in his voice which Miss
Abigail could not help noticing. Perhaps
that was the reason sho looked at the boy
keenly for q moment before answering. In
that moment Prudence, tall and angular, stood
in the door, with a shawl over her head and
her right hand swathed in cotton.
"Ill have to get Jonas Barrows to do the
milkin', Miss Abigail" said she II can't
I've burned my hand so bad"
The boy looked up quickly. Cant /
could milk for youf'
Now Prudence did not like boys, and she
sometimes expressed her dislike in a very
forcible manner as many of the village boys
Al.
dacious boy standing on the steps, from his
bare head-not forgetting the faded little tuft
to his feet. in dumb astonishment
"You might let him try, Prudence" said
Miss Abigail, thinking rather dubiously of the
nervous, mouse. colorcd Alderney in the yard
81 chored on a farm all last summer, said
the boy, glancing eagerly from mistress to
maid Il want some supper and will be
glad to do something to pay for it..
"Well, you kin try it, said Prudence, after
a moments deliberation. It's better'n beg
ging favor, ANYHOW
She led the way to the kitchen, and took a
shining tin pail from the dresser
"Here's lhs milk pail, " said she to the boy,
who stood waiting ''and the COW 5 in the yard
yonder. Payday comes when the work is
done
And Prudence smiled grimly as she went
cold meat She felt morally certain that the
tlighty Alderney heifer, used only to women
kind, would be far more likely to spread
pair of bovine wings and fly away, than to
allow herself to bo MIXED by a boy.
He can't do it, she said to Miss Abigail,
who presently brought her knitting work into
the kitchen. The heifer'll send him sky
high"
But he could and he did and he soon ap-
peared in the doorway his pail brimming
with snowy foam.
"Wel, | never 60 calculated Prudence.
"lOu didn't think | could - said the boy,
smiling brightly.
mo, l didn't admitted Prudence, and
straightway, in her astonishment, she added
to his fare a segment Of rhubarb pie
Wasn't there bit of cheese left over from
tea = asked Miss Abigail
Prudence thought there was and while she
was bringing it from the cellar the boy gave
himself thorough scrubbing at the pump,
coming in from his ablutons fresh and ruddy
as u rose. He was very hungry there was
no doubt Of that He looked at Miss Abigail
with a deprecating smile as Prudence carried
oil the bread plato for third replenishing.
'l'm pretty hungry he said. This isl the
first bite I've had since morning, and it tastes
good.
To be sure it did. Miss Abigail thought Of
a little brother who had died years and years
before, ere his tender feet began to feel the
pricks along lifes pathway. How strange
that the sight of this little vagrant, satisfying
his hunger at her kitchen table, should bring
to remembrance the child who had SO early
put of the mortal for the immortal! Pres
emily having finished his repast, the boy laid
his knife and fork across his plate with a
methodical precision which it pleased Miss
Abigail TO see and then he glanced from
Prudence, standing near her with arms akin
bo, to Miss Abigail
Thank you for my supper, said he. "May
be I'd best be getting along. You don't want
boy to work, do you p
"A-boy-to-work! !" echoed Prudence.
Did you ever? p
mo, we don'tl" said Miss Abigail, sharply
And then-somehow she could not help think
ing again of that frail little life which had
blghted in the bud so long before.
How far are you going 2" she asked.
81 don't know ma'am."
"Well, where have you come from p
''Trescott maam Mother died there three
months ago" There was a pathetic quiver
in his voice.
Aud so, with a little questioning, he told
his simple story. His name was Barry Olm
sted, and he was twelve years old. He had
lived in Trescott long time-he and his
mother; they were very poor, but they had
kept little home together. His mother had
taken in sewing, and he had worked for the
neighboring farmers summers and gone to
school winters Aud he had been very hap
py, for all they were so poor, until-mother
died.
"Then 1 stopped with Deacon Staples a
spell he said he wanted to try me. But
found they were going to bind me out to him,
so | ran away"
"None to blame, nuther," said Prudence
with great deal of emphasis 1--WE seen
old Staples down to Prescott He's that mean
he'd skin mouse for its hide and taller"
'Ive been trying along for a chance to
work, continued the boy, smiling family.
He was very near to tears now, but he held
them back sturdly. but there don't any
body seem to want me-"
Miss Abigail was moved more than she
would have cared to own by this recital. Even
to her, who had lived for self so long, there
was something indesoribably pitiful in the
thought of this little wanderer battling alone
with the world, buiTeted by fortune drifting
here or there, as fortune might dictate. II
had grown dark now-the lamps had long
since been lighted-and there were mutterings
of distant thunder in the air.
"Its going to rain, and you needn't go to-
night, said Miss Abigail ''you may sleep in
the stable loft"
Barry thanked her.
The storm broke with great violence, and
as Miss Abigail listened to the sharp peRls oi
thunder and the beating of the rain against
the windows, she thought of the little way
farer in the stable loft with a new, strange
throb of pity. Morning came, merry will
bird songs and glistening with myriads o
dewdrops. Prudence was up betimes, but
early as it was, she heard the sound of an ax'
in the woodshed and when she opened thu
door Barry smiled at her from his post by thu
ohopping block.
~ don't think paid enough for my sup
perl ate such a lot, he said $50 I've spill
some kindlings, and I'll milk for you thii
morning if you want me to-"
Prudence brought the pail without word